Dan Caouette has mentioned most of the ideas above , plus some others in a longer post about Bjorn's method, IIRC.

Here's the link. I used Bjorn's method on the hull of Zacks' "Spray" kayak.
http://watercraft.clearstreamwood.com/2014/03/spray-hpk-hull-construction/

Looking at amateur projects on Bjorns website, I get the impression that European builders are not so interested in the 'artistic' style of kayak. There are a lot of very good looking but 'strictly functional' boats being built 'over there'....my kind of project.

Bjorn years ago explained to the general lack of "artistic" kayaks with inlays and complex stripping schemes from his European builders can partially be attributed to the current general Scandinavian design philosophy. Great beauty can be often be found in simple lines and form following function.

Consider an orchestra where all the parts work together for the greater good of the piece. On some of artistic boats I've seen (and built in my early years) they're more like a group of soloists battling out for bragging rights. You're eye is constantly being distracted from the whole.

Nick's kayaks have evolved along similar lines. Compare the Expedition Single with the asymmetrical inlays on the cover of his original strip building book to his MOMA Night Heron. The ES is a beautiful kayak but the NH is so much more graceful and unified.

Sometimes "less IS more."

In the end some people just want to get out on the water. Looks are secondary.