Our Story


CIEL, pronounced “see-el”, the French word “ciel” means sky, or the heavens.  We are committed to helping customers welcome the beauty of the heavens into their homes by offering high-quality authentic goods, at a fair price, in a fun environment.   Our core pieces have texture and history – ranging from old Turkish pots to antique buffets, boasting reclaimed wood furniture and reproduction industrial lighting.  Hand-picked new linen sofas and other inspirational pieces make CIEL loft&home a resource for every room.

About Ciel

Co-owners and founders – Chad and Andy – are the brains and hearts of CIEL.  They both lived China and fell in love with the beauty and culture of lives long past.  In December of 2013 Andy and Chad officially partnered together to open Ciel Loft and Home, adding to the core products of found furniture and reclaimed wood pieces – they now import authentic household goods from 12 different countries and growing.

Chad – Co-Founder and Head of Sourcing

Chad is committed to people and progress, through relationships.  His passion led him to an obscure village in western China where he taught English for a year. He was moved by the abject poverty and cultural diversity of this forgotten part of China. For the better part of the last twenty years, Chad, his wife Yoon and their children have lived in and engaged deeply with the communities of western China. They developed a business buying and selling hand-made antique furniture with incredible patina that working Chinese no longer wanted. The business affords Chad opportunities for economic development initiatives in villages in western China  primarily populated by ethnic minorities.

Andy Higgins

Andy – Co-Founder and Head of Retail

Andy has always been attracted to the natural beauty in worn things. He loves patina, loves things that show their history. He loves industrial things that were used to make something else – he likes how real they feel. He loves the work benches of grandpas – beat up from the process of making things last longer. 

While living in Beijing, Andy and his wife, Jillien, furnished their apartment with old furniture he bought from street vendors. Good furniture with history. His eyes were opened to the treasure trove of reclaimed furniture available in this developing country. Moving home in 2007, expectant with their first child, Andy and Jillien started importing containers of farmhouse antiques from rural China. The business started small and Andy wondered if he could expand to bring authentic, design-quality furniture to the market at approachable prices. Partnering with Chad to create Ciel in 2012 brought the vision to reality.