Television celebrities and furniture experts Leigh and Leslie Keno were on hand to autograph pieces from their new collection of classically modern furniture at a gala event at Bella Casa Furniture.
Hosted by Richard Codanti, owner and creative force behind Bella Casa Furniture, 10 percent of sales from the special evening event benefitted Albertina Kerr’s Army of Angels. The non-profit empowers Oregonians who face mental health challenges and developmental disabilities to lead fuller, self-determined lives.
Best known as the identical twin appraisers on the Emmy-nominated hit PBS television show, “Antiques Roadshow,” the brothers were on hand to introduce their eponymous furniture collection. Crafted by Theodore Alexander, the Keno Bros. collection is made up of approximately 100 individual pieces, ranging in style from 18th Century classics to 20th Century modern adaptations.
“With an avid interest in beautiful and rare Americana for more than 30 years, the Keno Brothers are considered among the country’s foremost experts on antiques,” Codanti told the gathered. “The pieces in the collection they have introduced are destined to become the heirlooms of tomorrow.”
As part of the event, the brothers regaled the crowd with stories about the inspirations behind their furniture, focusing on the importance of authentic design and expert craftsmanship and how these principles apply to their classically modern collection. They also autographed furniture pieces and offered a few anecdotes about their upcoming television series, “Buried Treasure” debuting next month on Fox.
Known throughout the region as the area’s premiere home furnishings destination, Bella Casa has won numerous industry awards for design and merchandising. “Our customers look to us for a definitive point of view,” Codanti said, “which is why the Keno Bros. collection, with its emphasis on quality, as well as multi-purpose functionality that meets the needs of today’s consumers with style, resonates so beautifully here. The event itself was an incredible success, but the lure of the new collection is still drawing people into the store.”
To learn more about the Keno Bros. collection, please visit www.kenobroscollection.com, like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kenobros, or follow them on Twitter @kenobros.
About Theodore Alexander: Theodore Alexander is renowned for unmatched craftsmanship, exquisite finishes and extraordinary design. Covering a diversity of periods and styles, their collections encompass thousands of unique lighting, home accents, case goods and upholstered furnishings. Theodore Alexander and its licensed Althorp Living History collection, and newly introduced Keno Bros. collection, are available throughout the world at fine furniture galleries and design centers. For more information, visit www.theodorealexander.com.
About the Keno Brothers: Leigh Keno currently owns and operates Keno Auctions in New York City. Prior to Keno Auctions, Leigh owned and operated Leigh Keno American Antiques where he sold an impressive variety of American furniture, folk art and paintings including several masterpieces, often setting world record prices. Leigh is proud to have helped build some of the best private and institutional collections of Americana in the world. He has written articles for Art and Antiques, Antiques Magazine, and has co-authored two groundbreaking articles on Boston seating furniture for the Journal of American Furniture.
Leslie Keno is Senior Vice President and Director of American Furniture and Decorative Arts at Sotheby's in New York. During his tenure of nearly 33 years at Sotheby's, Leslie has been directly responsible for numerous record-breaking sales of Americana, most recently the 2005 sale of the Nicholas Brown tea table attributed to John Goddard. Estimated at $2 million to $5 million, the table achieved a spectacular $8.4 million, a new auction record for any table and the second-highest price for American furniture.
The Keno brothers also authored Hidden Treasures: Searching for Masterpieces of American Furniture. Beginning in 2001, they wrote monthly furniture and design columns for House Beautiful and This Old House magazines and are currently Editors at Large for Traditional Home magazine for which they write a monthly column. In 2005, the President awarded both Leigh and Leslie with the National Humanities Medal.
About Bella Casa Furniture: Bella Casa is more than a store…it is an experience in the art of beautiful and gracious living…Bella Casa is Richard Codanti’s work of art. An ever-changing canvas of artfully layered textures, colors, lighting, scents and sounds that stimulate and excite your senses. A flow of new items arrives daily. Their collections are inspired by the most significant periods in European architectural history.
Bella Casa is committed to searching the world over for the finest and most unique home furnishings and accessories that are a cut above the ordinary. Careful thought goes into the purchase of each and every item that comes through their doors. Bella Casa style is a unique and eclectic combination of custom furniture, handcrafted lamps, unusual wall décor, exquisitely fashioned tabletop items, and beautiful home accessories. For more information visit bellacasa.net or facebook.com/bellacasa.net