Whether you brought a house full of furniture or arrived with nothing but the bare necessities in your suitcase, the goal of most people is to make their house or apartment a home. So, if you need everything including the kitchen sink (and that is possible here), or just that accent rug or table to make your home complete this section will tell you where to find it, Whether it is a wonderful Biedermeier antique, or that sleek modern leather sofa, your only limits are your budget or space.

Large Furniture Stores

Their are numerous major department/furniture stores in Vienna, that will carry everything you need to set up housekeeping from whole kitchens to bathroom towels and everything in between. The international chain IKEA, it’s Austrian competition Kika and it’s sister upscale stores Leiner, are just a few that are very popular with the international community. But don’t let that deter you from visiting the other large department/furniture stores or small shops, because their prices are often just as competitive and some may offer a larger range of styles than the three mentioned above. (i.e. XXXLutz, Möbel Ludwig, Möbelix)

Shopping Areas

Of course any discussion of shopping in Vienna must include the larger pedestrian malls, like Kärntnerstrasse, The Graben or Mariahilfer Strasse. And there are numerous others throughout Vienna.

Käntner Strasse and The Graben, are very elegant, and the prices there reflect that. There are some beautiful and old established shops where you can purchase Austria’s finest products or offerings from around the world. It is a great way to spend the day even if your budget only allows you to window shop and enjoy coffee or lunch there.

Mariahilfer Strasse, Neubaugasse and other areas offer the products needed for everyday living, like furniture, textiles and electronics. But they also offer a good insight into everyday life in Vienna, and can often show you a side of Vienna you would miss as a tourist.

Besides there are some bigger shopping malls:

• Wien Mitte – The Mall
• Generali-Center
• Gasometer
• Lugner City
• Donau Zentrum
• Shopping City Nord
• Shopping City Süd (SCS)

Do-it-Yourself

For the do-it-yourself aficionados there are a couple of really good home improvement super marts. OBI And BauMax has a huge selection of merchandise with which to repair and/or improve your home, apartment and garden. The stores all have knowledgeable and helpful sales staff with prices that are hard to beat. They sell everything from curtain rods to live house and/or garden plants.

Antiques

A great way to spend a rainy day in Vienna is visiting one of the dusty little antique shops and flea markets (Flohmarkt) or elegant antique (Antiquitäten) galleries throughout the city. Biedermeier, Jugendstil and other period antiques preserved or refurbished to their former splendor await you.

This may be your once in a lifetime opportunity to find just that piece that will become your own beloved family heirloom, or you may discover an overlooked treasurer, and enjoy bringing it back to it’s former beauty yourself. Read a short history of antique style in Vienna and Happy Hunting!

The Biedermeier Style

Biedermeier marked the first style of the post-Napoleonic era with which craftsmen were at liberty to execute designs of their own choosing. Through newly established guilds, they shared with each other the techniques of veneering, varnishing, craftsmanship and design. They were no longer beholden to the court architects dictating to them which pieces they would produce and for whom. Read article

Jugendstil (Art Nouveau)

The German term Jugendstil (style of the youth) comes from the Munich magazine “Die Jugend” (The Youth). The term Art Nouveau comes from the Parisian art shop “La Maison de l’Art Nouveau” (The House of the New Art) of Samuel Bing. Well known is also the Italian term stilo libero which comes from the English term Style Liberty.

Second Hand Stores

You can also take advantage of second-hand items available from the ever-rotating expat population, one source for that is our Classifieds section. Another are newsletters form the Embassies, International Schools and the UN Posting Board.

You can also find great buys at these church sponsored organization. Christ Church Shop sample the shop’s hospitality and discover the amazing range of books, household goods, clothes, toys, books, jewelry and other items on offer at bargain prices. or Caritas there you’ll find anything from antiques to silk scarves.