Charles Hollis Jones

Charles Hollis Jones was born in Bloomington, Indiana, on July 18, 1945. His professional practice began in 1961, when he founded CHJ Designs at the age of sixteen. This early start was followed by a move to Los Angeles in 1963, placing him in a city with strong connections to entertainment, residential interiors, architecture, and experimental design. Jones developed a distinctive practice around acrylic and lucite at a time when plastics were not yet broadly accepted as materials for upscale furniture and art. Rather than hiding the synthetic character of the material, he used transparency, color, layering, and reflective surfaces as central elements of the design. His work entered showroom and interior-design channels, including Hudson-Rissman, and gained attention among clients seeking individualized furniture for prominent homes and interiors. The designer's reported commissions included work for Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball, and Johnny Carson. These commissions connected Jones's studio practice with the Hollywood and Los Angeles design milieu, while also reinforcing the association between his furniture and customized luxury interiors. Tennessee Williams commissioned a writing chair from Jones; the resulting Wisteria chair is cited as a significant custom design. In the 1970s Jones expanded his use of lucite into lighting and historical design references. His Edison Lamp incorporated original Thomas Edison light bulbs into a steel-and-lucite structure that exposed the components and inner workings of the early technology. The object functioned simultaneously as a lamp, a display of engineering history, and a sculptural work. It won recognition in the California Design 11 Competition and received special recognition from the German government. Jones's designs were featured in museums including the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. His reception in the press included a description by the Los Angeles Times of Jones as a pioneer in acrylic design, a characterization that reflects his contribution to the material's acceptance within high-end interiors and collectible design. In addition to furniture and lighting, he produced accessories and sculptural awards. In 2008 he designed the sculpture for the Golden Heart Award presented at the Beverly Hills Hotel to honor Clancy Imislund for contributions to the Midnight Mission. Jones lived in the Burbank area of Los Angeles and was reported to have continued designing furniture and accessories. The available account presents CHJ Designs primarily as a personal, author-led studio rather than as a large manufacturing organization. Its identity rests on custom work, the expressive use of acrylic and lucite, and the overlap between furniture, sculpture, lighting, and interior objects. The supplied reference states that Jones died on August 7, 2026, aged 81. It does not establish whether the studio, archive, licensing activity, or production program continued afterward.

1. 2026Death of Charles Hollis Jones

   The supplied biographical reference records Jones's death on August 7, 2026, at age 81.

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2. 2008Golden Heart Award sculpture designed

   Jones designed a sculpture for the Golden Heart Award at the Beverly Hills Hotel, honoring Clancy Imislund for contributions to the Midnight Mission.

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3. 1970Edison Lamp developed

   During the 1970s, Jones created the Edison Lamp, combining original Edison bulbs with steel and lucite to display the technology inside the object.

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4. 1963Move to Los Angeles

   Jones moved from Indiana to Los Angeles, where he developed his career in a major center for entertainment, interiors, and design.

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5. 1961CHJ Designs founded

   At age sixteen, Charles Hollis Jones founded CHJ Designs, beginning the studio practice associated with his furniture and object designs.

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A designer-led, collectible furniture and objects practice centered on transparent acrylic and lucite, custom craftsmanship, sculptural form, and the transformation of industrial materials into luxury interior pieces.

• Wisteria chairCustom furniture

  A writing chair commissioned by Tennessee Williams and designed by Charles Hollis Jones. It represents the designer's custom-furniture work and his use of authored seating to respond to the needs and personality of an individual client. The available reference does not specify its complete construction, dimensions, production history, or current availability.

• Edison LampLighting and decorative object1970

  A 1970s lamp that uses original Thomas Edison light bulbs within a steel-and-lucite structure. The design makes the bulb technology visible rather than treating it as a concealed component, giving the object a hybrid identity as functional lighting, historical display, and sculpture. It received recognition in the California Design 11 Competition and special recognition from the German government.

• Acrylic and lucite furnitureFurniture

  Jones's broader furniture practice used acrylic and lucite for chairs, tables, and other interior pieces. The material's transparency and reflective qualities were treated as primary design features, helping move plastic beyond utilitarian applications into custom and upscale interiors. The available sources do not provide a complete catalog or standardized product list.

• Awards and presentation sculpturesSculptural objects2008

  In addition to furniture and lighting, Jones designed sculptural presentation objects and awards. A documented example is the sculpture created for the 2008 Golden Heart Award at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Specific fabrication details and the broader award portfolio are not identified in the available material.

• 2026Charles Hollis Jones dies at age 81

  The supplied biographical reference records that Charles Hollis Jones died on August 7, 2026, at the age of 81. The available material does not provide further information about succession, the continuation of CHJ Designs, or a formal estate announcement.

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1. Charles Hollis Jones
2. Official Charles Hollis Jones website