We recently had the chance to connect with Michael Klein and have shared our conversation below.
Michael, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Lately, the world has felt increasingly weird and unfamiliar, and I’ve been spending a lot of time drinking coffee, running away from the city, and grounding myself in quieter moments. When I’m not working on a design, I gravitate toward silence, nature, and adventure, things that reconnect me with awe and peace.
I love disappearing into beautiful landscapes and taking on whatever challenges they offer, hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, swimming. Pushing myself to the limit puts me in a calm, focused state that charges my creative flow.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Michael Kwaku Klein, and I’m a designer and visual creative focused on crafting spaces and experiences that feel both intentional and emotionally resonant.
My work sits at the intersection of architecture, storytelling, and human connection, I try to understand how space and art can influence the way we think, feel, and interact with the world and each other.
Over the years, my brand Kwaku Klein Design Studios, has become known for designs that balance calm minimalism, personality and a human warmth.
I try to make each project unique by incorporating the personality of the client and/ or a concept that communicates well with the natural surroundings.
I’m constantly exploring, whether that means studying how people move through spaces, learning from nature, or even diving into unexpected passions like coffee farming and craftsmanship. All of these experiences inform the way I design.
Right now, I’ve been working on a few exciting design projects that have been ongoing this past year, including a bank in the heart of Accra, a few townhouses and offices, but the most exciting out of them all, is our first residential design and build project for a celebrity client. It’s a vacation home in the hills just outside the city, with beautiful birds eye views of the city. It’s a stone rich area and we are incorporating as much of the locally sourced stones and wood to put this project together.
Why it’s so exciting is because the client gave full creative control of the entire design to me and I get to watch it get made in real time. That’s always a trip for me. I love it.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who taught you the most about work?
My uncle taught me more about work than anyone else. He owned several restaurants, and every morning, most weekends included, he would wake up early, drive to each location, and work in almost every position: cleaning the floors, cooking, handling the accounting, counseling employees, you name it.
He did it all with total humility while making sure everything was running well. He’s a wealthy man, but he never works like one.
He understands what got him where he is, and he’s never forgotten it.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yesterday morning.
Twice a week at least. But I understand its not an option for me.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes. Not the whole me, but a part of me, certainly.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I would stop putting off the stories I’ve been wanting to write and the films I dream of making. And I’d immediately cut out anything that doesn’t bring meaning, purpose, or a deeper sense of fulfillment
Contact Info:
- Instagram: [email protected]
- Linkedin: Michael Kwaku Klein
- Facebook: kwaku klein
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