Background
“I’m a photographer who makes furniture.” Willy Rizzo was keen to point out that he wasn’t a designer. Friend of the jet set and Hollywood’s A-list -including the ineffable Billy Wilder- he was one of the most sought-after photographers of his time. And he loved his job. His successful stint as a designer happened almost by accident: “I needed to furnish my new home in Rome, and I couldn’t find anything that matched my taste. I didn’t like all that psychedelic trend of the time, nor did I want Scandinavian design. So, I decided to do it myself ». What started as a small, rather amateurish venture quickly turned into a successful business. Rizzo designs were soon to be found in the homes of Salvador Dali, Brigitte Bardot, Otto Preminger, and Vincent Minelli, to name but a few. “I never tried to sell my designs; however, the friends who used to come to my home, when seeing my “works”, would want to buy them: And how could I say no? » The great photographer/designer sadly passed away in 2013, but his unique furniture pieces live on, gracing the homes of a new generation of design aficionados.
Signature style
Rizzo loved the simplicity and purity of Rationalism and was heavily inspired by the Bauhaus aesthetic. Informed by his photographer’s eye, he sought visual harmony of shapes and materials. His designs were meant to look contemporary and fit anywhere, even an ancient Roman palazzo, and stand comparison with an artwork. More than mixing old and new, it was about the overall feel of harmony. Favouring high quality materials and straightforward lines, Willy Rizzo had his designs handcrafted in a Roman workshop run by a family of skilled artisans. Fifty years later, the furniture pieces are still made in the same workshop with the same extra-care and skill.
Showstoppers
The TRG coffee table, created in 1969 for Igor Cassini’s Roman apartment. A signature piece, defined by a circular top with an integrated “champagne bucket”. Being a photographer, Rizzo knew the importance of lighting, and created a covetable collection of lamps in steel and copper, that he jokingly referred to as “Lamps for Love” because they were meant to create “diffused light good for romance”.
