Cue sports such as billiards and pool have entertained people since the 15th century. Table tennis and poker have been around since the 19th century, and air hockey was invented in the second half of the 20th century. So the history of games and sports development shows us that people love games and keep developing new ones. And they also like using tables as game fields.

Elevate Customs proudly keep both of those traditions alive. While they may not be developing new games, they are finding ways to add interesting new twists to existing ones. More importantly, they make some of the best luxury gaming tables around.

Headed by Lorraine Spektor, Elevate Customs is a Los Angeles-based luxury furniture company specializing in designing and building luxury gaming tables. The company makes tables for sports such as pool and table tennis, games like shuffleboard, foosball, air and dome hockey, card games like poker and blackjack, and casino games like craps and roulette.

Lorraine Spektor
Lorraine Spektor Lorraine Spektor

The core impulse to start the business came from the design side. At the time, Lorraine Spektor was working in the interior design industry. She had difficulty sourcing quality luxury gaming tables, and the demand was there. And even if the niche almost chose her, Lorraine Spektor decided to start by giving it a personal flair.

"I slowly started creating designs with my mom, an artist from Ukraine," she recalls. "I was also working with a graphic designer on some designs. Our first design was the Trinity model, and as we went further and understood our clients more, we developed our core 17 models."

Of the ten different games and sports they create sports for, Elevate Customs' best-seller is the pool table. The most iconic and mainstream of the tables in their offering, the pool table also has a growing market. According to amarket report from Straits Research, the global pool table market was valued at $225 million in 2021 and is projected to grow at an annual rate of 5.6%, reaching $365 million by 2030.

What characterizes Elevate Customs' pool tables, however, is their multi-functionality. "If you don't have the space for an additional ping-pong table, a catering option, or even a poker table, we offer conversion tops," says Lorraine Spektor. "That's how the client can use one space with one table and multiple functionalities."

While other tables in their roster might not have such functionality-changing options, they will have their own customization options. Some could be designed in custom size, including score-keeping apparatus.

"We can match any Pantone color or the RAL type if we're making international sales," explains Lorraine Spektor. "Everything is customizable, we also do rounding and metal accents, and we can send out physical samples for approvals. The quality control is rigorous, and everything is up to par."

The quality and customization of the table tops might be impressive, but the table base and leg designs steal the show. Among the 17 the company currently offers, it's easy to find an option for every taste. Those who prefer bold choices will go with asymmetrical designs. The classicists will choose delicate table legs. Lovers of art will find Gaudi-inspired stands.

Because the stands and legs work with every table, creating a whole collection of similar tables is easy. For example, a roulette, foosball, and table tennis table can all be in the same colors and style of bases. This uniformity can be very valuable for corporate clients who might order more than one type of game table.

Elevate Customs achieved manufacturing and design quality without compromising its core value of sustainability. The company tried to keep its impact to a minimum, so it sources wood locally, keeping its carbon footprint as close to zero as possible. It also doesn't waste wood, giving purpose to every leftover piece in custom furniture.

The tables Elevate Customs builds are created efficiently to be maximally durable and repairable. They're supposed to last long — no planned obsolescence among Elevate Customs' tables.

In the end, however, Lorraine Spektor believes that the most important thing is something they can't ship with the tables, and that's the memories people will make playing the games. What she and Elevate Customs can do, however, is make sure that they create relationships with their customers.

"As the company's owner, I will communicate directly with the client. It's a significant investment, so we must make that relationship strong," she says. "And then we also work with high-end furniture manufacturers for the quality of product, and gaming professionals to ensure compliance with the gaming rules. So we get the best of both worlds and provide it to our clients."