The ideal dark, rustic hardwood flooring style is Wide Plank Hickory. This floor accepts darker stains beautifully, and can be graded for more character to give you the perfect look. You can even add a texture if it prefer something distressed. Compared to a naturally dark wood floor like Walnut, this is about more than 30% less in cost, it is also the hardest hardwood floor in north America, so its very durable!

When considering the overall cost of your flooring purchase, consider the overall long term value of investing in a solid (or engineered) piece of true hardwood flooring compared to Laminate floors. As you point out, laminate flooring be it wood or tile is not only unattractive but made with such a thin piece of wood on the surface, they can never be sanded and refinished. This means you’ll be replacing your flooring multiple times over the life of your home. Solid/Engineered flooring is made from a thicker piece of wood, which allows you to sand/refinish it multiple times, which means the floor will last longer and cost less to maintain. Even though you will pay more for it up front, your overall cost of ownership will be much less and your overall satisfaction will be much higher with a thicker solid/engineered floor.