In Conversation
Tyler Rizzuto
June 22, 2026
Photographer, interior designer, and NYC Tage Gallery co-founder Tyler has spent the last few years building a world entirely his own.
We first met Tyler at a Pearled Ivory pop-up in New York in 2023. Our interaction was brief, but we continued following his work from afar, often finding ourselves drawn to the images he was creating and the worlds he was building through them.
Over the years, we watched as his creative practice evolved beyond photography. Through social media, we witnessed the opening of Tage Gallery and the development of a space that felt deeply aligned with many of the ideas we discuss internally at Pearled Ivory. The warmth of the materials, the color palette, the appreciation for objects with history, and the emphasis on creating a feeling rather than simply displaying products all resonated with us.
What stood out most was that Tyler seemed to speak the same visual language we aspire to communicate through Pearled Ivory. His work emphasizes atmosphere, emotion, and storytelling — all qualities that have become important to the world we’re building as a brand. When the opportunity to collaborate came about, it felt like a natural continuation of a conversation we’d been having through each other’s work.
Alongside this interview are a series of self-portraits Tyler created featuring pieces from our Spring/Summer ’26 Delivery I collection. The images offer a look at our pieces through his lens and within the world.
How would you describe your creative process?
Regardless of the medium, my work always begins with the same question: What is the feeling we’re trying to create? Whether it’s an interior, a photograph, or a larger creative project, the goal isn’t simply to sell an object or an image — I want to create an emotional response.
Once that feeling is identified, the process becomes world-building. Materials, color, light, subject matter, composition, and movement all become tools for shaping that experience. Every creative decision is made in service of the atmosphere and emotion we’re trying to communicate.
How did you get into interior design?
I’ve never had a formal background in anything I’ve turned into a career. Everything has come from personal interest, and interior design was no different. It started with an obsession with vintage pieces, flea markets, estate sales, and objects that carried stories before me. I began designing my own apartment, and as friends started asking for help with their spaces, what began as sourcing vintage furniture gradually turned into a design practice.
How did Tage Gallery come to life?
As I sourced more and more vintage pieces, my apartment essentially became a storage unit. That sparked the idea: what if the storage unit was shoppable? I shared the concept with my friend Deon, and within a few weeks we had signed a lease and launched Tage.
Tage was never intended to be a traditional design studio. It was meant to be a playground for exploring the things we love that had history. The name itself comes from the end of the word “heritage,” reflecting our belief that every piece carries a narrative that continues with each new owner.
As we curated those pieces into a cohesive environment, people began responding not just to the furniture, but to the world we had built around it. They would come in looking for a lamp or a chair and leave asking us to design an entire space. That naturally led us into residential and commercial interior design.
What role does color play in your work?
Color is really an extension of my inner world. Whether it’s photography, interior design, creative direction, or even the way I dress, there’s a strong through line because they’re all expressions of the same visual language. The palettes that appear throughout my work are simply the colors, materials, and atmospheres that resonate with me most deeply.
If I’m trying to create a feeling for someone else, I need to feel it first. The colors I’m drawn to are the ones that evoke something in me, and that emotional connection becomes the foundation for everything I create.
Are there particular eras or materials you're drawn to?
A lot of it starts with instinct. Deon and I have built Tage around a strong sense of self-trust, so the first question is often simple: Does this feel like Tage? That’s not something we can always explain immediately, but we know it when we see it.
Over time, that instinct has become more refined. We’ve learned which pieces resonate aesthetically, but also which ones people can genuinely live with and incorporate into their homes.
On a more practical level, we tend to evaluate pieces through three lenses: color, material, and character. We’re drawn to warm woods, natural textiles, earthy tones, and surfaces that feel lived-in. There’s a sense of warmth and permanence that connects everything we bring into the space.
More than anything, we’re looking for pieces that feel honest. Objects with texture, history, and a certain timelessness. When they’re brought together, they create an environment that feels cohesive without feeling overly designed.
Are there particular eras or materials you're drawn to?
There are definitely patterns in what we’re attracted to, though we often discover them after the fact. We tend to be drawn to pieces with strong character, craftsmanship, and a sense of history—whether that’s French design from the 1940s and 1950s, Spanish Brutalism from the 1960s and 1970s, or centuries-old Japanese ceramics.
More than a specific era, we’re interested in objects that feel timeless. The common thread is always the same: materials, forms, and stories that align with the world we’re building at Tage.
What is it like combining photography and interior design within your practice?
It’s incredibly fulfilling because it allows me to oversee the entire experience — from creating the environment to deciding how it’s ultimately presented. When someone sees a finished image, they’re not just seeing a room or a photograph; they’re seeing the intersection of multiple creative disciplines that I’ve spent years developing.
I care deeply about presentation because it’s the final step in communicating a feeling. The more involved I can be throughout the process, the more accurately I can share the world I’m trying to build.
