John Lautner
John Lautner and Charles Hollis Jones had a longstanding professional relationship. Lautner collaborated with Charles HJ to design furniture for thirteen of his houses, including Lautner’s grandest commission in Acapulco where Lautner placed Charles Hollis Jones’s folding tables, magazine racks, towel bars, towel stands, and many other pieces throughout the majestic residence.
Aesthetically, the Arthur Elrod House in Palm Springs was the crowning glory of Lautner houses in which CHJ’s furniture was featured. Totaling over forty pieces of furniture and accessories, the designs of CHJ adorned the living spaces of this glorious private residence, now legendary for Lautner’s architectural bravado and Elrod’s impeccable, sophisticated design style.
Carles Hollis Jones’ furniture was also showcased in commercial commissions: Suite #2 of The Hotel Lautner, Desert Hot Springs, is fully furnished in its indoor and outdoor areas with CHJ-designed headboard, nightstands, reading lamps, sofa, dining table, chairs, and barstools. Much acclaimed, Suite #2 was the destination of architects and artists who came to visit from all over the world.
Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball was an ardent fan of Charles Hollis Jones furniture. Throughout the years she ordered several items, including many pieces for her dressing room at Desilu Studios where her sitcom was filmed. Initially, Lucille Ball requested that the original Ball design legs of the furniture be replaced with a movable casting design on the “feet.”
Amusingly, after 6 weeks, Lucy called Charles and asked that the moveable castings be replaced with the original stationary Ball design “feet” because the furniture was chasing her around the room! Further, Lucy bought Charles’ table from Steve Lawrence in copper, and Charles custom-designed a Lucite boudoir chair for Lucille Ball’s home.
John Elgin Woolf
New York Times writer David Colman writing about the important work of John Woolf and his partner Robert Koch, an interior designer, asserted that the team: “established a new vocabulary for glamorous movie-star living; they synthesized 19th-century French, Greek Revival and Modernist touches into a heady mixture that has since been christened Hollywood Regency, which foreshadowed aspects of postmodernism.” (NYT, 2004-11-15)
John Woolf created a style characterized by his “Pullman doors” at the front entry, and a mansard roofline and Doric columns to define the facade. One of Woolf’s most famous commissions was for the actress Loretta Young, where Woolf prominently featured Charles Hollis Jones’ furniture from the Regency Line. In fact, Woolf used the CHJ Regency Table in so many of his commissions that it became known as the “John Woolf Regency Table” while he was alive.
Tennessee Williams
Tennessee Williams visited the showroom in west hollywood. He was usually here to do two things, sell scripts to UCLA & Speak at Cal state Northridge for his friend and professor Oliver Evans when we first met, Tennessee asked if he bought a custom chair from me would I have a drink with him. Of course I will and you don’t have to buy anything! He asked CHJ to design a custom chair for him, and he named it the Wisteria chair – it still has that name. It was made with green edge acrylic dyed – and red cushions. He bought 6 of them for his house in New Orleans. He bought charles’ work regularly.
Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gormé
The singing couple of Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme were also big fans of the hi-style designs by Charles Hollis Jones. For their home in Beverly Hills, the pair commissioned many pieces of furniture to be fabricated in copper and Lucite, including étagères, coffee tables, folding tables, and a variety of other furnishings throughout the years. Steve and Eydie were very good friends of Lucille Ball, and the entire entourage would travel together to Las Vegas: Steve and Eydie would perform, Lucy would accompany the duo to be supportive, and Charles would play backgammon with Lucy.
Dean Martin
Dean Martin commissioned a twisted four-poster bed produced in Lucite and metal with a bronze finish for his Bel-Air house. Dean also commissioned luggage racks with trays, insisting that the design “look traditional but made of acrylic.” It took Charles two years to design the machinery to execute this design. When the four-poster bed was completed, Dean Martin was inspired to write a song that commemorated the commission, and when the bed was delivered to his wife he sang her the song. In addition to the bed and the luggage racks, Dean continued to purchase other pieces of furniture to add to his Charles Hollis Jones collection.
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez purchased Charles Hollis Jones’ treillage table, and she has remarked that it’s the most expensive piece of furniture she owns in her house. This stunning treillage table of basket-woven metal base and acrylic top was highlighted at the California Palm Springs Modernism show in 2004.
Frank Sinatra
Many celebrities visited the Charles Hollis Jones Showroom when it was on Melrose avenue in the 70s. Among them were Frank Sinatra and his wife Barbara. The Sinatras commissioned Charles to make accessories for their Rancho Mirage residence and compound, including multiple bookshelves, large Lucite mirrors, over forty waste baskets and tissue boxes, and a variety of other accessories for boudoir and bath.
Diana Ross
Diana Ross thought Charles was “supreme.” She commissioned him to produce a fireplace surround that included an architectural treatment of vertical steel blinds for her Palm Drive house in Beverly Hills, California.
Features & Appearances
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST (1961 THRU 2013 - PERIODICAL)
Architectural Digest is an American monthly magazine founded in 1920. Charles Hollis Jones and his work have been featured a number of times through the years in Architectural Digest. This included everything from being featured on the cover, to being in advertisements, articles, and appearing in interior designers’ work.
2013 • July/Aug (Spain Issue) • Pg. 160-171
2013 • June• Pg. 162-163
2013 • September • Pg. 164-167
2012 • July/Aug (French Issue) • Pg. 64-75
2008 • April • Pg. 204
2003 • May • Pg. 188
1998 • August • Pg. 154 & Cover
1988 • August • Pg. C16
1987 • January • Pg. C16
1985 • August • Pg. 95,96
1985 • November • Pg.87, 119
1982 • November • Pg. C29
1982 • October • Pg. 249
1982 • September • Pg. 261
1982 • August • Pg. 55, 255
1981 • December • Pg.135, 233
1981 • August • Pg. 115
1981 • May • Pg. 35
1981 • January • Pg. 141, 142
1980 • December • Pg. 175
1980 • November • Pg. 23
1980 • March • Pg. 49
1980 • October • Pg. 209
1980 • July/August • Pg. 116
1979 • November • Pg. 89-90
1979 • July/August • Pg. 143, 160
1979 • May • Pg. 39
1979 • January/February • Pg. 151
1978 • May • Pg. 110
1978 • March • Back Cover, Pg. 163
1978 • April • Back Cover
1978 • October • Pg. 53, 121
1977 • October • Back Cover
1977 • December • Pg. 17, Back Cover
1977 • Jan/Feb • Pg. 161
1977 • July/Aug • Pg. 98, 136K
1977 • May/June • Pg. 160G, 161
1976 • March/April • Pg. 44-45
1976 • July/Aug • Pg. 103
1976 • Jan/Feb • Pg. 161
1975 • Sept/Oct • Pg. 50, 51, 53
1972 • May/June • Pg. 12, 14
1972 • March/April • Pg. 83
1971 • March/April • Cover
1970 • Winter • Pg. 40-43
1968 • Fall • Pg. 128
1963 • Spring • Pg. 28, 34, 54, 114, 182
1963 • October • Pg. 62, 86
1961 • Fall • Bing Crosby Ranch
PALM SPRINGS LIFE MAGAZINE (1969 THRU 2008 - PERIODICAL)
For longer than 50 years, Palm Springs Life has celebrated the Southern California desert lifestyle by serving one of the most affluent audiences of residents and visitors with sophisticated coverage of fashion, fine dining, architecture, interior design, art and culture, the environment, and philanthropy and society. Palm Springs Life stands out as “California’s Prestige Magazine.”
2008 • November • Pg. 64-69
2008 • February • Pg. 29DG
2003 • January • Pg. 25-27
1974 • February • Pg. 15
1973 • March • Pg. 45
1970 • February • Pg. 105
1969 • October • Pg. 34-39
ELLE DECOR MAGAZINE (2009 THRU 2013 - PERIODICAL)
Elle Decor Magazine is the ultimate guide to decorating and design and the indispensable go-to source for everyone who wants to create a more beautiful life.
2013 • Pg. 102
2012 • Pg. 134-141
2009 • Pg. 118-121
MODERNISM MAGAZINE (2003 THRU 2006 - PERIODICAL)
Modernism was the home design magazine for those who appreciate art deco, mid-century design, pop, and post-modernism in their home decor. Each issue featured design, architecture and decoration ideas, vintage and retro furniture design.
2006 • Summer • Pg. 80-90
2006 • Spring • Pg. 40
2005 • Fall • Pg. 67
2003 • Fall • Pg. 60-65
BELLE MAGAZINE (2008 THRU 2011 - PERIODICAL)
For almost 40 years, Belle has delivered the best in Australian and international interior design and decoration. Published six times a year, Belle takes a lively, informed and contemporary view on design, showcasing beautiful homes in Australia and overseas and bringing readers all the news and trends in interior design, architecture, gardens, art, furniture, home accessories, fabrics and luxury goods.
2011 • June/July • Pg. 124-129
2009 • Aug/Sept• Pg. 120-129
2008 • June/July • Pg. 122-127
DESIGNERS WEST MAGAZINE (1977 THRU 1991 - PERIODICAL)
Designers West Magazine was a magazine publication distributed from the 70s through the 90s.
1991 • May • Pg. 38
1989 • August • Pg. 145
1988 • June • Pg. 70-75
1987 • November • Pg. 53
1987 • Annual • Pg. 165
1985 • April • Pg. 26-31
1985 • February • Pg. 194
1984 • June • Pg. 84
1984 • February • Pg. 163, 190
1984 • January • Pg. 88-89
1983 • April • Pg. 100
1979 • April • Pg. 84-87, 96
1978 • June • Pg. 102, 103, 197
1978 • July • Pg. 8, 47
1978 • April • Pg. 80
1977 • December • Pg. 30, 65
MODERN AMERICANA BY TODD MERR & JULIE V. LOVINE (2008 - BOOK)
2008 • Pg. 144-150, 238
METROPOLITAN HOME (2004 THRU 2006 - PERIODICAL)
Metropolitan Home was a magazine published by Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. The magazine focused on “high-end modern design and interiors, blended with intelligent reporting, to connect with a progressive reader mindset.”
2004 • January • Pg. 76
2006 • May• Pg. 152-159
BONHAMS (2003 -2013 - SEMI-ANNUAL CATALOG)
Bonhams is a privately owned British auction house and one of the world’s oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The Bonhams name is recognized worldwide throughout all sectors of the fine art, antiques and collectors’ market, with several of its departments established world leaders within their specialist category.
2013 • October • Pg. 58
2011 • September • Pg. 98
2011 • April • Pg. 58-59
2008 • September • Pg. 94-95
2007 • September • Pg. 78
2006 • October • Pg. 92
2005 • September • Pg. 96
2004 • June • Pg. 98
2003 • November • Pg. 57-59
LAMA AUCTION CATALOGUE (2006 -2013 - ANNUAL CATALOG)
Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) is the first auction house to specialize in vintage 20th Century modern design and fine art. Auctions are held two to three times a year in Van Nuys, CA and offer material ranging from furniture, lighting, sculpture, prints, photography, fine art, ceramics, to decorative arts.
2013 • October • Pg. 233
2008 • December • Pg. 79
2007 • June • Pg. 6, 60-61
2006 • June • Pg. 30
VERANDA MAGAZINE (2008 -2013 - PERIODICAL)
Veranda is a lifestyle magazine with a focus on the home. It is a resource for living well, from decorating and architecture to fashion and beauty. The magazine is one of the Hearst Corporation’s shelter magazine titles, alongside Elle Décor and House Beautiful.
2003 • November • Pg. Cover, 8, 84-89
2012 • October • Pg. 133, 138, 139, 140
2009 • January • Pg. 64-67
2008 • August • Pg. 62
LOS ANGELES TIMES HOME MAGAZINE (1971 - 1975 - PERIODICAL)
1975 • November • Pg. 12
1974 • October • Pg. 22-23
1971 • June • Pg. 26
1971 • November • Pg. 80
NEW YORK TIMES HOME DESIGN MAGAZINE (2002 - PERIODICAL)
2002 • Fall • Pg. 92
CREATING MODERN FURNITURE BY DONA Z. MEILACH (1975 - BOOK)
1975 • Pg. 182-185
LOS ANGELES TIMES MAGAZINE (2001 - 2011 - PERIODICAL)
2011 • May • Pg. 14,18
2008 • October • Pg. 37-44
2002 • October • Pg. 82-85
2001 • May • Pg. 30-31
WRIGHT (2007 -2012 - ANNUAL CATALOGUE)
Wright is the premier auction house specializing in modern and contemporary design.
2012 • March • Pg. 259-264
2010 • October • Pg. 379
2010 • December • Pg. 288-297
2007 • March • Pg. 500-501
2007 • October • Pg. 209-225
CHRISTIES (2001- ANNUAL CATALOGUE)
Founded in 1766, Christie’s offers premier auctions and private sales of the finest art, antiques & interiors, jewelry & watches, wine and more.