Celia Barrett, ASID, IIDA, NEWH

An interior designer for 35+ years, prior to Hospitality Design, Celia has been a senior designer for several leading New York City architectural firms, including GHK, IA, CRSS. She was a Senior Store Designer for Macy’s Corporate Stores handling New Jersey and Upstate New York, where she designed multiple retail spaces along with a major restaurant, all for Macy’s. Her many years in Manhattan helped shape her design sense.

Celia believes that design should be simple and timeless, yet make a statement when it is needed. She uses strong architectural detailing and a clear sense of place, proportion and color.

She was also producing artistic director for The Acting Group, Inc., a professional theatre company in NYC for six years while continuing to work as a designer. Celia sees the world as a story being told.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from the Auburn University College of Architecture. She continued her studies at Auburn and Parson’s School of Design in New York in both set design and antiques. She also studied theatre at New York’s renowned Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre. She is certified by the National Council on Interior Design Qualification and is a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers, the International Interior Design Association, NY Chapter of NEWH, and is a State Certified Interior Designer. She is also a member of the BLLA(Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Assoc.), USGBC (Green Building Council), Leading Age and the Chamber of Commerce. She is a member of
the Board Of Directors for the MS Symphony Orchestra and the MS Heritage Trust.

Ms Barrett, with her team, has won 33 design awards in hospitality, retail and residential design. Visit the Awards & Media page to learn more about these honors. 

Celia was recently named one of 16 national STYLE MAKERS for Cambria Magazine. She was recently interviewed by “MILLION DOLLAR DECORATOR” Podcast, Bass River Podcast, Hospitality Nations Podcast

LATEST CONFERENCE PANELS:

For the NYU International Hospitality Investment Conference, she was on the panel discussion for CREATING HIGH DESIGN WITH LIMITED FUNDS

In January ‘21 she was a panelist for “Covid Changes: “The Next Chapter of Hospitality Design” in the BITAC DESIGN WEST conference. She was a panelist for “ROI for Luxury Hotels” at the BITAC lLuxury Hotel Conference. She has been a speaker for MDOT Lifestyle Conference, MS Tourism Convention, on Boutique
and Lifestyle Hotels; CSI lecture on The Art Deco Style; Pier One Imports seminar “Style on a Budget”; Celia had a Design and Decorating segment on WLBT-TV and WAPT –TV for 3 years; She was an adjunct professor for the Senior Interior Design class at MS College for 6 years. Ms. Barrett was a speaker and panelist for the AARP sponsored seminar on “Disrupting Aging” : Aging in Place, Gated Communities and Senior Living Facilities. At High Point Market, panelist for “BEYOND BOUNDARIES,
THE CREATIVE PROCESS” , and panelist in New York at the NYU Intl. Hospitality Investment conference. She is currently giving her talk on DESIGN IS THEATRE to several universities.

Click here to enjoy a recent interview with Celia on the national podcast MILLION DOLLAR DECORATOR.