in beachfront cottage, vinyl facing in overlapping shell patterns You're gonna get it looking like shells lined up in straight lines and stamped into aluminum siding.  The problem is fabrication, and it ain;t gonna come out like Bradbury & Bradbury wallpaper.

in new york, cast stone units with rich textures and colors It's called split-face concrete block.  Looks like jails.

instead of 1950's apartment houses with white glazed brick, all sorts of colors: chrome yellow; deep red rising to hot pink at the top; mottled grey like a stormy sea surface in north atlantic; zig-zag diaper pattern (a la doges palace) Take a look at the building at the NE corner of 42/8th (or maybe 43).  Funny colors, weird angles, odd-shaped windows.  Looks like shit.  But not boring, at least for the first minute or so.  Then it just gives you agitta.

bolt on titanium facing rendered in log-size components Lincoln logs for the masses?  Or the tycoons?