Wittmann – Furniture makers since 1896

Wittmann is the Austrian furniture-making company behind many of the iconic beds, sofas and chairs featured in some of our favourite hotels like Arthotel Blaue Gans in Salzburg and Altstadt Vienna.

A family business for over 120 years, Wittmann have been applying their expertise in design, material and craftsmanship to bespoke furniture creations - working in collaboration with architects and interiors designers to produce extraordinary pieces that bring architecture alive in public and private spaces.

Passing down precise skills from generation to generation, this family-run brand has stood the test of time by an enduring passion for craft and high standard of hand-finishing in their furniture. It’s also their sharpened eye for what a space needs as well as an understanding of durability requirements that makes them sought out for private commissions and commercial work.

So what does a designer Wittmann look like? An important aspect to understand is Wittmann’s unique way of working over the four generations with Austrian and international designers and architects from Josef Hoffmann and Friedrich Kiesler to Matteo Thun and Edward B Tuttle. Using their blueprint and Wittmann’s high standard of production, sofas, armchairs, beds and tables are uniquely made to their joint specification.

Today, the Wittmann furniture workshops are authorised by the Josef Hoffmann Foundation to produce Josef Hoffmann's furniture based on his original designs, keeping alive his traditions including the iconic Kubus leather armchair and sofa and the Bauhaus Purkersdorf armchairs. Hoffmann’s designs can be seen in the Widder Hotel Zürich and Altstadt Vienna.

Friedrich Kieseler’s designs are used today to make his cult tubular steel cantilever chair and unique Party Lounge sofa.

Working with top design hotels and restaurants, hospitality has become a large wedge of their trade, allowing their interactions with interior designers and architects to become even more relevant. Hotel architect Matteo Thun for example, created an upholstery collection for Wittmann called Materassi – essentially a mattress on cubic legs dressed in vivid colours.

With humble beginnings as a leather saddlery company in 1896, Wittman continues to express balance, comfort and quality. Today, Ulrike Wittmann and her husband Heinz Hofer-Wittmann helm the ship, moving with the times yet celebrating longevity. Preservation and care are an important factor in all Wittman pieces, its furniture is designed to last – and like the family that run it, it’s to be passed down to the next generation.