Upcycling: Sustainable shopping

Handicraft, design, and sustainability come together in upcycling. Materials and objects that have had their time are restored or find a new purpose: Books or oil drums are turned into unusual furniture, fish feed bags or bicycle inner tubes into robust bags, and backpacks and layers of graffiti paint into trendy pieces of jewelry.

The result are unique design products with an exciting past, which are noted for their longevity. In these Viennese stores and workshops, you'll find a whole bunch of unique items from Vienna's creative scene.

Refished

At Refished, rugged backpacks, practical bags, and colorful accessories are made from colorfully printed cement and fish feed bags. The "Flags" collection has a special reference to Vienna: The flags from which the various products are made come from the Belvedere Museum. These and many other individual pieces can be found in the store in the 9th district or in the online shop.

Kellerwerk

From the workshop of Romana Fürst and Sascha Johannik comes a whole bunch of old furniture that is renovated to shine in new splendor. They also transform what others throw away into lamps, bags, jewelry or accessories. The store is filled with the designs and products of other young artists. If you want to breathe new life into a personal favorite: Kellerwerk also fulfills individual customer wishes. Full information on the products and the store in the 6th district is available on its website.

Birdly – jewelry made from layers of graffiti paint

Cornelia Voglmayr processes crumbled off layers of paint from Vienna's graffiti walls into unique earrings, chains, rings, and bangles. Careful carving produces a unique play of colors. No existing graffiti is destroyed: The Viennese designer uses only material that has already fallen off or "harvests" the walls before they are redeveloped – for example on the Danube Canal. These unique pieces are available to buy in the online shop and at art markets.

Gabarage

Handicraft and innovative design with added value: At Gabarage, tarpaulins are turned into bags and backpacks, books into stools, or escalators into sofas. The designers work constantly on new ideas for converting worn-out materials and objects into stylish consumer goods or design products. Social sustainability is also practiced here by training and developing people who are having a tough time on the labor market. Gabarage products can be purchased in the store in the 4th district or in the online shop.

kontiki

Karin Maislinger isn't short of ideas: She takes old bicycle inner tubes and racing bike coats from Vienna's biking scene to make stylish and long-lasting bags, backpacks, and accessories. These unusual design pieces are hand-made in limited editions or as one-offs, and meet all the requirements of everyday life. The kontiki collection can be purchased in the online shop.