Simple, minimalist, nonchalant – the studio in Gumpendorfer Straße in Vienna’s 6th district presents itself in the same way as its own design standards. A warm welcome, personal service and individual solutions included.
When you enter Mezza-Maiso’s interdisciplinary Viennese office for interior architecture, interiors and design, you imagine yourself somewhere between a tastefully designed home and thoughtfully staged office space. The simple, inviting atmosphere is characterized by clear colors and shapes and a fine touch when it comes to the subtle staging of light and space. At the same time, there is a lively, creative atmosphere and you can tell that despite the attention to detail and affinity for art, the studio is not a sterile museum. Quite the opposite: everyone is welcome here in a lively place where people come together and visions want to become reality.
Two creatives, one vision.
This vibe is primarily down to the two co-founders Verena Wohlkönig and Jürgen Hamberger. “After successful years working in different places, Jürgen and I finally got together and founded our own design studio under the gable of a Viennese Wilhelminian style house in 2021,” says Verena. Perhaps it is no coincidence that Verena – surrounded by her parents’ painting and interior design business in Vienna – was influenced by the everyday nature of good design, just like Jürgen, who grew up between his father’s drawing tables and the family’s carpentry furniture.
For Vienna and Austria, at any rate, such a profound and detailed approach may be the exception rather than the rule in the everyday business of interior design planning. “We create concepts that move people, invite them to linger and are remembered forever because they are of unique value,” says Verena, explaining Mezza-Maiso’s philosophy. Verena and Jürgen were undoubtedly also influenced by their years abroad. As a trained engineer, technical draughtswoman and interior designer, Verena worked in renowned international companies and realized a large number of exclusive projects. After training as an interior designer, Jürgen also followed the call of foreign countries to work with global brands and the big names on the scene. In line with his credo “conception is creative unity”, the brand expert places great value on the creative design process, the courage to reduce, attention to detail and the thoughtful use of materials and color.
The result: timeless, authentic design that does not follow any particular style, but rather fundamental principles.
Object by object and location by location.
In addition to their own understanding of design, interdisciplinary collaboration within the team and beyond plays a key role in Jürgen and Verena’s success: “Thanks to our cooperative approach and our network of specialists, we can serve a wide variety of areas professionally.” While the core team covers all disciplines of interior design in-house, the design duo relies on long-standing partnerships when it comes to art acquisition and consulting, hospitality conception and consulting as well as specially designed and curated collectibles. This is a win-win situation for clients: experienced experts work together under the guidance of Mezza-Maiso to find the best solutions for each project.
Knowing the client and their wishes in detail is crucial, Verena knows: “We take a lot of time to get to know each other. We want to understand the visions and lifestyle and derive a design concept from this.” It doesn’t matter whether it’s a retreat for families, boutique hotels, restaurants or stores: “We are delighted that we can grow with our tasks every day and continue to develop.” For this evolution to succeed, it requires collaboration with a tried-and-tested network of craftspeople, national and international designers and brands. “This is the only way we can create unique, vibrant and intuitive living spaces that meet the needs of our customers in the long term,” says Jürgen, summing up the hands-on mentality that underpins Mezza-Maiso.
More than decoration and chichi
From furniture stores to decoration companies, there are numerous providers of interior design solutions in Austria. However, as a registered engineering office for interior design, Mezza-Maiso knows how to play the entire keyboard. For Verena and Jürgen, the technical know-how and understanding of design of the “artisans”, who have been trained at home and abroad, is a natural part of their craft. “We explore the history and background of spaces, preserve and transform them in the interests of the new users and continue the story together in a self-confident and contemporary way,” says Verena, explaining their own approach. Mezza-Maiso’s customers embark on a thoughtful, well-founded and sensual journey with experienced professionals, far away from meaningless decoration.
In addition to private clients, established and up-and-coming brands in particular appreciate this mindset. The integrative cooperation with industry experts is one of Mezza-Maiso’s outstanding USPs. In partnership with Alexandra Schafer from Velvenoir, the design studio offers Art Acquisition & Consulting to curate the right contemporary art piece for interior design projects, permanent art collections or individual art concepts. Another important network partner is Christine Friedreich, an expert in hospitality conception & consulting. “Together, we identify and optimize hidden potential along the employee and customer journey, develop strategies and measures and help companies in all sectors to focus on what is essential for success: people,” explains Jürgen. As every project takes time and numerous details need to be considered during implementation, Mezza-Maiso also offers accompanying support in the area of project management and implementation.
For Verena and Jürgen, the all-round service includes, above all, taking a lot of time for their counterparts: “We select products and materials together, examine samples and sometimes travel to manufacturers to get to know the people and their philosophy behind the brands,” says Verena. “Our curated and limited edition collectibles are a design achievement that gives projects a very special value and underlines their uniqueness,” adds Jürgen. The concept is about creating so-called favorite pieces for interested parties, which are produced individually or in series and in cooperation with national and international designers and brands.
Teamwork makes the dream work.
The special thing about working with Verena and Jürgen, however, is how quickly you become part of the Mezza Maiso family. Because from start to finish, numerous hands and minds are involved in every project – whether large or small – with a great deal of passion. As an architect and interior designer, Nadine Grössing supports the team with her special flair for harmonious room atmospheres. In addition to a degree in “Human Centered Design”, interior designer Carmen Platzer has a special affinity for craftsmanship. She loves putting complex theories into practice and perfecting concepts with great attention to detail. Alice Cappelli’s work, on the other hand, is characterized by a constant search for new materials and technologies and a great dedication to the design and decoration of spaces of all kinds. Since studying at the Politecnico Milano, the globetrotter has drawn her inspiration not only from architecture and archaeology but also from her stays abroad in Paris, Strasbourg and New York. Nadiia Vlasenko, whose career began with a degree at the National University of Civil Engineering and Architecture in Kiev, is no less international. Working with textures, colors and light is so close to Nadiia’s heart that she taught color psychology for interiors at the School of Design in Kiev for two years.
Just when you’ve made yourself comfortable on the couch with a cup of tea and a view of the snow-covered terrace, you don’t really want to get up and leave. Maybe you don’t have to, because Verena and Jürgen certainly have some exciting stories to tell about Mezza-Maiso …
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