About Our Shop

We began as single dining table, built in a driveway on Fisk Avenue in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Joel built his first table at first out of necessity, but soon found it to be the focal point in his home-bringing his family together for countless memories. Your home should be about who you are and those you love, and at Fisk Avenue we believe in helping you create your space, your way.

While working on these initial custom pieces, we quickly realized that home is more than just the objects placed inside. It is you, and the personal touches or style decisions work together to create a fingerprint of you and your family. This realization created our DIY Experience, taught by our experienced workshop leaders to allow you to make something that is fully your own! Our projects span all ranges of difficulty level and age ranges, and we make sure each project will be enjoyed by anyone from beginner to expert. Create your own version of our countless projects, and create memories in the process!

We believe in quality goods that will last as long as your memories, and source all of our wood from local mills to create our pieces. Learn something new, shop from our locally-made products in-store, or order a custom piece from our artists!

Meet Our Staff

Get to know the designers and workshop leaders at Fisk Avenue!

Joel Ellington, Co-Owner

The original founder of Fisk Avenue, Joel has grown Fisk Avenue Custom Furniture and DIY Experience from a woodshop in his garage into the local go-to furniture and home-goods spot it is today. Born and raised in Waukesha, he is proud to have the opportunity to create well-made and long-lasting products for the community he loves.

After searching for a table for his family, Joel felt disillusioned by the options available in the current fast-furniture market. He wanted something that would last as long as the furniture he had inherited from his grandparents. With this in mind, he built his first dining table as a place for his family to come together and found his passion at the same time. Named after the street on which he raised his family, Fisk Avenue now proudly brings quality furniture to clients all over the Midwest, and has been since 2014.

Madilyn Duffy, Lead Designer

Madilyn has been working at Fisk Avenue since 2021, when she reached out on a whim seeking an internship opportunity, wanting to use the summer to work for a smaller, creative startup. She remained at Fisk through the summer, returning to a full time position after graduating from Minneapolis College of Art and Design with a degree in Product Design. Madilyn now leads our workshops and conducts design consultations with incoming clients, and was brought on as a full partner in 2024. She has a passion for making what clients envision a reality, and loves to prototype and create new ideas for our store and workshops.

Duke, Shop Dog

Duke is a one-year old American Bully trying his hardest to train to be the best shop dog he can! He enjoys meeting new people, helping lead workshops, and greeting every passerby at the window. He has been employee of the month every month since starting at Fisk, and is excited to lead many workshops in the future!