To start, turn away from bricks and concrete block. Instead, consider structural clay tiles. You should be able to find these at a good masonry supply house. They come in a warm terra cotta color that goes well with just about any color scheme and they have a crisp, geometric, high-tech look. They also come in a wide variety of sizes, but the three most useful are probably 6-by-12-by-12, 8-by-12-by-12, and 10-by-12-by-12.

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At first glance, building with concrete blocks looks pretty simple. When you  actually give it a try, however, it’s nowhere near as easy as it looks.

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