Le Passage

Rough-Cut Marble

$7.25 per square foot, Tile Outlet, 2434 W. Fullerton Ave., 773-276-2662.

Zebrawood Veneer

Available in four-by-eight-foot sheets, by special order, Owl Hardwoods, 926 S. Graceland Ave., Des Plaines, 847-824-5025.

For the newly revamped Drawing Room at the subterranean nightclub Le Passage (937 N. Rush St.), designer Hughes N’Cho-Allepot played with light and dark, as well as rough and smooth textures, by juxtaposing panels of zebrawood veneer with columns covered in one-by-two-inch tiles of rough-cut marble in Botticino beige. The tiles are pre-fabricated on mesh backing, which is then mounted on Durock cement board and adhered to a wall with mortar.

 

Photograph: Nathan Kirkman

 

Silken tent

Mesquite

$43 per square foot, Ann Sacks, 100-B Merchandise Mart, 312-923-0919. Available in three finishes.

The dominant design element at the eco-friendly Silken Tent spa (2300 Chestnut Ave., Glenview), a blocky, undulating hardwood wall running through the space, was designed by von Weise Associates using reclaimed end pieces of Texan mesquite from Kaswell & Co. Mesquite is densely grained, with low shrinkage, making it ideal for high-traffic areas and damp environments. The blocks come in several thicknesses, which are randomly mounted for the spa walls, and are so tough that they are also used for flooring here. No grouting is necessary, as the tiles are applied with wood glue and butted together.

 

Photograph: Greg Murphey Studios