Smoked glass, aged brass and the quiet authority of a well-chosen mid-century chair — Tandlas deals in objects that have already proved themselves. This curated Vienna vintage showroom opened in 2020, founded by Elisabeth Souvan, an art historian who approached the business with a collector's instincts rather than a dealer's instincts. The result is a tightly edited inventory where everything on the floor has been assessed, and nothing is there by accident.

The shop operates from two Vienna addresses. The larger and more spacious showroom sits at Währinger Straße 76 in the 9th district, open Monday through Friday from noon to around 6 pm, with Saturday visits available by appointment. The original and smaller shop occupies Panikengasse 38 in the 16th district, open on Thursdays and Fridays from noon to around 6 pm, and also by appointment on weekends. Both locations share the same curatorial standard, but the Währinger Straße showroom gives the inventory room to breathe.

The stock divides naturally into two registers. On one side sit the objects: smoked-glass drinkware, aged brass candleholders, ceramic vases, mirrors and statement lamps with retro shades. On the other, furniture takes its place — chairs, side tables and the occasional vintage cabinet. What connects them is the approach: each piece is hand-picked, and restoration happens only where it genuinely improves an object. Where the original patina tells a better story, Tandlas leaves it alone. A lamp with oxidised metal fittings or a chair with honest wear is not a flaw — it is the record of a life spent in use.

That philosophy carries a practical dimension too. Choosing a restored mid-century piece over new production reduces demand for manufacturing, and for shoppers who care about both design and environmental impact, the argument makes itself without needing to be stated loudly. One well-made object tends to outlast a shelf of cheaper alternatives.

Stock turns over regularly, and the online store ships across Europe — a useful option for collectors and interior designers who want to monitor new arrivals before committing to a visit. That said, browsing in person delivers things a photograph cannot: the weight of a brass fitting, the grain of aged wood, the way light moves through a smoked-glass carafe.

Tandlas suits visitors with a specific period or material in mind — those hunting a signature mid-century lamp, a particular style of ceramic, or a chair to anchor a room. It also suits decorators who want provenance and a point of view rather than volume retail. Casual browsers looking for one object of genuine character will find the format sympathetic. This is a showroom where the curation does the heavy lifting, and the difference from a general flea market browse is immediately apparent.

Getting to the Währinger Straße showroom is straightforward. Währinger Straße-Volksoper station sits approximately 100 metres away and serves U6 metro, trams 40, 41 and 42, and buses 40A, N8 and N41, making it the obvious first stop for most visitors. Spitalgasse, roughly 250 metres away, offers additional tram connections on lines 5, 12, 37, 38, 40, 41 and 42, plus night bus N41. Visitors arriving on regional rail can reach the showroom from Wien Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof, approximately 800 metres away, served by regional train services R40, REX4, REX41 and S40.