Andrea Sheehan

Principal, Art Director at Dawson Design Associates, Inc.

A little bit about Andrea…

Andrea Dawson Sheehan is a trailblazing designer, artist, and founding principal of Dawson Design Associates, Inc., with studios in Seattle and London. With over four decades in hospitality design, she has built an international platform renowned for creating immersive, emotionally resonant hotel experiences.

Raised in her mother’s art studio, Andrea began her career in fine art before pivoting to interior design and founding DDA at the age of 29. A pioneer in the boutique hotel movement, she helped define the genre in the 1990s, earning Kimpton Hotels as one of her earliest clients. Each hotel she touches is treated as an original work of art—an opportunity to tell a story, spark conversation, and challenge norms.

Her work is distinguished by the integration of powerful art installations—often her own—that explore themes of gender, sustainability, and social justice. Andrea’s commitment to championing women’s voices is most notably embodied in Hotel Zena in Washington, D.C., the world’s first feminist hotel, which celebrates women’s accomplishments in politics and society.

Under her creative direction, DDA properties consistently rank at the top of travelers' choice awards, often within their first year of opening. Andrea believes that for a space to leave a lasting impression, it must offer more than aesthetic appeal—it must have a soul and a voice that guests can connect with and remember.