02 SEPTEMBER 2026 — DESIGN
Trolley Square: Episode 2
Four months into construction at Trolley Square, our first McGee & Co. flagship store is finally starting to take shape. The walls are up, rooms are defined, and details that once existed only on plans are becoming real. But this is also the point where decisions have to happen fast—and not everything is going according to plan.
Transforming a historic building means working with plenty of character and plenty of surprises. Uneven floors added days to the schedule. Exterior construction fell months behind. A wall we expected to be original brick turned out to be drywall. Even the historic windows created an unexpected challenge when the wood proved too fragile to simply sand and refinish. Each discovery brings another decision about what to preserve, what to change, and when to pivot.
Then there are the design decisions. Paint colors look different once they’re on cabinetry. Materials need to change. Details get reconsidered. And with opening day getting closer, Shea and the team are constantly balancing the pressure to stay on schedule with the desire to get every detail right.
It’s also Shea’s first time designing a retail space, bringing a new layer of complexity to a familiar process. She’s approaching the store much like a residential project, creating layered rooms rather than a traditional retail floor—but now track lighting, exit signs, building codes, storage, deliveries, and merchandising all have to work alongside the design vision.
Episode Two takes you inside that messy middle: the progress, setbacks, last-minute pivots, and the moments when the vision finally starts to come together.
Episode 2 now on YouTube. New episodes air every Wednesday as we count down to the store’s grand opening.
