concrete/pool deck paint florida

Hi Everyone, first post here for a first time home buyer. I just bought a house and we are looking to modernize the current design but bring back the "coolness" of the original 1936 features. The previous owner gut renovated and utilized the original shiplap for the ceiling (high vaulted) molding and for the walls of the loft area (shiplap facing out above the living area) The issue is the colors of the house! its heavy on yellow, brown and green and he pickled the shiplap. So we want to go with a very light grey on the walls and white ceiling and white on the shiplap. The issue we are having is the texture of the shiplap. Because it original there are knots, tiny staple holes from where the cheese cloth was staples in addition to other imperfections. We spoke to a painter and we are not sure the best option here, so I need some advice. We are not sure if we should spackel and smooth it out, or if we should just roll or spray the paint and let the imperfections show. We also spoke about using bin cover stain to help smooth out the wood. We are a bit worried about the cost of spackling, so ideally we could paint it as is, but of course we dont want it to look bad. Can anyone please give me some help/advice on what to do with this shiplap. Thanks!

I have a rather humdrum wooden floor that I sanded back from the rather yellowish and worn finish that it had before. In order to give it a bit more spark I wanted to give the wood more of a honeyed look, and initially thought of staining the floor before applying the polyurethane. But because this can be such an uneven process I wondered whether tinting the polyurethane itself - or perhaps buying one already tinted - might be the better idea. I've done a fair bit of painting and staining, but I've never been down this road before with an entire floor. I'm not even sure if moving away from the floor's natural color might not be a bad idea, especially with wear and tear over time. Anyone with experience of the matter have some thoughts or suggestions? Thanks