Also... About custom designers... I wouldn't even know where to start on that... How do you find them... Etc...

If that is a good option... How do you go about that?

There are a few ways to find a custom designer. One requires that you have a pretty good-sized budget. The other requires an unlimited budget.

If you've got an unlimited budget, look at places like the Veneer Tech Competition, Philadelphia Invitational Furniture Show and other high-dollar exhibitions and look for a style that you appreciate then make contact with those artisans. You'll be shopping style and not price if you go that route. Some of those guys are selling to presidents and oil barons.

The less expensive (but pricier than buying from a store or catalog) approach is to try finding a talented local artisan. I'm not a member of Angie's List and can't look for you but you may find something there. Custom Made is a website that will have a lot of custom work displayed and even some reviews. Perhaps check with notable woodworking schools such as College of the Rosewoods or Marc Adams School of Woodworking to see if any of their alumni are practicing professionals in your area.

It can be hard to locate a good artisan because most of them don't do much advertising. Instead, they rely upon word-of-mouth referrals from one happy customer to another. Try poking around public places that have unusual furniture or custom cabinetry and see if you can find out who made the pieces. The woodworkers in my area have stuff in churches, funeral homes, chiropractor offices, homes, bars and restaurants. We also tend to make connections with each other so we often pass work around depending upon everyone's specialties.

You could also try a simple Google search such as "[Biggest City Near You] Custom Furniture" and see what pops up.

Once you find someone, check up on his references and visit the places his work is displayed. Not everyone is reputable or does good work.

Is custom designer a good route? If you have enough money to spend on something you want that can't be found in a catalog it sure is. A good artisan can do just about anything whether it be a specific style or fancy lights or hardware or secret compartments.

For a simple, no-nonsense piece of furniture that's a decent balance between budget and quality, the local Amish retailer seems to have a decent offering. I don't know how the quality varies from one place to the next but I do live near Amish country.

Thanks.
My budget is to be under $10k... So, I'm not sure if that's going to get me custom or not...

What about other designers, like Kincaid or Durham?
Any other recommendations?

Under $10,000 is for the bed, night stands and dresser? Whether you can pull that off with a custom maker will depend upon the design and the area in which you live. If you're in Santa Barbara or New York City, forget it. Someone operating outside of the cities might be able to work with that budget.

I've not had any personal experience with Kincaid or Durham so I can't tell you offhand how good they are. There are a few things of interest I see from checking out their websites.

Kincaid doesn't mention the species of solid wood they are using. This is a strong indication that it's a generic imported wood and not something recognizable like oak, cherry or walnut. I also see that their products are one of the furniture stores in my town. I've not been super impressed with quality of the products carried at that store. My parents used to have a dining set from them and within 15 years most of the chairs were broken just from people leaning against the backs.

In addition to that, earlier this year I was paid to redo the paint job on a brand new dining table from that same store because it was damaged and the manufacturers ended up damaging it even more trying to fix it.

If I'm near that store anytime this week I'll take a quick look to see if Kincaid is better than the above mentioned furniture I've dealt with. I doubt it though and recommend against Kincaid unless I can actually see it in person and am proved wrong.

Durham looks a lot more promising. Their website isn't as nice as Kincaid's but they do mention the woods used for their furniture and it's maple or cherry. Both are good. If luxury hotels really do carry their brand (they make that claim), that is also a good sign. Hotel furniture I've examined is often better made than most of the stuff being marketed towards homeowners. Also, companies that use pricier woods are less likely to skimp on other details.

I'd have to see Durham in person to get a more definite opinion but I'd say it's worth looking into their products based upon what I've seen. I can also ask the people at the woodworking forum I frequent if they have personal experience with those furnishings.

Why would you think that Kincaid or Durham are made in the USA? I viewed both websites, and I don't find that either one indicates the product is made in America.

Some items from companies like Century Furniture, Henredon, Drexel Heritage & Bernhardt are USA made.