I hear you. We just had a fence put in, and I want to stain it. A medium dark brown, without too much red, but not gray looking... I've got 5 quarts and three sample size stains, and so far nothing is exactly right.

Semi-transparent stain generally isn't very durable as deck stain. It's most often used for vertical surfaces. It also isn't very long lasting on sunny surfaces. If you are going to stain the deck, your best bet may be deck stain!

walkway is along the garage. We were not planning on planting anything along the fence because there is a tree in the middle. The house is on a private drive and the fence is only exposed during the winter when the leaves are gone.

When I had new oak stairs and bannister installed , the carpenter showed me several samples of stain that would match the wood look Italian porcelain tile in the hallway. I think he did a great match❣️I suggest you do the same. You have to see the stains in person, as photos people may show you may not be as helpful.