Home Fires. Designed by William Draper © 2005 All rights reserved. U.S. Des Patent Pending.

Since 1946 we’ve pushed the limits of kitchen design and helped generations of discerning Kansas Citians turn their homes into a testament of their personal style.

We’ve redefined what a kitchen looks like because we were among the first to treat the kitchen as a room to be furnished with art for living not just for food preparation and meals.

During our anniversary year we’re focused on the future to bring you the very best in innovative designs you won’t get anywhere else along with exclusive furniture-quality cabinetry, cutting-edge appliances, luxurious appointments and a level of service you may be surprised still exists.

We’re determined to continue to raise the bar for design excellence, superior products and “no excuses” service so you can raise the level of your home’s beauty, function, and value.

In 1946, our founder, Merle Kleweno had a radical idea – that a kitchen could be more than just a place to prepare meals. The rest is history …and our future.

  • 1960s: Advocated “living kitchen” concept.
  • 1970s: Introduced country French kitchens to the states.
  • 1980s: Brought European contemporary design and products to the Midwest.
  • 1990s: Championed “unfitted” and “floating” furniture-quality cabinetry design.
  • 2000s: Made it cool to hide appliances to achieve exceptional design and function.


  • Real estate ads have featured Kleweno kitchens as a home’s key selling point.
  • Cabinetry manufacturers have used Kleweno’s exclusive kitchen designs as covers for their sales brochures.
  • Kleweno kitchens have graced half of the Junior Women’s Symphony Alliance Designer Showhouses – including the original showhouse 36 years ago.
  • Kleweno helped launch the Vanderslice Committee Kitchen Tour in 1965 – an event that still benefits the Kansas City Art Institute today.
We’re creating commissioned art – kitchen furnishings as livable art that are enjoyed daily, appreciate in value and stand the test of time but never get old.