R Y Augusti
20th Century European Modern Nesting Tables and Stacking Tables
Shagreen Stingray
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Animal Skin, Leather
Late 20th Century Philippine Modern Vases
Bamboo
Vintage 1980s French Modern Side Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Decorative Boxes
Agate
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood, Ash, Olive, Burl
Late 20th Century American Modern Swivel Chairs
Bouclé
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and...
Brass, Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Flush Mount
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Wood
2010s American Organic Modern Abstract Sculptures
Ceramic, Cotton
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary British Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and...
Metal, Aluminum
2010s American Modern Side Tables
Bronze
2010s Lebanese Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Resin, Fiberglass
21st Century and Contemporary American Scandinavian Modern Wall Lights a...
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary French Game Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Wall Mirrors
Brass
Antique Late 19th Century Italian Modern Chairs
Copper, Pewter
2010s Vietnamese Post-Modern Console Tables
Brass
Recent Sales
Early 2000s French Modern Lounge Chairs
Shagreen, Fabric
Late 20th Century Philippine Jewelry Boxes
Wood, Shagreen, Bone
Late 20th Century French Art Deco Picture Frames
Shagreen
Vintage 1970s French Boxes
Late 20th Century French Vases
Shagreen
R & Y Augousti for sale on 1stDibs
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.