Jena Hall is an iconic designer and businesswoman who has created groundbreaking achievements in the Home Furnishings and Design industry. From designing homes for the rich and famous to the restorations of some of America’s most distinguished homes, including the George Vanderbilt Estate and the Bell and Whitney Estates to luxury multimillion dollar second home communities and affordable licensed collections, Jena has had a major impact on how we decorate our homes.
One of only five women inducted into the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame, Jena’s career focus shifted when asked to design an experimental research kitchen as part of a House Beautiful project, the first of its kind. The research kitchen led to other industry related projects where she developed creative strategies and pioneered “lifestyle merchandising” for many home furnishing manufacturers and retailers.
With a broad platform of achievements already in her resume, Jena then went on to launch the first licensed, total home collection with her decorator “mix or matched“ concept at an affordable retail price. This new concept included cross-merchandised, coordinated products ranging from furniture to rugs, sheets to lamps, dinnerware to outdoor furniture, totaling 22 individual licensed categories. Jena Hall’s inspiration for the “total home” has influenced the way many others market their products and how consumers achieve a decorator’s look.
In 2012, Jena was retained by Scripps Network’s HGTV Brand to define, curate and develop the HGTV home brand, followed by the first four HGTV Furniture collections for Bassett Furniture. Most recently, she re-designed some independently owned Thomasville stores with an innovative merchandising and marketing concept and then updated the Thomasville’s product line with a 120-piece collection, Elements & Origins®. Her latest project for Thomasville, Hemingway Habana Modern, just launched at the April 2017 market.
In addition, Jena’s nationally syndicated column for New York Newsday and the Chicago Tribune ran in over 400 newspapers for 10 years, giving consumers expert advice on how to decorate their homes—beautifully.
Honors & Achievements
ADL Heritage Award - 2017
American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame inductee, One of only five women ever inducted -2014
City of Hope National Spirit of Life Award, only woman - 2007
American Society of Furniture Designers (ASFD)- Five Pinnacle Awards - 2004 -2010
- Best Collections
- Best Bedroom
- Best Home Office
Women in the Home Industries Today ( WITHIT ) Life Time Achievement Award - 2000
Women in the Home industries Today ( WITHIT ) Founders Award - 2000
Syndicated columnist in over 400 newspapers through Universal Press Syndicate
Consumer Weekly Column, “Designer-in- Residence”, Anchor Paper - Columnist New York Newsday
Guest Columnist for Furniture Today PBM publication
Associate Professor at Parson School of Design , NYC
Guest lecturer at High Point University
Has appeared on many TV and radio talk shows as an expert on interior and product design
Philanthropies & Not For Profit Boards
WithIt Board of Governors, Women in the Home Industries Today - 1999 to present
WithIt, Founding President, Women in the Home Industries Today - 1998 to 2001
City of Hope, Chairman Emeritus, National Cancer & Diabetes Research Center, National of Home Furnishing Industry Chapter
City of Hope, National Co Chair and President of City of Hope’s, Home Furnishing Industry Division - 2006 - 2014, 2017
Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Home Furnishings division - 2004 to present
High Point Market Authority Board member, 2013 - 2014
American Society of Furniture Designers (ASFD)