Design duo Garouste and Bonetti is best known for concocting Surrealist, avant-garde, romantic furniture and lighting that merge whimsy and wonder with luxury and sophistication.
Born in Paris in 1946, Élizabeth Garouste studied interior design at the École Camondo and worked as a theater set designer before meeting Mattia Bonetti in the late 1970s. Bonetti, born in Lugano, Switzerland, in 1952, attended Lugano’s Centro Scolastico per L’Industria Artistica, where he studied textile design and got into photography.
Their first collaboration came in 1981, after Garouste’s husband, interior designer Gérard Garouste, asked them both to produce designs for the Paris restaurant Le Privilège. They devised a collection of Art Brut–inspired furniture called Barbare, which debuted at the Jansen House of Interior Design, earning them the nickname Les Nouveaux Barbares (the New Barbarians).
Garouste and Bonetti achieved international acclaim in 1987 when French couturier Christian Lacroix hired them to design for his maisons de couture in Paris and London. Instead of the staid decor used by other haute couture houses, Garouste and Bonetti’s furnishings were rebellious and daring. As described in Architectural Digest, “rooms and carpets were acrid ochers, edged with black baroque swirls Louis XVI-inspired chairs upholstered in fruit tones. Tree stump stools topped with ivory tufted cushions. White curtains were trimmed with black polka dots the size of pancakes.”
Following their success with Lacroix, Garouste and Bonetti designed interiors for illustrious clients such as German socialite Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis and Bernard Picasso, a French art collector and grandson of Pablo Picasso.
Throughout the late 1980s and ’90s, Garouste and Bonetti designed several modern pieces such as rainbow-colored console tables, the wavy, high-backed Koala sofa, ceramic tableware, table lamps and decorative objects. In 2002, the duo parted ways.
Bonetti continues to create furniture, finding inspiration in everything from ancient Greece to children’s toys to UFOs. His works have been shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
Garouste also continues to design and is inspired by the natural world for her “quirky pieces,” Élisabeth Delacarte, owner of the Paris gallery Avant-Scène, says of her designs: “You feel like you’re in a dream rather than in reality. She very much has her own universe.”
On 1stDibs, find a range of vintage Garouste and Bonetti tables, seating and serveware.
Ceramic Tray by Garouste & Bonetti
By Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
Located in NYC, NY
A lavender and gold ceramic tray by artists Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti. The tray is part of the Boogie-Woogie collection which includes other ceramic table accessories. Th...
Ceramic
Arabia Kaj Frank Pair of Origami Ceramic Trays
By Arabia of Finland
Located in Miami, FL
2 origami plates by Kai Frank for Arabia. Some crazing.
Ceramic
Saint Jacques Hand-Painted Ceramic Tray Made in Italy
By Bertrando Di Renzo
Located in ROCCAVIVARA CB, IT
Enhance your summer entertaining with the elegant Ceramic Saint Jacques Platter. Expertly handcrafted and beautifully hand-painted in Italy, this platter feature distinctive scalloped-edge detailing inspired by the iconic Saint Jacques seashell. The charming design and artisanal craftsmanship make them a perfect choice for stylish outdoor dining or festive indoor gatherings. Ideal for serving fresh seafood, appetizers, or delightful desserts, these plates add a touch of Mediterranean flair and sophistication to your table...
Ceramic
Handapainted Coral ceramic Serving Tray
By Bertrando Di Renzo
Located in ROCCAVIVARA CB, IT
handpainted coral ceramic plates Made in italy, ceramic A piece of italian craftsmanship on your table
Ceramic
$825
H 1.97 in W 5.32 in D 5.91 in
French Vide-Poche Ceramic Tray with Bird Decor by Jacques Blin, 1950s
By Jacques Blin
Located in Münster, DE
Very rare ceramic bowl or vide-poche with bird motif by French artist Jaques Blin from the 1950s. Jacques Blin was born in France in 1920. He earned a de...
Ceramic
20th Century French Ceramic Ash Tray by Hermes
By Hermès
Located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
A ceramic ashtray by Hermes, made in France in the latter half of the 20th century. These ashtrays have always been very collectable with the vintage models...
Ceramic
$351Sale Price|27% Off
H 1.19 in W 9.06 in D 6.11 in
Decorative Ceramic Tray by Charles René Neveux for Cerenne Workshop, c. 1950s
By Charles René Neveux
Located in London, GB
Mid-century ceramic hors d'oeuvres tray by Charles René Neveux for Cerenne Workshop (circa 1950s). This rare ceramic with abstract motif is signed by Neveux himself. A tomato-red base is complemented by a yellow repeating pattern at the edges and a dash of turquoise from the abstract in the recess of the tray. An eye-catching piece from the South of France. When it was created, the 1955 film, Et Dieu Créa la Femme...
Ceramic
Ingrid Atterberg for Upsala-Ekeby Ceramic Tray
Located in København, Copenhagen
Ingrid Atterberg for Upsala-Ekeby ceramic tray. In perfect condition. Model number 2284. Measures: 20 x 33 x 3.5 cm. Stamped. Two trays on stock.
$533Sale Price|30% Off
H 1.58 in W 11.42 in D 4.93 in
Vintage French Ceramic Tray by Albert Thiry 'circa 1970s'
By Albert Thiry
Located in London, GB
French ceramic decorative dish with fish motif (circa 1970s) by Albert Thiry. An oval-shaped ceramic dish has a chalk-white glaze surface. Within the dish's recess a fish is incised ...
Ceramic
$861Sale Price|20% Off
H 4.73 in Dm 11.03 in
Vintage Italian Made Abstract Red Hand Painted Ceramic Bowl/Valet Tray, 1970s
Located in Milano, IT
Vintage red ceramic bowl - valet tray, made in Italy in the 1970s with an abstract geometric shape. Hand painted, with a deep red base layer and a ser...
Ceramic
Desimone Hand Painted Ceramic Tray Plaque Italy
By Giovanni DeSimone
Located in Miami, FL
A very large oval platter or plaque by Giovanni Desimone.
Ceramic
Ceramic tray from the Soshiro Ainu collection
By SoShiro
Located in London, GB
The white ceramic tray or English salver from SoShiro’s Ainu collection, a collaboration between award-winning artist Toru Kaizawa and Shiro Muchiri...
Ceramic, Clay, Kaolin
$533Sale Price|30% Off
H 1.38 in W 11.42 in D 4.53 in
Vintage French Ceramic Tray by Albert Thiry 'circa 1970s'
By Albert Thiry
Located in London, GB
French ceramic decorative dish with fish motif (circa 1970s) by Albert Thiry. An oval-shaped ceramic dish has a chalk-white glaze surface. Within the dish's recess a fish is incised ...
Ceramic
Sold
H 6.11 in Dm 3.35 in
Coral "Trapani" Glasses Set by Garouste and Bonetti for Daum, France, 1980s.
By Daum, Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
Located in Lille, FR
A rare set of 8 glasses by Elisabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti for Daum, from the Trapani serie. Signed and Boxed
Crystal
Sold
H 5.52 in Dm 3.35 in
Blue Coral "Trapani" Glasses by Garouste and Bonetti for Daum, France, 1980s.
By Daum, Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
Located in Lille, FR
A rare set of 3 glasses by Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti for Daum, from the Trapani serie.
Crystal
Sold
H 7.88 in Dm 2.76 in
Coral "Trapani" Champagne Flute by Garouste and Bonetti for Daum, France, 1980s.
By Daum, Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
Located in Lille, FR
A rare Champagne Flute by Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti for Daum, from the Trapani serie.
Crystal
Sold
H 10.24 in Dm 9.45 in
Rare Emaux de Longwy Ceramic Boule Vase by Garouste and Bonetti Limited 1 of 5
By Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
Located in Miami, FL
This Boule vase “Ornament “ is a rare limited edition numbered 1/5 by Elizabeth Garouste was born in 1949 in Paris and Mattia Bonetti in 1952 in Lugano (Switzerland). They pooled their work from 1980 to dedicate themselves to the creation of pieces of furniture and interior decoration. They start with the decoration of the Palace that Fabrice Eamer asks them to design. Then shortly after, the Néotu Gallery publishes them. Their furniture, baroque and barbarian, surprises, made up of heterogeneous and unusual materials, such as rock, hammered bronze, raffia, leather, skin, logs and glass ... They are at the instigation of fashion "barbaric". For their work, they use references such as the Middle Ages, Africa, through the poetry of Cocteau, the Venetian baroque and neoclassicism. They have also been edited by the “Waiting for the Barbarians” galleries, David Gill, Kréo, Lou Fagotin...
Ceramic
Sold
H 10.24 in Dm 9.45 in
Rare Emaux de Longwy Ceramic Boule Vase by Garouste and Bonetti Limited 1 of 5
By Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
Located in Miami, FL
This Boule vase “Ornament “ is a rare limited edition numbered 1/5 by Elizabeth Garouste was born in 1949 in Paris and Mattia Bonetti in 1952 in Lugano (Switzerland). They pooled the...
Ceramic
Garouste and Bonetti Coral Branch Mirror Tray
By Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
Located in New York, NY
This beautiful tray by Elisabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti is made with a crystal glass mirror stand and applied coral branches of matte glass paste from 1989. The tray measures 3 ...
Crystal
Cast Bronze Starfish Dish by Garouste and Bonetti
By Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
Located in Chicago, IL
Signed Garouste and Bonetti Bronze Starfish dish.
Bronze