The Ciseal Blog

Frank Lloyd Wright’s distinguished career centers on his most famous structure: Fallingwater.  Originally a weekend home he designed in 1935 for Liliane and Edgar J. Kaufmann, it’s sparked wonder for many who dream of what it would be like to live over a waterfall in the remote forest of western Pennsylvania.  It is a masterful application of Wright’s unique style, and I hope you enjoy the history and thoughtful design of this home as much as I do.

Lets grab some sangria and look at four ideas to create the perfect mid mod patio for summer relaxing.

Here are some of our favorite Mid Century inspired furniture pieces designed and made by independent American craftspeople today.  

We certainly love our wood here at Ciseal.  It’s a material that brings natural warmth and beauty to our designs.  We love the variety of woods we get to use too.  Each species imparts it’s own unique look and feel that we just can’t get enough of.  The woods we use most often and certainly can’t get enough of are Birch, Oak, and Walnut.  Find out why these are our favorite woods to work with:

Birch: Elegant Strength

If you’re looking for a neutral backdrop, birch is the way to go.  It’s muted tones are perfect for building off of with either color or darker neutrals.  Birch is a classic choice for bent lamination because of it’s combined flexibility and strength, which produces lightweight, thin, and extremely strong products.  Discover birch in our Mission Firewood Holder, Interlochen Stool or Pontiac Side Table - all prime examples of the refinement of birch.

Oak: King of the Forest

For it’s beautiful grain and unmatched durability, oak keeps us coming back for more.  It’s a timeless material that always seems to be in style, and it’s hardness ensures it will last a lifetime.  See oak in all it’s glory on our Aspen Display Tray, Tahquamenon Stool, or Alden Side Table.  Each one will keep you mesmerized at the gorgeous grain of oak.

Walnut: Timeless Warmth

Walnut may be woodworkers' most favorite of all the species to work with.  Not only is it a dream to shape, but it’s deep, rich brown color interspersed with an occasional blond streak keeps us coming back for more.  Let this alluring wood draw you in on our Ray Tablet Stand, Mission Firewood Holder, or Traverse Table Lamp.  Walnut’s depth and warmth are calling you.

Tiny Traverse Table Lamp

We're so excited to welcome the Pontiac Table to our collection!  We've been designing and prototyping and working out the kinks for months, and it's finally ready for it's big reveal.  This brand new design has captured our hearts with it’s timeless lines, and we’re sure it’s going to be a favorite for years to come.

You’re perhaps familiar with Walt Disney World’s Epcot theme park, but what many don’t realize is that Epcot started off as a much bigger idea.

Buckminster Fuller’s Dymaxion House at The Henry Ford demonstrates a new way of designing a shelter, and while it was never produced on a mass scale it challenged the way other designers and architects viewed technology, manufacturing, and design.

Some products were created to solve a problem or to fill a need.  Others were inspired by a shape or place or thing and I set out to reinterpret that inspiration as a bent plywood object.

White and neutrals are the perfect backdrop for minimalist perfection.  Take a look at those clean, modern, Scandinavian inspired homes that feel warm and welcoming in spite of the blustery darkness outside.

Thank you to Jolene of Atomic Ranch Magazine for including me in their Modern Makers blog series!

I first learned about Herbert D. Ryman (1910-1989) while on vacation in Walt Disney World, and his art has been inspiring me ever since.  He was both a commercial and a fine artist who had an insatiable need to sketch the world around him and bring fantastic ideas to life through pen, ink, watercolor, and oil.  His work as a Disney concept artist set the tone for every Disney theme park until he died in 1989.

Life happens literally around my coffee table and before I know it, there’s a cluttered mess awaiting me when all I want to do is curl up with a puppy snuggle and movie night.