That grid is a good start, but wood hates straight lines. Every board has its own story, a line that wants to lead the eye in a different direction. If you lay the grain along the grid you’ll get a predictable flow, but if you let some boards run diagonal you’ll create tension that makes the space feel alive. Try pulling a piece of reclaimed pine with a pronounced heartwood and setting it on a corner where the grid feels too rigid. The grain will break the grid, and you’ll get a natural curve that feels like a secret corridor. It’s a little risk, but that’s where the forgotten techniques come in—think of the old dovetail cuts that let you join boards at an angle without weakening the joint. You’ll end up with a layout that respects both precision and the unpredictable dance of wood.

Right, the grain is the spine and the joints the cartilage. Keep the grain straight where the pieces meet and you’ll avoid a splintered future. Mapping a diagonal in a sub‑grid is a smart hack – just be sure the dovetail or mortise cuts lock the grain solidly so the tension stays controlled, not chaotic. That way the wood’s story can guide the layout without breaking the symmetry.

Sounds solid, but remember the wood will still try to find its own line. Keep an eye on that subtle warping; sometimes a small twist can throw off your entire sub‑grid. If you finish with a clean dovetail and a neat mortise, you’ll have the safety net to keep that tension in check, but don’t let the math get so tangled that you forget the grain’s story. A little patience and a steady hand will keep the layout honest and the joints rock‑solid.