Who says that bathroom tiles should be plain ceramic squares? Not Coral Bourgeois. A background in drawing, painting, and jewelry design led her to dream up some of the most fanciful and unusual custom tiles on the market. "For me, it's about objects, shapes, textures, colors, and bringing them together to enhance one another," she says.

Building on a foundation of ceramic tile or, for larger projects, MDF, Bourgeois then layers on drawings, photography, and/or costume beads or semiprecious stones. Residential work takes up some of her time—starting with her own Rhode Island house, where the kitchen's counters and backsplash and the stair's risers are all tiled. But she does mostly large-scale commercial commissions, such as restaurants Bice in Las Vegas and Mainland in New York and Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island in Pawtucket. A recent tour of Boston's Charles Street Jail, being converted into a hotel by Alexandra Champalimaud & Associates, yielded Bourgeois's new Hand series: images of handcuffs, handprints, and gloves. 9 Newman Avenue, Rumford, RI 02916; 401-435-5571; coralbourgeois.com.

The bubbles of the Optical tray won't pop on contact with water. Unlike the soapy variety, these circles by Nic Design are ceramic. Just install the 32-by-39-inch tray outside a shower or tub. Via Civita Castel, 01030 Castellana Sant'Elia, Italy; 39-07-61-515-463; nic-srl.com.

Part of the Line & Form collection, Fer Shirr is pleated acetate on a polyester backing. This iridescent upholstery fabric comes in a 54-inch width and 11 colorways: marigold, Lagoon, celadon, teak, menthol, currant, roses, manila, pussy willow, honey, and Tissue Paper. 150 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013; 212-627-7766; pollackassociates.com.

For his signature collection, company founder Craig Van Den Brulle rendered eight pieces in the material of the moment. The 34-inch-high Arial lamp pairs a clear acrylic rectangular base with an opaque white acrylic cube shade. A striated travertine slab tops the clear acrylic legs and frame of the Avenire cocktail table; its standard size is 38 inches square, but custom sizes are available. 259 Elizabeth Street, New York, NY 10012; 212-925-6760; capitolfurnishings.com.

Want to fly to the moon? Until you book your flight, Swedish partnership Claesson Koivisto Rune brings the moon to you. Craterlike openings distinguish the massive Luna Project, constructed of birch plywood, steel, and polyure- thane foam and covered in wool felt. Measuring 15 by 17 by 51/2 feet, the piece accommodates up to 30 space-age lounge lizards. 88 Franklin Street, New York, NY 10013; 212-925-6171; dune-ny.com.

Susan Lyons hasn't only designed Remix, her first upholstery and wall-covering collection for Innovations—she's also come up with some very clever names. Take the upholstery. There's bouclé-textured polyester-Avora Faux What, dotted polyester Buttoned Up, and a tribute to Robert Rauschenberg in a cotton-polyester blend, If It Ain't Baroque.What Goes Around is based on Lyons's favorite childhood school supply: reinforcements for the round holes in loose-leaf paper. (This versatile polyester is reversible, besides working on panel systems and as drapery and upholstery.) Traditional Uzbek textiles meet 1960's pop in Oh Souzani, an upholstery fabric in a rayon-polyester blend.

All exceed 60,000 Wyzenbeek double rubs, and Faux What can be treated to pass NFPA 701. 150 Varick Street, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10013; 800-227-8053; innovationsusa.com.

Inspired by tropical environments, the Acqua collection exudes classic comfort. Constructed with hand-woven Hularo polyethylene, a synthetic and residue-free recycled fiber, the lounger sofa and companion side table are available in natural. Prolongacion de la Reforma 115, Corporativo NRM, Taller 603, Santa Fe, DF 01330, Mexico; 52-55-5292-5115. ezequielfarca.com.

Why should pigs have all the fun? Truffle is a delicious confection of roto-molded plastic that jazzes up the old beanbag. The surprisingly supportive seat is available in green, white, and black. The piece is 43 inches wide by 17 inches high (23 inches high with base). Via Per Cantu, 35-22060 Montesolaro (Co), Italy; 39-031-780237; porro.com.

With classic saber legs and a sunburst veneer top that continues onto its apron, the 2004-302ME table struts Biedermeier influences. Options include macassar ebony, mahogany, or Mozambique veneers in a choice of two finishes. P.O. Box 398, Denton, NC 27239; 800-624-9018; councill.com.

Matte or glossy? You can have both with the 090XL table series. Available in three sizes, its glass surface is lacquered in brown or white, and extends with leaves in wengé or ovangkol that match its chamfered frame and legs. Via Indipendenza 143, 20036 Meda (MI), Italy; 39-0362-341074; longhi.it.

Fine wood finishes—everyone wants them, but no one enjoys maintaining them. As an alternative, try this manufacturer's affordable, durable "architectural wood" series of plastic laminates. Introductions include Empire mahogany, New Age oak, Crowne burl, and Shaker, Williamsburg, River, and Biltmore cherry. 2400 Wilson Place, Temple, TX 76504; 800-433-3222; countertop.com.

A tuxedo chair on a diet, Wind is an elegant, slimmed-down lounger that perches breezily on a tubular polished-chrome base. The chair, as well as two- and three-seaters, is available in hundreds of fabrics, leathers, and vinyls. 17 West Stow Road, Marlton, NJ 08053; 800-220-1900; globaltotaloffice.com.

A true Turkish delight, rendered in glazed porcelain: Istanbul, the great seat of the Ottoman Empire long known as the City of the Seven Hills, was the inspiration for the undulating curves of the stunning, sculptural 7 Hills fruit bowl, created by prolific design genius Karim Rashid. Through Ameico; 888-350-8765; gaiaandgino.com.

Bring the café into the office with the convivial Altcafe lounge chair, which invites you to arrange your legs any way you like, scoot around on its rolling castors, or scribble on its pivoting tablet. The acrylic fabric comes in lime green, mandarin orange, ruby red, smoke blue, black, brown, beige, and light gray. 203 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601; 312-917-6200; okamura.co.jp.

The Aloe Bud lamp flutters amid petals of handcrafted white porcelain. With polished-aluminum fittings and a stainless-steel suspension system, it blooms in three sizes, in both pendant and wall-mounted versions. Through Property, 14 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10013; 917-237-0123; propertyfurniture.com.

Random cabochons of lustrous agate simulate both the natural roundness of river stones and the luminescence of sea glass. The sheet-mounted tiles come in 20 translucent colors ranging from cactus green to blues and earthy browns. Each box of tiles contains easy instructions on how to prevent visible seams between sheets. 3625 Brighton Avenue, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A3H5, Canada; 604-421-7252; interstyle.ca.

Reach for Avalon when you want to give your outdoor entertainment areas a retro-modern floral upgrade; the solution-dyed acrylic withstands all weather (it even adds a bit of sunshine). It's available in six colorways and coordinates with the manufacturer's awning stripes. 11910 Poindexter Avenue, Moorpark, CA 93021; 800-669-6002; pindler.com.

In a Belgian warehouse, Mary Jeanne Reese maintains 3,000 antique European fireplace surrounds that range stylistically from gothic to this early 19th-century hard-stone piece from Buxy in Southern France. If you can't get to Belgium, fret not: Her new Chicago showroom offers the best of the lot, as well as antique garden furniture and reclaimed stone flooring. 470 North Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL 60610; 312-850-2655; aucoindufeultd.com.

Some might prefer Komplot Design's Gubi lounge chair covered in cherry-red wool, one of 77 fabric colors. Others might choose leather upholstery. And a third group might go for the molded shell on its own, in beech, maple, oak, or walnut veneers. Regardless of seat options, legs are matte or polished chrome. Stacking and stool versions round out the offerings. 7-9 Klubiensvej, Warehouse 53, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; 45-3332-6368; gubi.dk.

English country gentility informs Richard Smith's Fairlight collection of prints and wovens. The 18 patterns include cotton-velvet Forest Fables, cotton taffeta Wickham with chenille fringe, silk-warp Humphrey's Plaid, cotton-linen Lunsford, cotton Bizarre, and Lydd in cotton-viscose. 201 Central Avenue South, Bethpage, NY 11714; 800-533-5632; leejofa.com.

This textile designer's preference for bright, warm colors is evident in her upholstery and throws. Produced in 500 colors, her solids, stripes, plaids, and polka dots come in either pure wool or wool blends. 10 Lundbergsvej, 8400 Ebeltoft, Denmark; 45-89-53-19-19; fannyaronsen.com.

The crayon-wielding child in you will go gaga over these wall and ceiling coverings: High-definition digital printing on polyurethane-coated polyester yields personalized sheets, the largest being 16 feet wide. Provide your own design, or choose from a collection of 100 styles. 38 Delsbergerallee, 4053 Basel, Switzerland; 41-61-48-15-828; clipso-design.com.

Whether it's Calvin Klein's New York flagship, a residence in London or Tokyo, or a Cistercian monastery in the Czech Republic, John Pawson's architecture embodies restraint, sophistication, and innovation. The Interior Design Hall of Fame member brings precisely those qualities to his first Christopher Farr rug collection.

His six patterns come from three-dimensional wire-frame AutoCAD drawings of curved lattice screens. He then compressed the computer images to form random-seeming two-dimensional patterns that entertain the eye as it seeks an elusive repeat. Rendered by hand in Swiss chrome-dyed wool-mohair, the two-shade flat-weaves are made in central Turkey, according to a 500-year-old tradition, always in dimensions of 61/2 by 10 feet. Ralph Pucci International, 44 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011; 212-633-0452; ralphpucci.com.

Following in the wake of revived patterns by Anni Albers, Charles and Ray Eames, and Alexander Girard, the Glasgow School of Art's Centre for Advanced Textiles has launched the Classic Textiles collection to reproduce and promote modern designs. A dozen of Lucienne Day's playful creations from the 1950's include Dandelion Clocks, Magnetic, Calyx, and Sunrise. The patterns are digitally printed on a linen-cotton blend—as are those by Barbara Brown and Robert Stewart. Custom-printed fabrics available, too, subject to copyright. 158 Renfrew Street, Glasgow G3 6RF, U.K.; 44-141-353-4742; classictextiles.com

With plump pillows and a reverse-camelback profile, the Gabriel sofa beckons people to get off their feet. Part of the Hollywood Glam collection, the sumptuous seat is shown in teal velvet with espresso wood finish and pewter foot caps. Available in literally hundreds of fabrics, the piece is 87 inches long by 39 inches wide. 1650 Tysons Boulevard, Suite 710, McLean, VA 22102; 877-290-1502; robinbruce.com.