How hard is to create custom styles?

[DSdad]

The primary goal for me is designing a site with a front-end database that can be searched by users using data both manually and automatically fed from my vBulletin thread data. Given what you know about vBulletin, would you mess with a portal or just design your own front page w. a searchable database setup, then link it into the vBulletin community stuff?

Finally, do you know anyone that could build a searchable database to set on the front end of a vBulletin-driven community site?

Thanks