Good news: it is possible to do one-stop furniture shopping without making much effort. However, the notion of exclusivity, previously a concept only available to designers and their style-obsessed clients, is becoming more and more important to everyone. If you’re looking for a specific piece or something extra-special that has a unique imprint and stands out from the crowd, you’re in good company if you opt to go custom.
The fact that the Toronto market is extremely niche-oriented and caters to a wide variety of specific tastes, projects and budgets allows for a lot of choices when it comes to finding limited edition and bespoke items. Some local design houses will manufacture furniture for specific requests and also offer a limited collection of their own which are made locally and in stock and sometimes even ready to purchase.
One place I go to repeatedly for upscale custom pieces is Decorum Decorative Finds located in a posh Toronto neighbourhood called Summerhill. The owner, Matthew Heney, is a former actor with exquisite taste in anything to do with home decor. After stocking his store exclusively with local vintage finds for a few years, he capitalized on his design savoir-faire and began offering an exclusive line of Custom Pieces that appeal to clients who share his appreciation for clean and modern style sensibilities.
Below is the Custom Solid Brass Bench designed by Decorum with heavy, modern lines and crafted in a workshop in Toronto. You can choose the seat upholstery in any fabric and colour. It is hard to go wrong with this bench as it would fit into any decor scheme so easily. It is also a highly utilitarian piece. You’d be hard pressed to find a space that couldn’t use a bench, especially one with such a fashionable presence.
Photo courtesy of Decorum Decorative Finds.
Another standout piece from Decorum’s custom furniture line is the Custom Lucite Console. I would recommend this piece as it’s simple yet elegant and would fit anywhere in the home that requires a flat surface plus storage, such as a front entrance, a dining room or a bedroom. It could even be used to elevate the posh factor edge in a dressing room or large bathroom.
Photo courtesy of Decorum Decorative Finds.
The pouf (a padded footstool that can be used as informal seating) is becoming increasingly popular as tight spaces become the norm. Below, this pair of Custom Poufs from Decorum really sets the standard for the reinvention of a classic. With a brass base and velvet upholstered seats (royal blue is always a superb choice), these are stunning as well as surprisingly comfortable. Available in other colours and fabrics allowing you to stay neutral or be bold.
Photo courtesy of Decorum Decorative Finds.
Trianon Design , founded in 1993 by Lesley MacMillan, is another Toronto design destination on King Street East where there are a number of design shops. Renowned as a full-service firm that offers interior decoration and renovation services along with furniture, lighting, decor items, and in-house custom upholstering and drapery, the stock has a strong French aesthetic (Trianon is the name of 2 sections within the estate of the Palace of Versailles which is considered to be the ultimate example of French architecture, design, furniture, and decorative arts). There is also a custom line of traditionally inspired furniture. Although all the custom pieces are designed and made in Toronto, some of them integrate original architectural elements sourced from Europe. The designs are set but you can choose to collaborate and make creative changes based on your taste or needs.
This stunner and totally heirloom-worthy piece (your family will definitely squabble over who gets this one) is called the Arabesque Dining Table and is fitted with “antique hand forged panels or cast iron decorative panels” and finished with a marble top. You can select the panels and the finish and even the marble on top. This makes the possibilities for the end result more tailored to each individual client.
Photo courtesy of Trianon Design.
If you’re looking for custom seating options, Trianon has you covered (or seated). From curved sofas to armchairs to ottomans, you can choose the style and the upholstery and have it tailored to suit your desires.
Below you’ll find a chic custom-made Curved Sofa designed and fabricated in Toronto with “custom fabric and size available upon request”.
A curved sofa is ideal for a difficult to furnish smaller area, an all too common challenge these days as room sizes shrink in the growing cosmopolitan jungle.
Photo courtesy of Trianon Design.
Custom designed furniture is for the client who is looking for a new piece (as opposed to vintage or antique) that has handmade DNA and a designer’s pedigree. I highly recommend avoiding the furniture store look (where everything is purchased from the same place) as it will quickly become boring. Mixing and matching not only brings diversity to your decor, it breathes life into a space. In fact, it’s how most designers furnish their own private residences. By selecting a custom piece, you, too, can live like a designer.
For more information or to order a custom piece, visit Decorum Decorative Finds and Trianon Design.
Interested in seeing more Canadian custom furniture? Check out these canadianrealestatehousingandhome.ca articles:
– Vancouver’s Sabina Hill Injects West Coast Culture Into Her Furniture
– Vancouver Designer Char Kennedy Designs Modern Furniture
– Turquoise Shed On Prince Edward Island
Researched and written by Namrita Kohli, a Toronto based interior decorator who specializes in cultural curation.
