The Ciseal Journal

How Ciseal and Conscious Communities Shape a Sustainable Future

Each year, Earth Day is a global reminder that the future of our planet isn’t just in the hands of governments or corporations, but in the power of communities and individuals. The Earth Day 2026 theme, "Our Power. Our Planet.", beautifully underscores this idea, urging us all to harness our influence on the cost of living, public health, reliable infrastructure, and the long-term stability of our world. As we celebrate this important day, let's explore what this theme means, what Ciseal is doing to make a difference, and—most importantly—how you can play a key role in shaping a healthier, happier planet for generations to come.

This Black Friday, let's focus on helping the planet by making more intentional and sustainable choices.

For first time homebuyers, the high cost of a mortgage can be daunting. If you’ve been out looking at properties, you may have realized that you cannot have your dream home in your ideal location.  But what if you could? You may be able to have the perfect home in the right location if you are willing to invest in a fixer-upper. Here’s what you need to know.

Every culture has its own preference when it comes to beauty, fashion, lifestyle and even interior design. But all cultures agree on one thing and that is having a cozy and comfortable living space is what brings us together. Homes now represent design themes from all over the world. Whether Asian, Mediterranean or Spanish; our homes are where different cultures can truly shine and bring all the design aspects together. Here we present 12 different interior trends from around the world that are present in each and every single house.

With winter in full swing here in Michigan, and that means more time indoors snuggling with the pups.  In fact, we currently have about 12 inches on the ground here, and I feel like It’s going to be a while before we see any green leafy things outside.  If you’re in the same boat, tide yourself over during these seemingly lifeless winter months with some house plants.  They’re quiet, relatively inexpensive, require minimal maintenance, have been shown to reduce stress, and they even clean the air for you - I wish my dogs could do all that!  Here are 10 of my favorite house plants for brightening up your home on a dreary day plus some tips for keeping them alive throughout the winter months and beyond.

Giving a gift for someone's home can be tricky.  You really have to know the person and their style.  Fortunately, it's easy to spot a Midcentury Modernist.  Their home is a carefully curated collection of functional pieces with clean lines, warm woods, shiny metals, and pops of bright colors.  If you have a Midcentury Modernist on your list, here are 10 of our favorite gifts to give (and receive!):

In case you missed it, mass-produced, ubiquitous gifts are completely passé nowadays.  Hand crafted, small-batch, sustainable and reclaimed are the new ideals.  So, steer away from the superstore aisles or gift card kiosks and give an intentional and memorable gift that’ll be treasured for years to come.  This gift guide isn’t simply a checklist of things to click on and buy - it’s an invitation to get to know the people who passionately make their products by hand.

Part of the fun for me when getting ready for the holiday season is hunting for the perfect host or hostess gifts.  The least I can do is arrive at a party with a delightful gift in tow that says “thank you very much!” long after the dishes are clean and the party winds down.  It’s easy to assume that a modern design fan with a clutter-free home wouldn’t want more things, but these nine gifts are sure to delight all but the most stringent minimalist.

You’re finally ready - that wobbly Ikea couch and those sturdy but mismatched Craigslist dining chairs have served you well, but it’s about time for a few upgrades.  This time you’ve saved your dough, and you can’t wait to invest in some amazing handcrafted furniture that will last.  One problem remains - while you’ve done your research and know the difference between Mid Century and Art Deco, you have no clue how to look at a piece and know if it will last five years or 50.  Here at Ciseal, we make furniture and home decor that we certainly believe will last a lifetime, and these are the things we look for when purchasing new or vintage furniture of our own.

Here’s a sassy question to ask a furniture maker: Why even bother with making things by hand when it’s faster and cheaper to mass produce what you make in foreign factories?

Through his work across the fields of architecture, interior design, textiles, and graphic design, Alexander Girard became one of the most influential designers of the twentieth century.  Even today, Girard’s work with color, texture, decoration, and handmade details are regarded as touchstones of classic modernism.  He is widely regarded as the greatest colorist and textile designer of the mid century era.

Interest in handmade products is on the rise - and for good reason.  The shift towards purchasing handmade products is a counterpoint to the impersonal mass production and mindless purchasing we’ve become accustomed to in the past 60 years.  For many who are weary of the impact that large corporations have had, buying handmade is the socially, economically, and environmentally responsible thing to do.  But in this day and age of accessible technology, many consumers are not sure they can trust the “handmade” label.  Handmade is a big marketing angle in our industry, and we wanted to take a second to discuss where we stand.