I love watching authentic journeys,” says Chrissy Jones. That’s how she sees each of her projects—and an apt description for how she came to be the owner of her own L.A. design firm, Twenty-Eighth Design Studio, with more than 15,000 followers on Instagram. Known for her refined, textural, neutral-leaning spaces, Jones is self-taught, or, as she likes to say, “I’m a student of the trade.” She started her career in entertainment PR, marketing, and communications but had always been obsessed with home magazines. (She’s the kind of person who decorated friends and family members’ houses for fun.) After starting an event and interior design side hustle, an eventually found herself pursuing her passion full-on. “Over the years, I just realized how drawn I was to creating beautiful spaces, and I decided to fully dedicate myself to learning everything I could about design and running an interior design company,” Jones says.
You can hear Jones’s marcom expertise shining through when she talks about her clients, whom she wants “to feel at peace on a daily basis.” That experience is what she believes makes her approach to interior design unique. As anyone who has undertaken a home project knows, communication can be a major challenge—for many creative people, it’s not their forte—but Jones approaches it with ease and assurance.
“I believe as designers we can create beautiful art—this is the foundation of being a good designer,” Jones says. “However, what is your client experiencing? How does the client feel at the beginning, during the not-so-fun parts, all the way to the reveal? I believe the experience is just as important as the design. My clients should feel like they’ve been on a first-class flight to the final design destination.”
As far as training goes, Jones is a testament to what you can learn for free. She cites her “virtual mentors” on YouTube—Kinwoven designer and teacher Rebecca Robeson, L.A.-based design duo Mr. Kate, and designer/restaurateur/Netflix star Karin Bohn—as well as TV personalities like Breegan Jane, star of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, for helping her hone her design chops. “I came from a completely different industry well into my working career, and they’ve had a major influence on me so far,” she says. “I also closely followed Cheryl Eisen and her design marketing business model.”
Style-wise, Jones leans toward a midcentury aesthetic but is a bit of a chameleon otherwise—it’s all about what her client wants. “Truth be told, I’m never above any trend,” she says. “I think if the design element makes sense in the space and is done in a timeless way, that’s all that matters.” That authenticity is what Jones is all about.
So it’s no surprise to hear that Jones’s most meaningful project so far is a home she designed for her parents. “I was able to help them choose every finish,” she says. “I’m proud because I consider it a legacy project, and my family gets to enjoy it, creating so many memories.” Fun fact: They’re a musical bunch, and among all her other talents, Jones can really sing. Just don’t tell her we told you….
Jones designed this home for her parents.
House Beautiful: What’s your favorite…(and why)?
Item to collect: “I’m not really a collector type.”
Paint color: “Pearly White by Sherwin-Williams.”
Artist or piece of art: “Still Wanting by Jay Parnell.”
Local shopping destination: “Any historic L.A. home art gallery.”
Online store: “Etsy!”
Travel destination: “Italy (bucket list).”
Decor item you buy on repeat: “A vase of some sort.”
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