Lukas Machnik, an openly gay Chicago-based artist who owns a successful company called Lukas Machnik Interior Design ( LMID ) and winner of the first season of NBC's American Dream Builders ( ADB ), calls himself a minimalist. "Often enough, people don't get it; they say, 'Oh, it's an empty room,' but it's actually the hardest space to design because you strive for balance," said Machnik, sipping San Pellegrino with lemon during a recent meeting with Windy City Times. "There is a certain social consciousness surrounding minimalism and a philosophy concerning how you apply yourself to modern living."
Machnik came from humble beginnings; the award-winning designer grew up in Poland and has lived in London, Paris and New York City before settling in Chicago and founding his company more than 14 years ago. WCT talked with Machnik to discuss his experience on "Builders," his philosophy on the rules dictating the creation of art ( or lack thereof ), his future projects, and his words of wisdom for young and aspiring designers.
Windy City Times: When did you first become interested in design?
Lukas Machnik: Actually, design is secondary; my first vocation is fine arts. I love sculpture, painting, photography, etc. and I think design organically became part of these passions because they all relate to lifestyle. I don't really decorate a space, but curate it.
My aesthetic focuses more on avant-garde style, utilizing more challenging art and design philosophies that most people might not understand at first. It is the European aesthetic, which I consider darker and more visually challenging.
WCT: How did you originally learn about American Dream Builders?
Lukas Macknik: I received a few phone calls from the producers about six months before the show started, but I ignored them. I didn't want to do ADB because I thought my style was so different from what the general American public expected to see on primetime television. I was very apprehensive at first that my technique would be rejected.
Then, Nate Berkus called, one of the producers of the show, and tried to convince me to be a part of ADB. He said the show was not about up-and-comers, but designers who are established in their own fields and own successful companies. This made me feel better because I would be working among my peers. Finally, I said yes, and two months later I was in Los Angeles.
WCT: On ADB, you helped design 147 rooms in 19 houses over the course of just 10 weeks. How did you stay creative and fresh?
Lukas Machnik: That's an interesting question. It was very difficult for all of us to change the process of how we work, but we had no choice if we wanted to stay on the show. We had to do so much in such a short amount of time that it seemed impossible; normally, it takes months and months of preparation before even taking the hammer to the wall. Successful designers are perfectionists, but we had to change our mentalities to finish each project in just one week, focusing simply on completion. We drank a lot of espresso in the morning.
WCT: What was your initial reaction when Nate Berkus announced that you won American Dream Builders?
Lukas Machnik: Initially, I wasn't incredibly surprised. Looking back, I really didn't give them a chance to kick me off the show because of the amount of work and passion I put into all of my projects. I was told I didn't play the game correctly because I didn't play to win, but to learn and explore. Winning was never my primary motivation.
I believe my victory was well-deserved because I persevered and worked incredibly hard. A lot of people think the title of the show, "American Dream Builders," portrays something very different from myself—Jay fits the profile of the expected winner of the show—but the winner is something very different. I think the winner expresses someone who works incredibly hard and has earned the American Dream. It is pretty amazing for me to be the first winner. This country is built on stories of people emigrating from all over the world to uncover their American dream, and I exemplify these stories.
Right now, having this title of winner of ADB obliges me to represent certain communities and minorities, like immigrants and LGBT people, and this makes me very happy. I embody all the traits of what the winner wouldn't be, and the show aired on network television during the "family hour," but I think it's great that people can see these different communities succeeding in the United States.
WCT: What's lessons did you learn from ADB that now apply to your work ethic, how you run your company, etc.?
Lukas Machnik: Now, I work three times as fast, which I didn't think was humanly possible. I sleep around four hours every night.
Also, the entire experience was very humbling. I went in thinking I knew everything, and left the show gaining so much knowledge. I believe you learn from every person you meet in life, and the other designers on the show were no exception. This was a huge learning experience, and because we existed in the bubble of the show for so long, we became a family.
WCT: How has your life changed since winning ADB?
Lukas Machnik: Winning has allowed me to expand my company in ways I never thought possible. Now, we aren't just designing for the 1 percent, but for the masses and creating products that are accessible to everyone. I am working on a book and another TV show going more in-depth about my design philosophy, how I understand life, and how to not follow the rules.
WCT: Can you talk a little more about the TV show and book?
Lukas Machnik: The TV show is in pre-production and doesn't have a working title. The format of the show started with my Instagram, which represents the way I look at the world. I believe everyone's eye explores and analyzes a space differently, and I think my Instagram is an invitation into my world.
The show will focus much more on the process of design and how/why spaces are constructed, instead of the drama and reveals featured on ADB. People often forget design is not easy; there are countless logistics and to a certain degree, it is a science. Our production company works a lot with Bravo, but we don't have a specific network nailed down yet.
The book is a lot of the same. It is not a how-to-do-it book, but a how-to-be-inspired and not follow the rules piece of literature that I think people are really going to like.
WCT: As an artist, what do you love about Chicago? Why do you still call this place home?
Lukas Machnik: Chicago has this beautiful landscape of architecture that spans from the very minimalist, which is exhibited by the construction of the first skyscrapers, to the very ornate. I love doing projects all over the world, but I think Chicago allows you to do so much behind closed doors. You never know what's inside a random building; there could be massive spaces, unbelievable art collections, etc.
Chicago is a beautiful city, extremely clean, and the real estate market is much more favorable than New York because there is so much more square footage to work with; these facts make the city an amazing place to work and live right now. And to have a beach right outside your front door is truly a unique and wonderful trait.
WCT: What advice do you have for new and aspiring artists?
Lukas Machnik: Follow your instincts. Don't second-guess yourself because normally the first decision is the right decision. If you're passionate about something and you work hard, you will succeed.
From a design prospective, don't follow any trends. What's hot today is not going to be hot tomorrow. Always think about timeless design and consider our predecessors who paved the way for modern architecture. Design spaces that will never be considered dated. No one wants to walk into a room and be reminded of 1995.
Also, never try to be anyone else; always be yourself. I know imitation is the highest form of flattery, but being yourself is the strongest attribute a person can possess. Finally, there are no stupid ideas and always under-promise and over-deliver.
Check out Machnik's website at www.lukasmachnik.com .
