biography

Uwe Sommerlade was born in 1961, the son of a civil engineer. Even as a child he used to sit in his father’s office designing his first houses and objects. In his grandfather's carpentry he learned early on how to handle wood and after graduation from high school and completing a carpenter’s apprenticeship, he studied Design in Kassel. In 1991 he co-founded the company Lepper Schmidt Sommerlade design with two partners. Since then he has developed internationally successful products for leading companies such as Thonet, Brunner, Tonon or Rosenthal. Following the death of Christian Lepper in 2011 he founded his own studio.

In addition to his work as a designer, swimming – especially in open waters – and playing golf are his passions. He lives and works in Kassel and has a son.

National and international design awards prove the high-quality of his works: