Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
Élizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti began their illustrious partnership in 1981, designing furniture and lighting on the forefront of a new romanticism that celebrated whimsy, absurdity and luxury. Working from the basis that “good taste bothers [them],” Garouste and Bonetti returned to and re-imaged design that was highly decorative. They infused this extravagance with the wit and irony of self-awareness, bridging the sensibilities of the early and late 20th century.
Élizabeth Garouste was born in 1946 in Paris, the daughter of Russian immigrants. She studied interior design at the École Camondo in Paris. She worked designing theater sets and in the fashion industry before meeting Mattia Bonetti, a Swiss designer, born in 1952, who was trained in textile design at the Centro Scolastico per l’Industria Artistica in Lugano. He also worked as a product designer, stylist and photographer.
The duo was named Designers of the Year at the International Furniture Fair in 1991. Their work is held in such prestigious collections as the Cooper-Hewitt Museum, New York and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris.
Auction Results Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
lounge chair and ottoman
estimate: $7,000–9,000
result: $72,000
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
chandelier
estimate: $20,000–30,000
result: $69,600
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
desk and chair from the Blome residence
estimate: $18,000–24,000
result: $60,000
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
coffee table from the Blome residence
estimate: $8,000–12,000
result: $48,000
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
Dawson floor lamp
estimate: $30,000–40,000
result: $42,000
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
occasional table from the Blome residence
estimate: $8,000–12,000
result: $39,600
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
lounge chair
estimate: $5,000–7,000
result: $38,400
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
occasional table
estimate: $3,000–5,000
result: $36,000
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
KawaKuBo cabinet
estimate: $15,000–20,000
result: $32,500
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
cabinet
estimate: $30,000–40,000
result: $31,200
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
lounge chair from the Blome residence
estimate: $12,000–15,000
result: $31,200
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
table lamps, pair
estimate: $5,000–7,000
result: $30,000
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
sofa
estimate: $10,000–15,000
result: $25,200
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
dining table
estimate: $30,000–40,000
result: $25,200
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
pair of night stands from the Blome residence
estimate: $15,000–20,000
result: $25,000
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
dining chairs, set of ten
estimate: $20,000–30,000
result: $24,000
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
occasional tables, pair
estimate: $7,000–9,000
result: $22,800
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
console from the Blome residence
estimate: $18,000–24,000
result: $21,600
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
bed from the Blome residence
estimate: $15,000–25,000
result: $20,400
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
pair of lamps from the Blome residence
estimate: $6,000–9,000
result: $20,400
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
Koala settee
estimate: $8,000–10,000
result: $20,400
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
floor lamps from the Lacroix Salons de Haute Couture
estimate: $15,000–20,000
result: $20,000
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
settee
estimate: $7,000–9,000
result: $19,200
Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti
pair of nightstands from the Blome residence
estimate: $8,000–12,000
result: $18,600