Kitchen & Bath

by Scott Gibson

Color Chips. Vetrazzo's recycled-glass countertops come in 18 patterns, including Millefiori (shown). Sold in 9-foot-by-5-foot panels 11/4 inches thick, the slabs consist of 85 percent glass plus cement, pigments, and other additives, including fly ash, a byproduct of coal-burning power plants. Cost for the material alone runs from $40 to $80 per square foot; installed prices range from $100 to $120 per square foot. Vetrazzo, 510/234-5550, www.vetrazzo.com

Fine Grains. To find the 19th century lumber that goes into its line of reclaimed wood countertops, Craft-Art scours old mills, river bottoms, and swamps. Species include red oak, American chestnut, beech, heart pine (shown), white oak, and cypress. The finished products are fabricated with waterproof glue and sealed with Waterlox, a food-safe tung oil finish; they're composed of full-length boards measuring up to 20 feet long, with no limitations on width. Prices range from $72 to $787 per square foot, depending on species. Craft-Art Co., 404/352-5625, www.craft-art.com

Paperwork. If paper — combined with phenolic resin and pressed and baked into a homogenous slab — is tough enough to serve as a skateboard ramp, just think of the durability it could lend a kitchen work surface! Richlite makes paper countertops (as well as paper skateboard ramps) in sizes up to 12 feet by 5 feet. Available in seven colors, including hemp (shown), the slabs are harder than wood and resist stains and heat, says the company. They must be purchased through a fabricator and average about $90 per square foot installed. Richlite, 888/383-5533, www.richlite.com

Art Tile

Illusory. Imagine Tile applies glazes to ceramic tile in much the same way that a printer applies ink to paper. The result is a permanent high-resolution image that looks remarkably like the real thing, whether that be grass, sandy shells, a woven mat, or river stones. The tiles require no special cleaning and come in myriad designs. Sizes range from 8 to 16 inches square; costs run to about $15 per square foot. Imagine Tile, 800/680-8453, www.imaginetile.com

Turkish Delight. Ann Sacks' Iznik line gets its name from the town in Turkey where the 9 3/4-inch-square tiles are made. The designs come from 16th century Ottoman temples; the company says its artisans rely on the same techniques used for the originals. All that authenticity adds up, though — the tiles cost $273 each. Ann Sacks, 800/278-8453, www.annsacks.com