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1)Dragon issue 358, Aug 2007 had a fantastic article called Master's Forge that detailed non-magical (but hardly mundane!) qualities that could be added to your arms and armor. Our group still use these rules to this day, our masterwork weapons having blood grooves and basket hilts... What kind of self respecting bard doesn't have an Ornate rapier?
Equivalent rules for Pathfinder are long overdue!
2)In a similar vain, the Dungeon Master's Guide II (3.5) had great rules for items crafted by certain races or on certain planes. Called Weapon and Armor Templates (on pages 273 - 279), these rules were more about flavor than beneficial mechanics.
Also, though they focused on weapons and armor, they were not restricted to such. The Dwarvencraft template (Races of Stone, p.159)applied to tools and clothing as well as arms.
I for one would love to see item templates in Ultimate Equipment!
3)New materials! These don't all have to be better than existing materials, either. Sometimes the best new materials are the ones that represent primitive or poor cultures. Hard woods and soft rock for armor and weapons add great flavor to different cultures and areas.
And weapons aren't the only candidates here. Cheap cloth and expensive silks for clothing... Lustrous, expensive jewelry as well as dull, sacred jewelry... Rare gems and precious metals... any game benefits from a plethora of materials.
4)Alchemical items are always great, but the games really needs some harder to create items that use rare ingredients. Many current alchemical items are easily produced and have very minor game effects. While no item created in the lab should be earth shattering or deal 20d6 damage, some more powerful items that are harder to create would be appreciated.
Have to it! :)