The studies of Mechanical Engineering at TU Wien (Vienna University of Technology) is what sparked Martin Breuer-Bono’s interest in product design. After graduation, he decided to study Industrial Design Engineering at the Royal College of Art in London, from which he graduated in 1994. His return to Austria was to be followed by the beginning of his time as an independent product designer.

For two decades, Martin worked as a product designer and engineer. The retrospective exhibition “Martin Breuer-Bono” at Kunsthaus Graz featured 12 pieces from this period. Alongside ski bindings and tableware, it also included his first furniture designs, created on his own initiative. This marked the start of his new path as a furniture designer.

In October 2014, Martin Breuer-Bono presented three more furniture designs at the Blickfang fair at the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna. These production-ready prototypes mark the unofficial launch of his career as a furniture maker and of the BREUER BONO label.

imm Cologne, January 2015. Our first appearance at an international trade fair. SCHLAGSEITE takes centre stage, our first bookshelf designed for serial manufacture. First retailers express their interest in becoming distribution partners. In the years that followed, SCHLAGSEITE would be produced by carpenter the Hermann Deutscher in Pischelsdorf, Styria. Assembly and logistics took place in a small workshop near Graz Central Station: two tables, three spotlights and a small warehouse.

In autum of the same year, SCHLAGSEITE was submitted for the Staatspreis Design – the Austrian State Prize for Design – and made it onto the shortlist. As part of the award exhibition, SCHLAGSEITE toured international design centres in Germany, Italy, France and Estonia. Entering the competition proved to be a key factor in raising the young brand’s international profile.

In response to repeated customer requests, BREUER BONO develops a second bookcase: the OPEN bookshelf. It is unveiled for the first time at imm Cologne in 2018. In the years that followed, it would become the collection’s bestseller.

BREUER BONO’s retailer network continues to grow supported by trade fairs and exhibitions. Dealers from Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, in particular, have a liking for the brand. In 2019, we ship our first order to the United States: New York, New York.

Lockdown. Home office. BREUER BONO takes the initiative and launches its own online shop. The shop quickly becomes a key part of the business and is constantly being improved.

Product development: Two new bookshelves, EIGER and ADONIS, are born. They are officially added to the collection in 2025. In the same year, ADONIS wins the BIG SEE Design Award.

In the summer of 2026 a new chapter begins for BREUER BONO. After a lengthy search, a larger, more suitable company headquarters has finally been found in Graz. A place where, for the first time, everything comes together: studio, production and office, all under one roof. At the same time, the website and online shop are being revamped as part of an all-in-one concept. This step is being supported by a growing team: sons Emil and Paul have joined the business.