Whether it's a floating-wall system from Germany or an ergonomically brilliant system for organization from Japan or some ethnic influences from Africa, custom-made pieces can incorporate almost any specification you demand.

Alykhan Velji, a Canadian trend expert and former design consultant for HGTV's The Style Dept., was recently a guest speaker at the Vancouver Home & Interior Design Show. "People are definitely wanting to invest more in their homes," Velji notes.

He advocates mixing and matching, thinking about what pieces will make the greatest impact in your home. "Invest in custom-made pieces that you'll have for a long time," Velji advises. "Then play around with [cheaper] accessories."

Older homes, Velji notes, are notoriously difficult to work with because many have nonstandard dimensions. In condos, storage space is an issue. Velji recommends custom-made pieces such as built-in desks or bookshelves, to integrate seamlessly into the existing décor.

Local cabinetmaker Geoffrey Johnson of I'NI Woodworks (3653 Inverness Street, Port Coquitlam) is used to clients making requests, ranging from the grand ("duplicate this magazine showroom kitchen in my own home") to the detailed ("customize my bathroom vanity to accommodate the kitty-litter box").

For the latter project, Johnson began by making kitchen cabinets out of African zebrawood. When the client wanted a ready-made vanity to fit her bathroom, he designed a custom-made unit of matching zebrawood.

After 30 years in the same West Side neighbourhood, the majority of Doug Nickel of Artifax Design's (3659 West 4th Avenue) made-to-order business is through repeat customers looking for a contemporary architectural style.

Nickel made six exquisite tall, solid-back maple dining chairs for Brent Butler, ergonomically designed to his body. "I'm six feet tall, but all my guests, regardless of their height, find the chairs to be as comfortable as I do," Butler enthuses from his Yaletown subpenthouse.

His joy stems not just from the product but from the process itself. "I was very involved in the design process and it was a great deal of fun," Butler reveals. "Doug was eager to produce a product as near to my vision as possible”¦the final product was even better than I had imagined, structurally, aesthetically, and in terms of sheer comfort."

"Brent was sophisticated for a young guy, and he had a good sense of what he wanted," Nickel recalls. "He brought pictures of his apartment, and I made the chairs that I felt expressed him”¦It was a joint effort."

The client-designer relationship is sacrosanct in customized furniture. "I like to believe that what I've tried to do is have a customer that enjoys our service," Nicolas Meyer of Nico Spacecraft (3037 Grauman Road, Roberts Creek) says. "I am constantly redefining what it is that I'm doing."

Dave and Sharon Branson had Meyer design dining and coffee tables. "The dining table was based on an Italian design we saw in Yaletown," Dave says. "Nicolas incorporated the key elements”¦The table's angular lines may be easy to imitate, but the secret is in the craftsmanship."

"We looked for two years for a ready-made dining table that didn't exist," Sharon reflects. "Next time I need something this specific, I'll directly get it custom-made."

"And now," Dave adds, "we love our custom table by Nicolas far greater than the initial one that inspired us. It's one of a kind, made by a craftsman specific for us, and we cherish it."