Trickster Magazine

Age, education, occupation, passion.

I’m 32, I studied fashion and I’m a founder of Afterhour Furniture. My passion is all things beautiful from interior to architecture to nature, fashion and cooking. 

How did you become interested in collecting interior pieces?  

The interest was always there, partly because my dad's an architect and my mom was a seamstress. Their work has definitely influenced me.  

Tell the story of Afterhour Furniture.            

Our journey began in the summer of 2021 when my girlfriend Chiara and I decided to start something of our own. Over the following year, we collected furniture within our own space. In May 2022, we officially founded Afterhour Furniture, a vintage furniture store specializing in design classics from 1920 to 2000. Initially without a permanent location, we photographed the furniture on the streets of Vienna and built our presence through social media and pop-up events. Since April 2023, we have been operating from a temporary showroom. In March 2025, we will move to our new permanent showroom at Liniengasse 18 in the 6th district, expanding into an interior concept store that will feature unique pieces from emerging artists around the world alongside our vintage furniture collection.

My personal favorites include a green set called “garden party” consisting of two lounge chairs, a bench, and a table made of fiberglass, designed by Luigi Colani for Heinz Essmann in the 60s. It’s quite a rare set, and I think it really is a true eye-catcher. The "271F" lounge chair by Verner Panton for August Sommer / Thonet from 1965. It is just a very good chair design in my opinion, and last but not least, the „S 35 L" by Marcel Breuer for Thonet is a real Bauhaus classic and just goes with everything. 

Why did you go with furniture, not clothes or art?                                                          

I studied fashion and later worked in the industry for six years, but over time, I found I enjoyed it more from a distance. I’ve always had an interest in art, but I didn’t see myself working in that field. In the summer of 2020, I did a short internship at a carpenter workshop, and I really loved it. After leaving my job in fashion, I wanted to stay in a creative field, and furniture has always interested me, so it felt like the right move to explore this passion. I'm also into restoring old furniture and giving it a new life. Overall, this job gives me a lot of freedom because we get to be hands-on, constantly learning and creating something unique; plus, we are lucky enough to combine work with travel, which is pretty great.    

What are the most precious pieces in your home?     

The Mario Marenco sofa for Arflex (1970s) is THE perfect sofa in my eyes. 

Do you care about trends? What are people into at the moment in your field?

Related to Afterhour Furniture, we don’t go with trends, we exclusively buy and resell furniture we like personally. I do think vintage, in general, is becoming more of a mindset rather than a trend. People want to live a sustainable life, and it shows. 

How much has your personal style changed through the years?

My style was always changing when I was younger, but I'd say it really settled in my 20s. Now, I know exactly what I like, and that’s probably why my style has been pretty similar since then. 

Perfect couch or perfect lamp, if you had to choose?      
 
Hard to choose! Perfect couch - Mario Marenco for Arflex. Best lamp “Biagio” designed by Tobia Scarpa for FLOS. 

What are your interior-related memories from childhood?

My grandpa traveled a lot and brought back unique items like antique books, vases, and artwork. That’s why my grandparents' house was filled with interesting pieces from different places. Since they lived next door, I spent a lot of my childhood there. As I grew a little older, I spent a lot of time in an abandoned villa near our house. Built in the early '70s, the house really intrigued me. It still had its original furniture, custom-made for the space. What really fascinates me is that this furniture still looks so modern it can easily compare with interiors from today. Looking back now, I remember Carlo Scarpa’s architecture a lot. I often think about that place and feel a little sad that it was torn down.

Credits:
Photographs of Anna by Silver Mikiver
Photos of furniture by Anna & Chiara