Why We Changed Our Name
Luxe Kansas served its purpose. It was the name we launched under, and it carried us through our early builds. But somewhere along the way it stopped fitting.
We were never a luxury brand, we were never trying to be. We were a construction company with deep roots in Reno County, building homes for real families, restoring buildings that mattered to this community, and doing the work that most companies either passed on or phoned in.
The name Luxe Kansas said something we didn't mean. Free State Builders says what we actually are!
Where the Name Comes From
Kansas was admitted to the Union as a Free State in 1861 after years of conflict over whether it would enter as a slave state or a free one. The people who fought for that outcome believed in something worth building toward. That tension and that resolve shaped what Kansas became.
We carry that in the name because it reflects the same spirit we bring to this work. Build with purpose, stand for something, and don't take shortcuts on the things that matter.
The Roots Run Deep
The Detter family came to Reno County in 1884. George Washington Detter brought his family west from Pennsylvania and put down roots that never moved. Within a generation they were farming Salt Creek Township, topping Kansas City markets, winning state basketball championships, and building the kind of community reputation that gets a football and baseball field named after you.
When Warren Clayton Detter's son went missing in France after the Argonne, Warren got on a boat and went to find him himself. That's the kind of community this is.
Nate Hiatt grew up shaped by that legacy, in the same county, with the same values. He's still building here. This rebrand isn't a pivot. It's a homecoming.
Building what's next. Restoring what matters.
What Stays the Same
The team is the same, the work is the same, the standards are the same.
We still build new homes across Reno County, from attainable workforce housing to fully custom builds. We still restore the historic structures that other contractors pass on. We still run a structured, accountable process from the first conversation to the final walkthrough.
The only thing that changed is the name on the door. And now it finally means what we always intended!
