Confessions of an Interior Designer

Episode: I Confess... My Clients Were Cats

Host: Caroline Turner
Guest: Tyka Pride, Interior Designer & Emmy-nominated Production Designer
Date: January 28, 2026

Episode Overview

This week on Confessions of an Interior Designer, host Caroline Turner is joined by Tyka Pride, a multi-hyphenate interior and production designer known for her work on Netflix’s Queer Eye and her recent foray into launching her own furniture line. In a conversation that balances behind-the-scenes realities, industry confessions, and both hilarious and heartfelt moments, the duo dives into Tyka’s journey from TV to entrepreneurship, building in public through TikTok, and designing for some truly unique clients—including, memorably, actual cats.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Tyka’s Journey: From Production Assistant to Founder

• Early Career in TV

  • Tyka went to film school aiming to be a director but fell in love with art departments on home makeover shows, starting as a production assistant (01:04).
  • "It was kind of like a culmination of everything I loved about film, like lighting, proportions, storytelling." – Tyka (01:20)
  • Worked up to production designer on major TV shows (Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Queer Eye), but eventually sought a more sustainable, creative path (03:23–04:33).
  • “It can be like a thankless job… I knew I wanted a way out because I can’t do that type of work till I’m 50 years old.”—Tyka (03:51)

• Transition to Entrepreneurship

  • Sharing knowledge on TikTok grew Tyka’s audience and led to founding her own design firm, hosting her own TV show, and launching a furniture company (02:05–02:19).
  • Caroline gushes over Tyka’s debut collection: "Stop what you're doing right now and Google Tyka Pride… her things are stunning!" (02:19–02:35).

Life Behind Reality TV

• Pros & Cons

  • Tyka shares the adrenaline of fast-paced TV—long hours, travel, intense schedule, rewarding reveals (02:57–03:29).
  • "You work so hard, you don’t sleep, and then you get to chill for two months" (03:23).
  • Discussion of the “cognitive dissonance” between glamorous TV reveals and the real (often messy) process of design (04:33–05:49).

• Client Reactions

  • The joy of “reveal” moments on TV is compared to the less-dramatic, phase-by-phase nature of real-life design projects. Tyka tries to preserve the magic by working with clients who trust the process and want to be surprised (07:22–08:11).
  • "He cried when he walked in. It was like a TV show." – Tyka on a surprise client reveal (07:57)

Managing the Work/Life Balance

• Tyka describes herself as a classic workaholic, trying to break the cycle of "three months of nonstop work, then a total crash." (09:52–10:17)
• Tries to focus on a smaller number of projects at a time and maintain client control to avoid burnout (10:46–10:59).
• Caroline and Tyka share thoughts on creative momentum, burnout, and the challenge of rest (11:13–11:56).

Furniture Line: Inspiration & Process

• Origin Story & TikTok’s Role

  • Tyka’s obsession with chairs led to custom commissions, eventually progressing to an entire collection (13:32–14:34).
  • Community feedback and enthusiasm on TikTok gave her the confidence to expand (14:40–15:10).
  • "Life is so much bigger than what I thought it could be" – Tyka on the impact of TikTok (14:54)

• Design Philosophy

  • Originality over mass production: Tyka prioritized creativity rather than logistics or profit margins (15:42–16:34).
  • The “Soul Study Light” became a viral favorite—art-meets-lighting, inspired by sunsets and nature, designed to be both affordable and renter-friendly (17:12–19:05).
  • "I tried to make pieces that I couldn't find, and if I could find them, they were, like, made in Milan and $15,000." – Tyka (17:53)

• Iterative, Audience-Driven Development

  • Tyka welcomes customer feedback, adjusting and improving products in real time based on TikTok comments (20:12–21:03).
  • "It guides me, it tells me where to go." (20:12)

• Pricing & Structure

  • Tyka keeps prices reasonable by making everything to order and shipping direct from the factory (46:45–47:14).
  • "No warehouse, no inventory… people have to wait two months, but they're not paying thousands for something that shouldn't cost that much." (47:04)
  • She acknowledges that most negative feedback is about lead times—waiting for quality, bespoke items is a new concept for some customers used to instant delivery (48:58–49:17).

Building in Public & Social Media Realities

• Both agree: giving away expertise doesn't diminish demand, but establishes credibility and attracts dream clients (21:19–22:43).
• Tyka sees no downside yet to building her business transparently on TikTok (24:40).
• Caroline: “If I were insecure enough to think that me giving out information on the Internet meant that someone could do my job… that would be a problem in itself.” (22:12)

Listener Confessions & Memorable Moments

Confession 1: The Nightmare Client

Story (25:11–34:03)

• Anonymous designer shares a cautionary tale of accepting a project with a client’s adult daughter, ignoring red flags. The project is plagued by communication issues, unreasonable demands on timelines, family interference, and ultimately legal threats over trivial details.
• Resolution: Designer ends the relationship, feeling relief despite financial and emotional toll.

Discussion (29:07–34:03)

• Tyka: "You just get those clients, you know they're crazy. You can tell. And for some reason, you just keep going." (29:11)
• Caroline: "Sometimes we use [scarcity mindset] and it applies shame when we’re business owners…sometimes you have to make a decision that doesn't always feel great." (29:29)
• Both agree: listeners should trust their gut, learn from the experience, and find ways to move on positively.

Penance

• Caroline: "We need a database of bad clients, and she needs to be on it." (33:38)
• Tyka: "Her dad needs to be burned by her in the same way that the designer was as well." (34:03)
• Healing wishes to the designer: "A fat, very nice glass of wine and…a really lovely client who will be normal." (34:43)

Confession 2: The Cats are the Clients

Story (35:00–37:58)

• Designer hired for a client’s new build discovers the true end-users are the couple’s cats. The project expands to include an entire house wing just for the six cats, complete with unique social needs, cat access doors everywhere, scratch-resistant finishes, built-in lounges, feeding zones, and more.
• "At some point, I realized that I wasn't designing a house for clients who had cats…I was designing a house for cats who allowed people to live with them. And what's even funnier is it ended up being one of the smoother projects I've ever worked on because the cats never asked for revisions." (37:46)

Discussion (37:58–42:22)

• Tyka: "That’s a dream. When I think about getting rich, I'm like, I'm gonna have a huge part of my house just for cats." (39:17)
• Caroline: “I do understand them having their own space to just destroy.” (40:07)
• Both hosts revel in the delight and simplicity of pets as “clients,” and Tyka confesses her own cat rescue story.

Penance

• Caroline: "The owner’s penance could be they get another cat…Imagine that tiny little cage that they’re in. And then they get to…move into a wing." (41:53)
• Both agree: all parties should “save the cats." (42:20)

Deep Dives & Notable Quotes

On Material Choices & The Making of the Ottoman

• Tyka creates initial shapes with clay, then tests materials ("we ended up using recycled fiberglass… super sustainable and great and lightweight" – 43:03).
• On affordability: "I bet it all on myself. Basically put my whole entire life savings into it and just, like, prayed that it worked. And thank God the Soul Study Light came through for me, and I've made it all back already." (45:08)

On Designing for TV vs. Real Life

• Tyka uses her phone to view spaces as they’d appear on camera, appreciating how TV-trained design sensibilities make her a sharper designer (51:36–52:08).
  • "I can see better through the phone than my eyes. And I'll be like, oh, we need something right here, but I don't see it when my phone's down." (51:59)
• Sets for TV typically require more visual “fill” than real homes (52:39):
  • "In a real home, I don't mind...a breath of a wall, but in TV, you have to put something there." (52:39)

On Design and Wellness

• Tyka prioritizes emotional connection in design:
  • “Your home should work with your mental health and aid in you feeling at peace. That looks different for so many people.” (53:52)
  • Her favorite client question: “What’s your favorite vacation?”—reveals deep personal insight (55:06)

On Audience Engagement

• "I know that it’s important to...respond to comments, engage with people, take feedback seriously, not have an ego." (20:12)
• “Generosity without reciprocation… it has come back tenfold.” (22:05)
• On TikTok's power: “Clients will go on TikTok to see who are the experts. Because I want to hire them.” (24:08)

Timestamps for Notable Segments

• [01:04] Tyka's entry into design and TV
• [04:33] The cognitive dissonance of reality TV vs. true design
• [07:22] Preserving the “reveal” culture for private clients
• [13:32] The start of Tyka’s furniture obsession
• [17:12] The story behind the “Soul Study Light”
• [25:11] First major listener confession: the nightmare client
• [35:00] Second confession: designing for cats
• [43:02] The process of designing Tyka’s ottoman (material choices, finish)
• [46:45] How she keeps offerings affordable
• [51:36] Designing for the camera vs. real life
• [53:52] Incorporating wellness and emotion into design
• [55:06] Favorite client question: “What’s your favorite vacation?”
• [57:13] Where to find Tyka and her work

Memorable Quotes

• "You just get those clients, you know they're crazy. You can tell. And for some reason, you just keep going." – Tyka (29:11)
• “At some point, I realized that I wasn't designing a house for clients who had cats...I was designing a house for cats who allowed people to live with them." – Anonymous Confession (37:46)
• "I can see better through the phone than my eyes." – Tyka (51:59)
• “I bet it all on myself. Basically put my whole entire life savings into it and just, like, prayed that it worked.” – Tyka (45:08)
• “Your home should work with your mental health and aid in you feeling at peace. That looks different for so many people.” – Tyka (53:52)
• "I hope nothing bad happens to [TikTok]." – Tyka (24:30)

Tone

Conversational, candid, supportive, openly vulnerable—Caroline and Tyka bond over both the absurdities and joys of interior design, drop plenty of industry wisdom with a sense of humor, and celebrate the weird and wonderful.

Where to Find Tyka Pride

• Instagram & TikTok: @tykapride
• Website: tykapride.com

Summary prepared by your expert podcast summarizer.
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