10 of Austria's Top Vintage Furniture Stores
Vienna and its inhabitants are renowned for being stylish and their eye for aesthetics includes both fashion and furniture. From antique gems from the Habsburg era, to Bauhaus-style living room sets, here’s our pick of where to pick up the best retro and vintage furniture.
BANANAS
Store, Shop
Neon couches, pastel-coloured lamps and a whole treasure-trove of unusual gems from the 1930s to the 1970s can be found at this delightful vintage store, BANANAS. Every single piece is hand-picked by the owners, who pride themselves on sourcing only the very best furniture and accessories from all over Europe. As the website says, “it’s bananas!”
CARLA
Shop, Store
Vienna’s CARLA shop, a vast 4,000 square metre warehouse, is filled to the brim with donations of used beds, sofas, tables, crockery, books, instruments, clothing, and bric-a-brac. As well as benefiting the environment by recycling and saving on waste, CARLA also acts as a social pioneer by employing men and women who have been unable to find work and funding various projects that help support vulnerable people in the community.
Lichterloh
Store, Shop
This effortlessly trendy store, on the equally hip Gumpooo in the 6th district, contains only the very finest vintage picks. With a particular focus on Austrian design, you can deck out your Viennese apartment appropriately.
Riesenflohmarkt
Market, Park
Open year-round, come rain or shine, this flea market runs every Sunday between 8am and 1pm. In the lesser-known suburban 12th district of Vienna, this authentic market has more of a local vibe than the Naschmarkt. Chaotic and cluttered, the overflowing stalls will force you to forage and dig deep for gems – you never know what may be lurking at the bottom of the piles of clothes, toys and bric-a-brac. There won’t be many tourists to fight for treasures in this market and the prices are as cheap as they come.
Vintagerie
Described as the ‘modernist showroom’, Vintagerie is a fantastic place to pick up a retro gem. Be sure to check out the surrounding area of the 6th district too, as it’s one of the city’s best areas for second-hand shops and retro furniture stores.
Dorotheum
Store, Art Gallery
Dorotheum is one of the best places in Vienna to pick up exclusive vintage items, and is also the largest auction house in Europe, with 40 specialist departments, 100 experts and 300 years’ experience. Established in the 1700s, it has a strong reputation for being one of the best places in Vienna for art collectors.
Naschmarkt
Market
Naschmarkt is the most popular flea market in town. Market sellers can be seen setting up their stalls as early as 4am, giving those who are first on the scene a chance to head over to watch the sunrise over the canal and scour the streets for a trinket or two. The stalls sell everything from junk to jeweller,y and plenty of food stalls are dotted around so you can pick up a falafel wrap or hot dog to munch on as you browse.
Catrinette
Store
Set up by art historian Katharina, Catrinette is a delightful store, full of hand-picked furniture from around the world. You’ll be sure to find some unique, ‘cult’ items here that will give your home a stylish and eclectic vibe.
Dekorative
At Dekorative, you’ll find a wonderful selection of furniture from the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, with many hand-chosen items, so head over there if mid-century pieces, such as these Ercol chairs, is what you’re passionate about.
Stereogram Vintage Design
Stereogram offers a selection of design objects from the 20th century, largely from the decades between 1930 and 1980. The collection includes designs for the home, contemporary objects and items for passionate collectors and art-lovers.