FH Design is a Nashville-based, 100% woman-owned interior architectural design firm that believes every space should tell a story. Led by Marjorie Feltus-Hawkins, the team brings over four decades of combined leadership experience in hospitality, aviation, corporate, and high-end residential design. With certifications as a WBE, DBE, and SBE, FH Design is built on a foundation of collaboration, authenticity, and purpose-driven creativity—crafting environments that reflect both beauty and intention while elevating the human experience.
You’ve built a design career spanning over four decades, with deep roots in both Natchez and Nashville. Looking back, what first drew you to design — and what has sustained your passion all these years?
I didn’t begin my career thinking in terms of legacy. I simply loved how spaces made people feel. Growing up in Natchez in a historic home called Linden, circa 1790, 6th generation since 1849, turned into a Bed and Breakfast in the early 80’s, I grew up surrounded by history, architecture, and layered stories — I learned early that buildings hold memory. They hold emotion. They hold identity.
What kept me committed wasn’t trends or recognition. It was the impact. Watching a client walk into a completed space and say, “This feels like us.” Over time, design became more than a profession. It became a calling — a way to create environments where people thrive, gather, heal, and build their own legacy.
FH Design is actively shaping work across aviation, healthcare, hospitality, and residential environments. What excites you most about where your firm is heading right now?
What excites me most right now is that we’re working at a level of purpose. In aviation, we’re helping airports define their identity as true gateways to their cities — not just terminals, but first impressions. In healthcare, we’re rethinking clinical environments so they feel less institutional and more human-centered – hospitality driven. And in hospitality and residential, we continue to design spaces that elevate everyday living.
There’s a thread that connects all of it: experience. Whether someone is boarding a flight, walking into a medical clinic or hospital, or coming home at the end of the day, the environment shapes how they feel. At this stage of my career and life, I’m drawn to projects where design goes beyond aesthetics — where it shapes function, identity, and experience. I’m less interested in doing more and more interested in doing what matters most. Over the next five to ten years, I hope to continue focusing on projects that create lasting impact — spaces that serve communities and endure beyond trends. That feels like the right direction.
You’ve shared that losing your mother deeply impacted you during a pivotal season in your life. How did that experience reshape your perspective — personally and professionally?
When I lost my mother several years ago, it was as though the ground shifted beneath me. We were stepping into greater responsibility at Linden while continuing to lead FH Design, and suddenly I was grieving while trying to carry both forward. Grief humbled me. It slowed me down. It refined what truly mattered.
For several seasons, I questioned everything — my purpose, my direction, my strength. But in that quiet, I realized something important: my work was never just about projects. It was about stewardship. Stewardship of family legacy. Stewardship of clients’ dreams. Stewardship of the people on my team. Coming through those seasons has made me a more compassionate leader — stronger, but softer in the right ways.
Nashville has grown rapidly, and the design community continues to evolve. How do you see your role today in this changing landscape?
When I began working in Nashville, it was a much smaller design community. Relationships were everything — and they still are. Today, I don’t feel the need to compete for relevance. My role has shifted. I see myself as a steady presence — someone who brings experience, discernment, and mentorship to the table.
I welcome new designers into this city. Growth is healthy and experience matters. Legacy, to me, isn’t about how many buildings you’ve completed. It’s about how you’ve conducted yourself while building them.
When people reflect on your career and the spaces you’ve created, what do you hope they say about you?
I hope they say that I cared deeply. That I listened. That the spaces felt meaningful — not just beautiful. And that along the way, I lifted others. My team. Young designers. Clients stepping into something new. If someone walks into a space we created and feels grounded, welcomed, or inspired — then we did our job. I carry forward the values my mother instilled in me — care, stewardship, and resilience.
