I can see those in a rustic or contemporary house. Really like them.

Now that you've brought it up, share the link?
Looks good to me.

How does it retain / react to heat? Weather?

HI -- Looks good ,but a little busy for my taste . I could see this being used for several applications including the one shown . Looks costly to produce so that would determine if it would be worth using . How big is a panel and or what is the cost per square foot ?

Could look great behind a bed instead of a headboard. Can the wood tones be made more uniform so as to look somewhat less busy?

Also reminds me of backsplash tile. I agree that the option of uniform color would provide nice texture.

Also, can it be painted/stained?

I feel it's a nice option for something different. Can it be applied in/at different directions/angles?

Here is the link to the product on Houzz

The product is currently finished with Oil to protect the wood and to have a natural look of wood . Currently it is made in one finish but can be customized to any color of stain or paint. Or can be provided unfinished and be stained or painted at location. The panels are 30" wide and 3.45" thick by 1"-1.5" deep. They can be installed in any direction. The wood is reclaimed alder and as with any wood it reacts to the ambien moisture of the room. We are working on developing another line that is flat and is don't have variations., it was used on the same project in a place where the TV is going to be installed, you can see it in the link. With this line we included the natural variation of wood, bark inclusion, size and other variations were purposely left to show the beauty of the wood. Thank you for all your suggestions, looking forward for more comments and suggestions, we will definitely work on making a new line that will have the dimensions but will have a uniform color.
http://www.houzz.com/projects/826792/fireplace-re-design

We have used it in a recent Reno. Love it and will use it again. I love the smaller pieces of wood used here. I say, go for it