Samurai mystique, writ in wood: Among the wood-grained looks now available in high-pressure laminate is Kendo, a pattern inspired by Japanese swords made from bamboo. Other new exotics include Bubinga, a prized African rosewood, and Mojo Maple, with a magical (and very graphic) swirling maple grain. 8339 Telegraph Road, Odenton, MD 21113; 800-638-4380; nevamar.com.

Masonite, upholstery, acrylic paint, and either canvas or linen combine to create Soundproof Original Art padded acoustic panels. Printed with any of 15,000 images, the panels slip into any upholstered-wall system. 57 East 11th Street, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10003; 212-674-3093; novoarts.com.

Good looks, durability, and sustainability come together in this solid surfacing, composed of 75 percent recycled glass and concrete. Produced in 4 3/4-by-8-foot slabs, 1 1/4 inches thick, the product is equally suited to residential backsplashes and commercial floors. Tuscan Sunset, Sapphire Snow, Amber Pearl, Arctic Moss, Jade Snow, and Sage Pearl are just some of the 20 standard colors. Custom colors and sizes available. Qualifies for LEED MR 4.1, 4.2 consideration. 63 Flushing Avenue, Unit 283, Brooklyn, NY 11205; 718-624-4900; icestone.biz.

Bridging the divide between furniture and architecture, the Alt Share office system combines work surfaces in tan, silver, or gray laminate particleboard and partitions in aluminum and steel. All are easy to dismantle and recycle. 203 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601; 312-917-6200; okamura.co.jp.

Pierluigi Cerri, the designer responsible for Prada's corporate identity, has brought his fashion sensibility to the world of hardware with the Fusital collection. This H 350 door lever coordinates with window handles, pulls, escutcheons, and lock sets, all produced in polished or satin chrome. 150 East 58th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10155; 877-326-2565; vallievalli.com.

Carpet maven Stephanie Odegard reveals her international flair with the introduction of the Jali panel, named for the Arabic word. The perforated marble element, hand-carved to order in India, comes in white, black, and green for use as a window screen, countertop, or backsplash. 200 Lexington Avenue, Suite 1206, New York, NY 10016; 212-545-0069; odegardinc.com.

Privacy and protection in one: Impact-resistant Bamboo Rings safety-glass panels screen the private dining room from the bustling kitchen at New York's Nobu restaurant. Similar custom panels can range from 3/4 to 2 inches thick and incorporate privacy coatings. 24742 Sea Shell Way, Dana Point, CA 92629; 800-846-0245; livinglass.com.

These leaves of grass, as graceful as a Whitman poem, are suspended in glass: 4-by-8-foot panes of 3Form glass sandwich an eco-friendly cast-resin layer, which, in turn, can encapsulate seaweed, bear grass, cattails, or even larkspur. The edges of the sheet can be polished clean for frameless installations. 2300 South 2300 West, Suite B, Salt Lake City, UT 84119; 800-726-0126; 3-form.com.

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.

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.

Water-jet-cut Edera Noir porcelain stoneware tiles in Noir, Anthracite, Gris, and beige feature frosted-glass inserts suitable for backlighting. Formats range from 6 to 24 inches square; a 1-by-2-foot rectangle is also available. 30 Via Viazza, Fiorano Modenese, Modena, Italy 41042; 931-249-8242; rex-cerart.it

Wengé-pattern laminates in a trio of dark shades feature this manufacturer's smooth "nutshell" finish. The high-performance surface has a barely-there three-dimensional natural-wood-grain texture and also delivers the advantages and durability of a laminate—making it suitable for horizontal surfaces like countertops and desks. 60 West Sheffield Avenue, Englewood, NJ 07631; 800-228-2238; abetlaminati.com.

We're sweet on this Italian manufacturer's glass blocks in delicious pastel lilac, yellow, pink, and aquamarine. The colored blocks, whether in a retro wave pattern or a modern, frosted finish, ensure privacy. And a new 18-inch block format called Pegasus dramatically minimizes the appearance of mortar joints. Dept: Vanagb, P.O. Box 1812, Cranberry Township, PA 16066; 724-242-2121; vanagb.com.

Two-inch-long rectangles of South American Cattle-horn veneer are embedded in resin atop medium-density fiberboard. The handcrafted surface sells in panels up to 8 feet long, or as tiles from 8 to 12 inches square. 150 West 25th Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10001; 800-793-0224; archsystems.com.

Total internal refraction—the same principle that makes fiberoptics possible—endows these weatherproof tiles with an inner glow. Colors and shadows hitting the surface ripple and blend into an internal light show that requires no additional power input and lasts the life of the tiles. 1604 Clay Avenue, 3rd Floor, Detroit, MI 48211; 313-872-6314; sensitile.com.

The elegantly tapered, gently curved Amarillo lever is available from this traditional British hardware manufacturer in either a satin-chrome or bright-chrome finish. Part of the exclusive Italian-inspired Serozzetta collection of modern hardware, the levers ship with a discreet 2-inch-diameter escutcheon. Parkhouse Road, Carlisle, England CA30JU; 44-1228-511-770; carlislebrass.com.

The clear-anodized aluminum jambs of Antonio Citterio's Pavilion partition system and Planus Due door incorporate an elegant shadow line. The door is 23 to 36 inches wide in clear, frosted, or colored glass; gray or brown oak; or colorfully lacquered wood. 150 East 58th Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10155; 877-878-7374; tre-piu.com.

Provenance shades are wood slats, natural reeds, bamboo strips, or other grasses woven with multiple 100 percent polyester yarns for increased strength. An optional Micro pleat shade situated directly behind the wood one lowers independently to facilitate light filtering or room darkening. 2 Park Way, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458; 800-937-7895; hunterdouglas.com.

Metal Mosaic tiles are brushed 1- or 2-inch copper or stainless-steel squares. (Or try 1-inch copper penny tiles.) The dots, diamonds, cornices, and field tiles in the companion Pewter line are finished in gunmetal, antiqued bronze, aged brass, or darkened copper. 42 West 15th Street, New York, NY 10011; 212-255-4450; completetile.com.

Ithemba panels from the Varia 05 collection encase tribal beadwork in environmentally friendly EcoResin, a plastic formulated with 40 percent recycled content that may be used outdoors with the addition of a UV protector. Other panels incorporate natural capiz shells or nubbly tiger thatch. 2300 South 2300 West, Suite B, Salt Lake City, UT 84119; 800-726-0126; 3-form.com.

Get a grip with this source for finely finished Italian hardware. The minimalist A2025 satin stainless-steel pull, one of four new designs this year from veteran collaborator Antonio Citterio, is incised with a tactile micro-grid of grip-enhancing diagonal grooves. 150 East 58th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10155; 877-326-2565; vallievalli.com.

Esto is a 27-inch pattern of random horizontals on a lightly brushed clear-glass background. The glass is available in sections up to 80 by 132 inches, and in various thicknesses. It can be tempered, laminated, curved, shaped, drilled, notched, slumped, carved, sandblasted, and colored. 1.1244 Cartwright Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6H 3R8; 888-505-4527; bermanglasseditions.com.

Designer Dell'Orto-Cattaneo's elegant new swinging or sliding Havana wardrobe doors are gray oak or wengé. Three heights, four widths, and optional mirrored inset panels lend flexibility, as do end-unit modules and corner solutions. 150 East 58th Street, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10155; 888-765-4367; poliformusa.com.

Domino is a flexible system of 13-by-20-inch wall tiles, borders, and corners. The range of coordinating neutral colors—from pure white to cream, pink, yellow, and soft green—allows monochromatic or subtly contrasting installations. 71 Via Radici in Piano, Corlo di Formigine, Modena, Italy 41040; 39-059-558-154; ceramichegrazia.it.

Climaplus ceiling panels are perforated aluminum overlaid with a nearly smooth and highly reflective white acoustical facing. The finished panels, specially engineered for sound control, fit into concealed suspension T-bars to create a seamless white plane overhead. 125 South Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60606-4678; 800-874-4968; usg.com.