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CORE TEAM
Lisa Tharp
FOUNDER + PRINCIPAL DESIGNER
Lisa has been an enthusiastic student of architecture and design since childhood. She founded Lisa Tharp Design in 2011 after a fulfilling career in other visual arts forms (HBO, Time Life Video & Television). She has built a team that shares her belief in good design’s power while offering wonderfully diverse points of view. Lisa has kept the firm intentionally small in order to stay close to the creative process. Her MBA training and corporate experience ensure clients enjoy a well managed project.
Lisa was inducted into the New England Design Hall of Fame in 2021. She is also a member of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art and the Back Bay Architectural Committee. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, painting, and inline skating.
Alex MacMillan
DIRECTOR OF DESIGN
Alex collaborates closely with Lisa to shape the creative vision across the firm’s design projects. Her background in interior architecture and art history, studied both at the University of Edinburgh and in the United States, along with her upbringing in a coastal Maine town rich in artistic heritage and picturesque landscapes, has deepened her appreciation for art and design. Her passion for historical preservation was instilled at a young age, inspired by her parents’ dedication to renovating more than eleven historic properties. When not designing, Alex enjoys hosting parties, being on the ocean and spending time with her husband, daughter and Bernese mountain dog.
Sienna MacArthur
JUNIOR DESIGNER
Sienna brings organization and attention to detail to our creative development and implementation processes. With a French-American education, Sienna split her childhood between her family’s maple sugaring farm in upstate New York and Southern France. Her open-minded and unique approach to every design project stem from her international background and degree in art history. As a yoga teacher in her free time, Sienna’s passion for wellness and sustainability help inform her human-centered perspective to design.
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Elizabeth Santin
DESIGN ASSISTANT
After trying out an interior design internship, Elizabeth committed fully to a career pivot. Undaunted by a global pandemic, she moved to Florence, Italy to earn her master’s degree while immersing herself in regional culture. To our work, she brings her design skills, creativity, and dedication to sustainability, wellness, and local sourcing. When not hiking or skiing, Elizabeth can be found painting, sketching, antiquing, or cultivating an organic garden. An avid dog lover, she cannot pass one without giving them a friendly pet.
Jillian O'Keefe
DESIGN ASSISTANT
Jill earned her Interior Architecture degree in Cork, Ireland, which provided immersive educational opportunities in Europe's rich setting of architecture, history, and art. Drawing inspiration from the past while looking ahead to the future, Jill shapes her streamlined design perspective with a deep appreciation for historic preservation and a strong commitment to sustainability. In her free time, she enjoys travel, skiing up north, and spending time with friends and family.
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