 Barnett designed the interior of the 414-foot yacht "Octopus" in 2003; the interior of MV "Kirkland" in 1996; and the interior and exterior of Caterpillar Financial–funded super yacht "Monarch" in 2011.Barnett was born in 1964 to Judith Quinn and Neil Barnett, a portraitist mother and engineer father, who were linked to his "creative curiosity" in an interview.He obtained his degree in industrial design at the University of Cincinnati, completing a thesis on yacht design after originally focusing on automobile design.