Barbara Hawthorn has over 25 years experience in interior design, project management and urban planning. She established her namesake firm, Barbara Hawthorn Interiors, in 1984 specializing in "timeless, trend-resistant design". Her original designs mix modern, comfortable furnishings with fine art and antiques, and an exceptional use of lighting. From her office in McLean, she and her staff direct an average of twenty projects throughout the Mid-Atlantic region each year. Client commissions include: a Park Avenue "pied a terre" for a global entrepreneur; 8,000-13,000 square foot residences in Great Falls, McLean, Fairfax, Bethesda, and Potomac; a Design Boutique in Nassau, Bahamas; restaurants and the offices of prominent attorneys, lobbyists, doctors and venture capitalists.

Ms. Hawthorn's work has appeared on Home & Garden Television (HGTV), in national newspapers and magazines, in multiple decorator show houses including those of the National Symphony Orchestra where she served on their Designer Advisor Board.

Ms. Hawthorn grew up in New York, Los Angeles, London and Paris. Frequent travels among the great European cities developed her appreciation for architecture and the decorative arts. As a young adult, she sought out opportunities to apply and refine her aesthetic sensibilities; apprenticing in her father's engineering firm; graduating from the Fieldston School; studying art and antiques in London and Paris; and learning about lighting from set designers at The Metropolitan Opera.

Ms. Hawthorn graduated Vassar College, Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1971. In 1974 she was a recipient of the prestigious Ford Foundation Fellowship, and earned a Masters of Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley.

Her volunteer activities include teaching art, color theory, and lighting design to students and professionals. She is a member of the Women's Leadership Group for The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington.