Mid century modern scandinavian teak coffee table with ceramic tiles by H.W. Klein

Henry Walter Klein

(1919-)

Norwegian designer and cabinetmaker.

Born to a Norwegian mother and a German father, Henry Walter Klein got several degrees in language and mathematics before turning to the cabinet making. During the war, he joined the Royal Norwegian Navy and worked as a cabinetmaker. In 1949, he went to Frederikberg Tekniske Skole (Frederikberg technical school) in Denmark, where Finn Juhl taught. In 1952 he graduated from "Boligkonsulent" (interior designer).

Klein married a Danish woman and returned to live in Norway, where he practiced interior design. With an engineer, he began to develop a new method of manufacturing plastic furniture. He sold the patent to 46 companies, including Fritz Hansen and Bramin. In 1960, the Klein family moved to Bramming in Denmark, where began his collaboration with Bramin.

In the 1980s, when the Bramin factory closes, he began to work at home. He moved to San Francisco, and designs sofas for the US market.