New Keno Furniture Collection

By Doris Athineos

Furniture experts Leigh and Leslie Keno are hard at work. The twin brothers circle around a mahogany cane-back armchair with gracefully curved back legs. A rapid-fire exchange ensues as they pet its shapely contours. “We love the sloping arms,” enthuses Leslie. “The mahogany is sculpted so that it appears to be carved out of one piece of wood,” opines Leigh. Leslie points out that the “Slope” chair (shown above) has no hard edges. Leigh dubs it “tubular organic.” Without exchanging a word, they both lock eyes on the softly rounded cane back. “It’s airy,” says Leslie. “And sculptural,” adds Leigh, stepping back for a fresh take.

For once, there’s no question about when or where it was made or who created it. The talents behind these designs are the Kenos themselves. After more than 30 years of dissecting the work of colonial cabinetmakers, the Kenos, in partnership with furnituremaker Theodore Alexander, are giving shape to their own designs. “Our design sensibilities come from a lifetime of studying great objects from the past,” explains Leslie.

The brothers have shed the weight of earlier eras without sacrificing a single sexy curve. “People are attracted to the wavy S-curve that resembles a woman’s body,” says Leslie. “It’s called Hogarth’s line of beauty.” In his 1753 book, The Analysis of Beauty, artist William Hogarth argued for voluptuous curves. And, like the mid-18th-century cabinetmakers before them, the Kenos have delivered, with cabriole legs and serpentine chests.

How the furniture is made--by hand--counts, too. The Roadshow warriors excel at craftsmanship and subtle details--bone escutcheons, brass-capped toes, and birch-lined drawers--where other affordable furniture often falls short.

“We’ve envisioned these pieces all our lives, and to create them is truly a dream come true,” says Leigh, who lives with a mix of antiques, midcentury modern, and cutting-edge design.

They ditched carved decoration in favor of striking silhouettes clad in eye-popping veneers with names you’ve never heard of (block anegre, ofram, and sapele). Wavy, rosewoodlike ofram grain ebbs and flows across tabletops and down shapely legs.

Smart, good-looking, well-proportioned, and versatile, some 45 snappy pieces made their debut last spring at the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, North Carolina, and Theodore Alexander will roll out new designs at the next High Point market in October.

“The only limitation the Kenos have in working with us is their own imagination,” says Theodore Alexander chairman Harvey Dondero, who upped the glam factor by filming the Keno brothers as they caressed rippled cabinet doors and hand-hammered aluminum legs on the showroom floor. The movie is coming to a furniture store near you (ditto the brothers and their furniture). Tap into theodorealexander.com to find the nearest store, or watch a segment here.

The Skyscraper Showcase
Bookcase/shelf unit
Materials: Block Anegre veneer, Tiger Maple veneer
39” wide, 16” deep, 80” high
product number: KENO6301

The Bombé
Chest/cabinet
Materials: Sapele wood, Marbled Sapele veneer
37” wide, 21” deep, 33-1/4” high
product number: KENO6003

The Wave I
Chest/cabinet
Materials: Marbled Sapele, Sapele wood, Aluminum
84-1/8” wide, 25” deep, 30” high
product number: KENO6103

The Checkerboard I
Chest/ cabinet
Materials: Ofram veneer, Tiger Maple veneer
66” wide, 18-1/4” deep, 33-1/4” high
product number: KENO6104

The Checkerboard II
Chest/cabinet
Materials: Ofram venner, Tiger Maple veneer
62” wide, 18” deep, 33-1/4” high
product number: KENO6007

The Wave II L
Chest/cabinet
Materials: Marbled Sapele, Sapele wood, aluminum
42” wide, 25” deep, 29-7/8” high
product number: KENO6102L

The Wave II R
Chest/cabinet
Materials: Marbled Sapele, Sapele wood, aluminum
42” wide, 25” deep, 29-7/8” high
product number: KENO6102R

Contour II
Chest/cabinet
Materials: Block Anegre veneer, Bone Escutcheons
33” wide, 22” deep, 44-1/4” high
product number: KENO6002

Ripples
Cabinet
Materials: Ebonised Maple, Brass Escutcheon and Feet
24” wide, 20” deep, 27” high
product number: KENO5012

The Curve I
Desk
Materials: Block Anegre veneer, Sycamore veneer, Bone Handles
43” wide, 33-1/2” deep, 36-3/4” high
product number: KENO7101

The Curve II
Desk
Materials: Block Anegre veneer, Sycamore veneer, Bone Handles
43” wide, 27-1/2” deep, 31-1/4” high
product number: KENO7102

The Double X II
Desk
Materials: Rosewood veneer, Mahogany, Brass
52” wide, 28” deep, 30” high
product number: KENO7104

The Slope
Armchair
Materials: Mahogany wood, Handwoven canimg_newkenofurniture_ss17e
24” wide, 25-3/4” deep, 38” high
product number: KENO4101

The Tower Back I
Side chair
Materials: Bleached Maple, fabric seat
21” wide, 23” deep, 44” high
product number: KENO4002RT

The Tower Back II
Armchair
Materials: Bleached Maple, fabric seat
24” wide, 24” deep, 44” high
product number: KENO4102

Essence I
Armchair
Materials: Sapele wood, Rosewood veneer
24” wide, 24-1/2” deep, 35” high
product number: KENO4202

Essence II
Armchair
Materials: Sapele wood, Rosewood veneer, fabric seat
24” wide, 24-1/2” deep, 34-1/4” high
product number: KENO4201CH

Love III
Sofa
Materials: Fabric upholstered, Aluminum legs
72” wide, 32” deep, 34” high
product number: KENO4502CH

Love II
Club chair
Materials: Fabric upholstered, Aluminum legs
35” wide, 34-1/2” deep, 35” high
product number: KENO4203CH

Spanish Feet
Table
Materials: Ebonised Maple
34” wide, 22” deep, 27-3/4” high
product number: KENO5005

The Float I
console
Materials: Ebony veneer, Oak
43” wide, 20” deep, 36-1/4” high
product number: KENO5301

The Float II
Console
Materials: Tiger Maple veneer, Oak
43” wide, 20” deep, 36-1/4” high
product number: KENO5302

The Manhattan I
Accent table
Materials:  Cream marble, Brass
17-5/16” wide, 17” deep, 22-1/8” high
product number: KENO5001

The Manhatan II
Accent table
Materials: Gray marble, Brass
17-3/8” wide, 17-3/8” deep, 22” high
Product number: KENO5016

The Flying Buttress II
Console
Materials: Waterfall Bubinga veneer, Aluminum
42” wide, 16” deep, 33-1/8” high
product number: KENO5303

The Flying Buttress I
Dining table
Materials: Waterfall Bubinga veneer, Aluminum
83-1/2” wide, 34-3/4” deep, 30-1/4” high
product number: KENO5401

The Shaker
Dining table
Materials: Tiger Maple veneer, Maple
84” wide, 42” deep, 30-1/4” high
product number: KENO5402

The XS
Cocktail table
Materials: Olive Ash burl veneer, Hand Cast Brass
45” wide, 44-3/4” deep, 19-1/8” high
product number: KENO5103

Tall Fine Point II
Accent table
Materials: Ofram veneer
19-3/16” wide, 19-3/16” deep, 26-1/4” high
product number: KENO5002

Tall Fine Point I
Accent table
Materials: Faded Ofram veneer
19-3/16” wide, 19-3/16” deep, 26-1/4” high
product number: KENO5015

The Fine Point I
Cocktail table
Materials: Faded Ofram veneer
49-1/2” wide, 29-1/2” deep, 19-1/4” high
product number: KENO5102

The Fine Point II
Cocktail table
Materials: Ofram veneer
49-15/16” wide, 29-15/16” deep, 19-1/4” high
product number: KENO5101

The Cabriole
Accent table
Materials: Ofram veneer, Maple
28” wide, 28” deep, 26-1/4” high
product number: KENO5003

The Uptown
Accent table
Materials: Waterfall Bubinga veneer, Mahogany, Exchangeable Bone or Brass handle
14” wide, 11” deep, 28” high
product number: KENO1101

The In and Out Box
Box
Materials: Figured Walnut veneer, Maple
14” wide, 10” deep, 11” high
product number: KENO1103

The Sampler
Cocktail table
Materials: Brass, Glass; Veneers: Rosewood, Rosewood Crown, Sycamore, Sycamore Crown, Lacewood, dyed Lacewood, Zebrano, Imbuya burl, Movingue, Flame Bubinga, Yew, Makore, Figured Eucalyptus, Cathedral Cherry
35-1/2” wide, 35-1/2” deep, 19” high
product number: KENO5104

The Raindrop
Accent table
Materials: Ofram veneer, Brass inlay
48” wide, 23” deep, 30-1/4” high
product number KENO5010

The Side Step II
Accent table
Materials: Cherry veneer, Sycamore veneer, Brass handle and feet
26” wide, 19” deep, 24” high
product number: KENO5011

The Double X III
Cocktail table
Materials: Rosewood veneer, Mahogany, Brass
52” wide, 32” deep, 19” high
product number: KENO5105

In Curve I
Console table
Materials: Sycamore veneer, Sapele wood
52” wide, 15” deep, 36-1/4” high
product number: KENO5304

In Curve II
Console table
Materials: Sycamore veneer, Sapele wood
52” wide, 15” deep, 36-1/4” high
product number: KENO5303

The Slice
Nesting tables
Materials: Flame Bubinga, Brass
26” wide, 40” deep, 26-1/4” high
product number: KENO5004

Cube 3
Nesting tables
Materials: Pepperwood burl veneer, Brass
24” wide, 24” deep, 24-1/4” high
product number: KENO5013

The Double X
Dining table
Materials: Rosewood veneer, Mahogany, Brass
84” wide, 40” deep, 30” high
product number: KENO5403