Totally agree with sorting by tone—done it myself a few times. Another trick I've used is flipping boards with minor dings or knots to the underside o...

Mixing shades definitely helps—I did that on my patio and after a season or two, you'd never know the difference. Curious if anyone's tried those bric...

Totally agree veneer can look fantastic and fool most people at first glance, especially indoors. I did a kitchen backsplash with brick veneer last ye...