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.
Stool by Garouste & Bonetti Model Koala, France / C.1990
By Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
Located in Montréal, QC
Koala Stool by Garouste & Bonetti , C.1990 Bronze feet and freshly reupholstered in beige Pierre Frey Ramier fabric.
Bronze
Wood Tripod Heart Stool, 1950s France
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Unique heart tripod stool made in France, circa 1950s. Substantial and chunky heart shaped seat with three sturdy club legs with faceted sides. Perfe...
Wood
$22,738
H 43.31 in W 63 in D 31.89 in
Original 'Koala' Sofa by Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti Stamped 'BG'
By Élizabeth Garouste, Mattia Bonetti, Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
Located in PARIS, FR
Iconic 'Koala Sofa' circa 1985 by Elizabeth Garouste & Mattia Bonetti. Stamped 'BG' on one of the sofa's bronze feet. New fabric.
Bronze
French Art Deco Black Iron X-Stool
By Maison Jansen
Located in CA, CA
Elegant French 1930s metal x-stool with nickel accents.
Metal
$4,434 / set
H 21.26 in W 17.72 in D 19.69 in
1950s Pair of Sculpted Stools by Gio Ponti. Reupholstered in Boucle. Model 687
By Gio Ponti
Located in Florence, Tuscany
These sculptural 1950s stools by Gio Ponti for Cassina, model 687, showcase his distinctive architectural lines and beautifully tapered walnut frame. The open, Y-shaped side structur...
Fabric, Bouclé, Wood
$32,697 / set
H 43.71 in W 63.78 in D 32.68 in
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti Koala Sofa and Armchairs, France, 1980s
By Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
Located in Lewes, East Sussex
Original Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti Koala Suite, France, 1980s Original Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti Koala Suite, France, 1980s. All the pieces require new fabri...
Bronze
$7,195 / set
H 17 in W 23 in D 23 in
Edward Wormley for Dunbar Model 5002 Mid Century Thebes Mahogany Stools - Pair
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Edward Wormley for Dunbar Model 5002 Mid Century Thebes Mahogany Stools - Pair Each stool measures: 23 wide x 23 deep x 17 high Great Vintage Condition - Legs have Minor Scratches/...
Upholstery, Mahogany
Chunky Wood Tripod Stool, 1960s France
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Tripod stool made in France, circa 1970s with a light wood with a raw finish. Great minimalist design. Functional stool. Perfect for books or objects as well. Seat diameter 13".
Wood
$52,298 / set
H 33.08 in W 29.53 in D 29.14 in
Garouste & Bonetti Koala armchairs bronze alpaca velvet 1995
By Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
Located in Paris, IDF
This is a beautiful pair of armchairs by Elizabeth Garouste & Mattia Bonetti, model Koala, with solid bronze feet, fully restored and reupholstered. Garouste & Bonetti began ...
Bronze
Charlotte Perriand Berger Stool, 1950s France
By Charlotte Perriand
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Collectible Berger stool by Charlotte Perriand in an elegant dark finish. Circa 1950s. You can find this stool featured in the Charlotte Perriand complete works Volume 2.
Wood
French Wooden Tripod Stool
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage wooden stool made in France, circa 1950s. Thick seat and tripod legs with ribs that taper near the bottom. No nails or hardware. Great lin...
Wood
Garouste & Bonetti style , Wrought Iron Chair
By Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
Located in Miami, FL
In the style of Garouste & Bonetti , wrought iron chair.
Brass, Wrought Iron
$24,000 / set
H 34 in W 15.75 in D 21 in
Garouste & Bonetti Chairs, rare set of 6 forged by Diego Giacometti's ironworker
By Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
Located in Encino, CA
Garouste et Bonetti Extremely rare set of six chairs from the couple of designers, Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti. Ironwork made by Pierre Basse (...
Iron
Zebrawood Canapé by Garouste et Bonetti
By Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
Located in NYC, NY
A unique canapé (originally part of a suite) by Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti with a curvaceous frame in Zebrano (Zebra wood) veneer with drop-in seat and two bolster cushion...
Upholstery
Midcentury French Artisanal Oak Stool, 1950s, France
By Jean Prouvé, Charlotte Perriand, Sergio Rodrigues
Located in Biebergemund, Hessen
A beautifully French oak stool handmade in 1950s. The stool have nice crafted details such as the organic shaped seating. The solid oak shows an incredible patina in good original condition. We found this unique object at an antique fair...
Oak
$5,900
H 21 in Dm 18 in
Rare French Modern Craftsman Stool / Chair Attr. to Garouste and Bonetti, 1988
By Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
Located in New York, NY
A rare and unique stool or bench attributed to the French design team of Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti. Garouste and Bonetti are known for their original creations that are bold and dramatic and feature exquisite materials and craftsmanship. This rare creation demonstration is an exciting work of imagination and sensuosity while displaying beautiful materials and finishing. This post-modern object...
Brass, Wrought Iron