Building Products

Kevin McPhee is an admirer of mid-20th century sculptor Louise Nevelson's wall pieces. No wonder, then, that he adapted their multi-level, bas-relief patterning for his Louise wall panels. The core of medium-density fiberboard (with a formaldehyde-free option) is topped with a skin of deeply-articulated, formed laminate in white or Nevelson's signature black. 800-350-4127; bnind.com. circle 755

Designer Carl Royce's Petals are lightweight curvilinear frames clad in flame-retardant fabric that can be backlit. The individual elements measure 3 to 4 feet in length, and each suspends from a single balance point for quietly kinetic swivelling. 626-358-8754; studiolilica.com. circle 756

Ceramic Maties are sturdy 6-inch stoneware cleats that sell in pairs, complete with the necessary hardware for mounting. The company makes shipshape hooks, cabinet pulls, and anchors for window-blind cord wraps. All come in a choice of white, ivory, aqua, green, or navy glazes. 718-218-6722; delongceramics.com. circle 760

Want the smoothness of river rocks but short on time for those few centuries of erosion? Judson Beaumont collects scraps of locally salvaged wood to craft Mountain Pine Beetle River Rocks, which are then glued onto vertical surfaces (walls, mirror frames, back-lit acrylic). The hand-drawn tile shapes are worn smooth, just like real stones—thanks to the eight hours they spend in a tumbler. 604-251-9669; straightlinedesigns.com. circle 757

Manufacturer Smith and Fong's new PlybooSquared is a mosaic of 5/8-inch-thick end-grain bamboo blocks, in an amber color that results when bamboo is toasted until its sugar caramelizes. An alternate color choice offers a marbled tortoise-shell look. Formed into urea-free, 3-foot planks and 30- by 72-inch panels, the material may be deployed vertically or horizontally. 212-924-5558; robin-reigi.com. circle 758

Libby Kowalski's Twizzle Shade renders a traditional dobby-woven zigzag in a high-tech polymer yarn of black metallic gold or silver. The 72-inch extra-wide goods are great for creating solar and roman shades, or panel-track systems. 212-254-7591; kovatextiles.com. circle 759

Shaw Jevleh Design's latest in recyclable resin starts with Beads that appear to hang from a rippled textile. Kiku evokes the delicate whorl of a chrysanthemum, while Scribble is robust (and self-explanatory). Sheets up to 4 by 8 feet may be ordered in varying thicknesses, ranging from 6/10 inch to ½ inch. 212-924-5558; robin-reigi.com. circle 761

To clad medium-density fiberboard, particleboard, gypsum board, and even rigid plastics, plantation-grown Italian poplar has been reengineered into 4-by-8 sheets of paper-backed composite veneer. Ebony, gray oak, cherry, zebrawood, and black oak are now among the nine color-styles sold unfinished in the new Treefrog Unfinished line. 800-830-5448; treefrogveneer.com. circle 766

This feat of Clay is actually translucent white "Glow" acrylic resin that can transition seamlessly from wall to floor, indoors and out. The six standard patterns are in 50 opaque colors—either glossy smooth or rough matte, with custom options also available. All are easily carved, bent, molded, or stacked for nonporous and Class-A fire-rated applications in high-traffic areas and health care. 212-924-5558; robin-reigi.com. circle 762

Whether fronting custom bars or wrapping walls, ¾-inch-thick fiberboard from InterMix is laminated with white Corian that's computer-carved. The 10 available carved patterns in the Specialty Products line—produced in collaboration with Marotte—include one with the Corian accented, before carving, by the addition of a top layer of natural wood veneer. 212-206-1730; archsystems.com. circle 765

Pull down the shades and get a good look at weave 243—a.k.a. Tiger Eye. This style starts by burnishing reeds in shades of deep golden brown, then stipples them with delicate black markings, a distinction among this green importer's collection of natural-fiber handweaves. 866-426-6723; conradshades.com. circle 763

Feathery, futuristic Unagi is one of five ultra-brushed motifs available on this manufacturer's 4-foot-wide, solid aluminum surfaces, available in lengths of up to 10 feet. Created in partnership with BRM Design, the panels contain as much as three-quarters recycled aluminum content. 800-807-7341; chemetalco.com. circle 764

Nebulae collection architectural art-glass tiles work perfectly on walls and floors. Or, if the customer chooses, panes can be made in larger sizes—up to 32 inches by 12 feet, and laminated with clear, tempered glass for freestanding decorative installations. The 18 standard colors embed unique patterns during manufacturing. But custom colors, textures, and nonstandard sizes are also possible. 732-329-8988; hirschglasscorp.com. circle 771

Whether sold as tiny 2-inch tesserae or as gigantic 2-foot slabs, Horn tiles interpret nature using three warm, mingled tones. The thick surfacing of sparkles is polished after application to produce the shiny "under-glass" effect. 212-980-1500; rex-cerart.it. circle 767

Designer Suzanne Tick started with sheer opaque polyester and burned out a grid of translucent windows, overprinted in delicate color. The resulting sheer drapery fabric of golds, greens, neutrals, or grays may be encased in resin to become Modular—and part of the company's Imago line. These rigid panels can be bent, punched, cut, or drilled for decorative partitions. 866-565-5858; knolltextiles.com. circle 770

Legally harvested poplar, basswood, and obeche are processed and enhanced to simulate cherry, maple, walnut, Macassar ebony, white oak, teak, wengé, and zebrano. The resulting unfinished Vtec veneers offer consistent color and graining, ready for your millworker to finish. 513-874-4400; mbveneer.com. circle 768

Melissa Nathan's Caviar hardware tightly arrays row upon row of dots that are as fun to touch as they are beautiful to gaze upon. The oil-rubbed bronze, antique brass, copper, or silver hardware comes in 15 different shapes and sizes. Handles are 3 or 4 inches on center, and pulls are either round or egg-shaped. 877-598-8889; mnghardware.com. circle 769

Recent graduate Teresa Maria Ramos Abrego's fingerprints are all over these new 4-by-8-foot architectural panels. Originally conceived for a product design class at Pratt Institute, Abrego's enlarged prints are molded into custom-colored panels of recycled polyester resin that can be ½ inch to an inch thick. 800-221-1540; designtex.com. circle 776

Colorful metallized finishes on smooth glass enliven vibrant 7½-inch squares of the Mendini Collection. Available colors range from an intense ruby to the violet of tourmaline, topaz yellow, and amber. Black and white are each available in full or 30 percent opacity. 39-055-44-951; sevesglassblock.com. circle 772

Extra-large buttons on Maestro wireless dimmers raise or lower room lighting levels using a radio signal—no need for sophisticated programming! The range is 100 feet, and the remote control can clip to a car's visor in HomeLink-compatible vehicles, so that you arrive to a fully illuminated home. Choose from among seven gloss and 20 satin finishes. 616-282-3800; lutron.com. circle 773

For horizontal applications, don't gloss over 51-by-120-inch sheets of HR LAQ phenolic-backed plastic laminates that resist scratching and abrasion. These veneers come in two dozen high-shine colors ranging from bright to neutral. Expect lacquered-esque faux wood grains to be available soon. 800-228-2238; abetlaminati.com. circle 775

From Southern California's jester of playfully torqued curves come the 6½-inch Arrowhead H5021 lever, matching knobs, and coordinating cabinet and window handles. This latest architectural collection from starchitect Frank Gehry sells in brightly polished or a quieter satin stainless steel. 212-326-8811; vallivalli-us.com. circle 774

With his smooth new Link+ swinging door, Italian interior and industrial designer Giuseppe Bavuso slips lacquered glass into a sleek, extruded-aluminum structural frame. The lacquer comes in a choice of 30 colors, while the handle is matte chrome or natural aluminum. 617-357-9777; rimadesioboston.com. circle 777

The very fabric of Illumesh woven stainless wire sparks the imagination! Interspersed components deliver power and data to bars of sealed LEDs pointed at the surface of the mesh. The light show that results is driven by integral units and, what's more, they're able to take commands via the Internet. 800-453-8616; gkdmetalfabrics.com. circle 782

You may only see one of two patterns printed on Infusions Accent Canopies when gazing heavenward at a finished ceiling. But the flip sides of panels in this manufacturer's Graphix collection offer an additional screen print, for those times when you want to switch things up. 877-276-7876; armstrong.com/ceilings. circle 781

Mounted on this company's radiant, embossed-stainless doors, tactile black, Santoprene elastomer Quadrant door pulls look positively custom-made. Alternate finishes for the same handles come in solid-cast bronze or stainless steel and are available in shiny, satin, matte, and stippled (plus rubbed or verdigris for the bronze). 800-451-0410; forms-surfaces.com. circle 778

With nods to geometry, nature, Zen Buddhism—and even Frank Lloyd Wright—Cuban-American designer Tomas Frenes created Arestone decorative tiles. Installed just like ceramic or stone tile, the 12-inch modules showcase a mixture of sandstone and other natural elements, or they may be painted. 305-633-7446; tomasfrenes.com. circle 780

Fantasies high-pressure laminates deliver wallpaper looks, along with durability and versatility for walls, backsplashes, furniture, countertops, and shelving. Their assorted sizes range up to 8 by 10 feet. Tessuto features a monochromatic floral pattern, Royal mingles taupe with beige, and Kiano is an abstract. 57-1-644-9898; lamitech.com.co. circle 779