Cream Shagreen Nightstand

R&Y Augousti was founded in 1989 by husband-and-wife team Ria and Yiouri Augousti. The pair works with pen shell, metal and an array of exotic skins — including ostrich, snake, eel and crocodile — to create Art Deco-inspired furniture that echoes the influences of their unique friends and draws on the experiences they’ve shared on their global travels.

Ria Augousti (née Macasaet) was born in Manila. Her family relocated to Cebu and, at age 15, she went to New York City to study art. She continued her studies in England and graduated from the London School of Furniture Making.

Born in Cyprus, Yiouri Augousti studied architecture at London’s Architectural Association. He was drawn to interior design that reflected a revival of Art Deco that took shape during his years as a young adult.

Ria was working at the interior design firm of John Stefanidis, in London, when Yiouri joined the firm. “We got on like a house on fire,” Ria has said of the beginnings of their relationship. The couple established R&Y Augousti in 1989 and married in 1990. The business grew swiftly — R&Y Augousti moved permanently to Paris in 1994, and in 2011, the couple opened their first American showroom. There, in the New York Design Center, the range of decorative objects on offer from R&Y Augousti included dining tables, side tables and decorative objects such as candleholders and picture frames in shagreen.

The initial popularity that shagreen enjoyed as furniture covering fizzled when the Art Deco era faded. Modernist designer Jean-Michel Frank was an enthusiast of the textured hide, and during the 1960s, Karl Springer covered desks, chairs and tables with it. Ria Augousti wanted to revive shagreen’s use as a finish in one of their very first designs. Their sculptural, sensuous shagreen Sylvie chair, with its slender and towering backrest, makes a statement in any space and has seen a fair amount of praise over the years. The Sylvie has been photographed in a number of high-profile spaces including Alexander Wang's New York City loft apartment designed by Ryan Korban. (And shagreen reemerged as a luxe material among designers and decorators in 2017.)

R&Y Augousti has since expanded into fashion accessories, and drawings by the couple’s daughter, designer Kifu Augousti, have been embroidered on some of the brand’s luxurious handbags.

Find R&Y Augousti tables, seating and decorative objects on 1stDibs.

Art Deco furniture is characterized by its celebration of modern life. More than its emphasis on natural wood grains and focus on traditional craftsmanship, vintage Art Deco dining chairs, tables, desks, cabinets and other furniture — which typically refers to pieces produced during the 1920s and 1930s — is an ode to the glamour of the “Roaring Twenties.” 

ORIGINS OF ART DECO FURNITURE DESIGN

• Emerged in the 1920s 
• Flourished while the popularity of Art Nouveau declined
• Term derives from 1925’s Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes (International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts) in Paris, France
• Informed by Ancient Egypt, Cubism, Futurism, Louis XVI, De Stijl, modernism and the Vienna Secession; influenced Streamline Moderne and mid-century modernism 

CHARACTERISTICS OF ART DECO FURNITURE DESIGN

• Bold geometric lines and forms, floral motifs
• Use of expensive materials such as shagreen or marble as well as exotic woods such as mahogany, ebony and zebra wood
• Metal accents, shimmering mirrored finishes
• Embellishments made from exotic animal hides, inlays of mother-of-pearl or ivory

ART DECO FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW

• Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
• René Lalique
• Eileen Gray
• Jean Dunand
• Donald Deskey
• Jean Perzel

VINTAGE ART DECO FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS

Few design styles are as universally recognized and appreciated as Art Deco. The term alone conjures visions of the Roaring Twenties, Machine Age metropolises, vast ocean liners, sleek typography and Prohibition-era hedonism. The iconic movement made an indelible mark on all fields of design throughout the 1920s and ’30s, celebrating society’s growing industrialization with refined elegance and stunning craftsmanship.

Widely known designers associated with the Art Deco style include Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann, Eileen Gray, Maurice Dufrêne, Paul Follot and Jules Leleu.

The term Art Deco derives from the name of a large decorative arts exhibition held in Paris in 1925. “Art Deco design” is often used broadly, to describe the work of creators in associated or ancillary styles. This is particularly true of American Art Deco, which is also called Streamline Moderne or Machine Age design. (Streamline Moderne, sometimes known as Art Moderne, was a phenomenon largely of the 1930s, post–Art Nouveau.)

Art Deco textile designers employed dazzling floral motifs and vivid colors, and while Art Deco furniture makers respected the dark woods and modern metals with which they worked, they frequently incorporated decorative embellishments such as exotic animal hides as well as veneers in their seating, case pieces, living room sets and bedroom furniture.

From mother-of-pearl inlaid vitrines to chrome aviator chairs, bold and inventive works in the Art Deco style include chaise longues (also known as chaise lounges) and curved armchairs. Today, the style is still favored by interior designers looking to infuse a home with an air of luxury and sophistication.

The vintage Art Deco furniture for sale on 1stDibs includes dressers, coffee tables, decorative objects and more.

While the range of styles and variety of materials have broadened over time, the priceless functionality of side tables has held true.

Vintage, new and antique side tables are an integral accent to our seating and provide additional, necessary storage in our homes. They can be a great foundation for that perfect focal piece of art that you want all your guests to see as you congregate for cocktails in the living room. Side tables are indeed ideal as a stage for your decorative objects or plants in your library or your study, and they are a practical space for the novel or stack of design magazines you keep close to your sofa.

Sure, owning a pair of side tables isn’t as imperative as having a coffee table in the common area, though most of us would struggle without them. Those made of metal, stone or wood are frequently featured in stylish interiors, and if you’re shopping for side tables, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.

With respect to the height of your side tables, a table that is as high as your lounge chair or the arm of your couch is best. Some folks are understandably fussy about coherence in a living room area, but coherence doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t mix and match. Feel free to introduce minimalist mid-century modern wooden side tables designed by Paul McCobb alongside your contemporary metal coffee table. If you think it isn’t possible to pair a Hollywood Regency–style side table with a contemporary sofa, we’re here to tell you that it is. Even a leggy side table can balance a chunky sofa well. Try to keep a limited color palette in mind if you’re planning on mixing furniture styles and materials, and don’t be afraid to add a piece of abstract art to shake things up.

As far as the objects you’re planning to place on your side tables, if you have heavy items such as stone or sculptures to display, a fragile glass-top table would not be an ideal choice. Think about what material would best support your collectibles and go with that. If it’s a particularly small side table, along with a tall, sleek floor lamp, it can make for a great way to fill a corner of the room you wouldn’t otherwise easily be able to populate.

Whether you are looking for an antique 19th-century carved oak side table or a vintage rattan side table (because rattan never went away!), the collection on 1stDibs has you covered.