La Mésangère, Elizabeth and Gérard Garouste’s Home
At La Mésangère, the home of Elizabeth and Gérard Garouste, the interiors fully reflect the couple’s artistic universe. Furniture, sculptures, paintings and antique objects coexist in a free and distinctive composition, where the fantastical imagination of Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti engages in a dialogue with Gérard Garouste’s painterly world. Archaic references, organic forms and raw materials come together to create an eclectic setting at the intersection of art and design.
A true cabinet of curiosities, the house brings together pieces from different periods, reflecting a pronounced taste for unusual objects and daring combinations. In the living room, a wooden console flanked by two papier-mâché caryatids, inspired by the Venus of Willendorf, welcomes an ensemble of sculptures and objects from various eras, while a pastel by Gérard Garouste hangs above the composition. The deep red curtains and baroque wood panelling contrast with the archaic forms of the objects. Each element contributes to a carefully staged interior in which artworks and furniture interact without hierarchy.
Among the most emblematic pieces are the Mandragore Lamp and the Earth Cabinet, presented at the exhibition held at Ansen in 1981. These creations illustrate the sculptural approach of Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti, who reinvent the conventions of furniture design through expressive forms and unexpected materials. The influence of primitive arts is particularly evident, informing the barbarian style developed by the two designers.
This approach is characterised by primitive forms, references to ancient art and an aesthetic that breaks away from the conventions of design. Ceramic, bronze and frosted-glass lighting fixtures punctuate the spaces,
Far from being a static interior, La Mésangère emerges as a living space shaped by the artworks and objects it houses. More than a mere setting, the home embodies the couple’s creative affinity and shared inspiration, reflecting a vision of domestic life in which art, design and everyday living intertwine freely.
