October, 2021 – For 13 years prior to attending our Furniture Intensive, Adam Lucks was a highly successful restaurateur in the Milwaukee area, with training from a Le Cordon Bleu-certified culinary institute. In 2017, seeking a break from the restaurant business, he came to CFC to “get better at something I love to do.” In retrospect, Adam says, “Man, I learned so much. It was amazing. I really felt empowered to pursue this career shift I was making.”
Fast forward a few years. Adam now occupies a 1,000-square-foot workshop for his business, Lucks Furniture, in a warehouse shared with other artisans. His work varies from cabinetry to fine furniture, including a recent restaurant interior for a former business partner. The balance between furniture commissions and cabinetry ebbs and flows, he says, and “my ambition is to be more furniture focused overall.”
Reflecting on his new career, Adam says, “Simply getting better brings me joy. Not in a competitive way, just a little satisfaction from doing something a little better, cleaner, crisper than the last time. When I started I wanted to get better so I would be faster. Now I want to get slower so I can be better.”