Do you have any more images so that we can see windows, doors, light sources, any other architectural details to get an idea of the style of the house or apartment? Do you need to redo the floors for any particular reason - because they look like a nice color and with the addition of the right rugs and furnishings and perhaps painting some of the walls, you could brighten up the rooms and make them very interesting. Would the money be better spent that way? The first thing I would do is paint the wall between the shelves the same color as the other walls. Do you have a color scheme in mind?

Yes attached is the french doors in office area

yes...attached

I would paint all woodwork white & do the floors in a light (no stain) floor. Paint desk area white with an accent between the shelves. Waincot paint white as well

I like the woodwork and floors as they are.

Are the wood floors only in this one room? If so then knock yourself out redoing them. Definitely paint the woodwork.

But, if the wood floor runs through the house, I wouldn't redo them unless they really need it. I suspect if you paint all the wood work (I presume it is dark throughout the house), and update fixtures, new rugs, etc, you will not be bothered by the floors.

If you have money that just needs to be spent then carry on. Oak floors left natural are very pretty.

I would just paint it and put a dark top on the desk area...it will make a clean fresh look.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/194061980/1920s-antique-photograph-of-a-man?ref=shop_home_active_7

revastark You question a non-dark color but modern feel not 70's?
Set on re-doing?
I am in agreement with the other suggestions.
Either way paint and allow the floors to remain the same today.
Place your money with fun in decorating with rugs and all.

I have to ask about the photo to the right with mirrors and carpet?
Is this primarily the room in question?

What is your style? Consider the flooring to complement your
existing furnishings and accessories you have.
Consider the 1950's hardwood you presently have. It is probably the
hardest to withstand wear and tear .
Do they need refinishing?
Have you found anything along these pages as to color of woods you like?
https://www.houzz.com/photos/trendy-hardwood-flooring-phbr0lbl-bl~l_77431

Looking forward to hearing about your style? And to know the function of
the office study area.

I think the colour of your wood floors is just right. If it were me (admittedly it isn't) I wouldn't change the colour.

Omg. What don't you people understand about her first sentence, "I am re-doing the floors." Maybe they are water stained, or perhaps scratched... who knows? So answer the question!!! I assume you are doing it yourself? If not you should, as its easy. I had the same floors in my place and re-did them. I also had the same concerns as you did. However, as I was sanding with the vibrating floor sander, I realized that the color left behind was almost perfect. Now I had the luxury of a closet where I could experiment by putting on samples of clear urethane. The urethane darkens the floor so I took some more color out of the floor by sanding some more,( I would say that if you want the finish color half as dark, you need to sand it down an 1/8th of an inch. To remove all of the stain would require sanding away a 1/4 inch." but I soon had the perfect color without having to stain it! Good luck!

Whoa there, cowboy. Keep the floors the same throughout whenever possible. If you want the room darker, change the paint color and add a dark rug. The last thing I'd do is stain the floors a different color.

We just redid our 1962 floors...just natural...oak...out of necessities with three kids!! Less dust shows.

I agree with maestro67, your question needs to be addressed with a little less bias. We have to remember that everyone's tastes are not the same and if the floors are not to your taste then by all means, change them! Try something like this or this The reason these feel more modern is because they have true brown and grey undertones respectively. Yellow and red undertones probably feel more traditional to you. I suggest going to a flooring store and picking up some samples in tones you like. Lay them on the floor and weed out the ones you don't like right away. Then take the ones you do like and place them in different areas of the room over the next week or so, and look at them at different times of day and in different lighting. Chances are you can eliminate some others slowly and come to a decision this way. Then pick a stain that is as close to this color choice as you can get.

I love the space and the high ceilings with the exposed beams. The built in desk is a nice feature. It looks like you have a lot of work ahead with finishes, but at least the bones are there. Good luck!

Just another quick note. I assumed that "redoing" meant refinishing. If you plan to replace the floors instead (i.e. get rid of carpet and existing hardwood to install one consistent floor), and if those really are original oak floors, do try to remove the boards carefully and sell them to a salvage store. As you can see from the comments above there are plenty of people out there that are huge fans of original oak flooring and those boards can have a new life somewhere else.

If the floors are in good condition, just sand and refinish. If you're going for a lighter interior, a whitewash/gray toned floor would help brighten the room. I would paint the wall and desk area trim white while the recess wall could be a contrasting color, add a rug for an additional pop. I would advise to treat the rest of the house the same way to keep uniformity and flow.

I can't believe you are going to do the floors, you will never have anything of that quality again. Unless you are prepared to spend a lot on it. changing the bones will make the house a mish mash

P.S. Replace the shelf supports in the desk alcove unless you are trying for a cottage/country feel.

Is there anything wrong with original floors? If yes, you can have new boards feathered into the old floor. I would not replace original hardwood floors. Sand and stain them in a color you like, and then paint the trim white. It will look great.

We have pine flooring that was original to our 1929 farm house. It needed refinishing so we rented the sander and did it ourselves. We didn't stain, just finished with a couple of coats of polyurethane. Your floors look lovely, but if they need refinishing I think a light sanding and a polyurethane finish is all they need.

Lye wax.

This might sound crazy a bit but here on Houzz and other places I have seen lots of people re-do houses to look more modern by actually darkening the floors even more and then going with crisp white cabinets, counters etc. Sorry I can't find a pic to show you though & I especially liked maestro67's comment it made it seem like this is a very doable thing for you. Good luck!

Here is a photo that I liked of the dark floors and the crisp white-located at http://www.cottagesandbungalowsmag.com/fourth-of-july-house-tour-an-americana-cottage/img_5942/

When I had my floors professionally refinished, I was told that you can't buy hardwood as thick as what was used in the 1950s. If I were you, I'd paint the walls and woodwork a bright white and then have the floors refinished rather than replaced. I'd definitely keep the floor and the ceiling beams the same color. You're so lucky to have a gorgeous mid-century home. I would try to keep it true to the period.

Paint the wood work (trim and desk area) white, after floors are sanded, restain with a stain a bit lighter than the original floor. Paint the walls a beautiful "greige" color that will contrast well with the white trim and wood work. Use a crisp white paint, not an eggshell shade.

i have lots of old wood flooring in my house. i decided on a warm honey color and i love it. all my walls are painted white and my trim is white also. i have beams from old barns which i have left a natural color. personally, i am not a fan of painting wood as i love the "natural" look, feel and texture of wood. my wood flooring is full of knots which i think adds personality . i love to work with natural products.

Having grown up in a house of this era, why don't you consider cork floors?

I have to agree with the many who commented to leave the floors as they are, and paint out the woodwork white. You can always lay colorful area rugs for pops of color. I personally love darker shades for wood floors, never cared for blond ones.

Lighter flooring always brightens a space. If you want to be more eco friendly, I suggest bamboo. If you still want to maintain a more traditional look, I suggest light oak or maple. If you want the rustic look, then a rustic oak as well as rustic maple will suffice.

The point is probably moot by now... but having read some/most of the "constructive suggestions" above... some should be totally ignored.
Example:
someone who will remain unnamed suggested grinding away 1/8" to 1/4" of a hardwood floor in order to do the job right... my question is: "on what planet"?
Point being: be judicious in your acceptance of the "free advice"... it's usually worth exactly what you pay for it!

Painting a wood floor is blasphemy, difficult to maintain and expensive to change later! Sand off just enough to show the natural tone and then give it a light colour wash (paint mixed with water, brushed on and wiped off with a dry cloth so it's a little "splotchy". You'll need to lightly sand before any subsequent coats or a sealer, but you can always stain or paint over later, do more coats, etc. Much less of a commitment and you won't be covering the beauty of the wood grain!

The house has more traditional elements than pure 70's . . . library wainscot, corbels under shelves, mullioned french doors. Lots of ways to go here, but you definitely want to keep the beams and floor in a wood tone. You could use a bleaching oil or wash on everything except the floor .. floor tone closer to dirt the better . . .

I just bought a 1960 rancher with original natural oak floors. They were one of the reasons I bought the house. I painted all the trim bright white to bring out their color. They have aged to a golden color. Some day I may sand them down (there are a few small damaged areas), but I will put a clar finish over them.

Agree with Select Hardwood Floor Co! The oak floors in our 1971 beach shack had a lot of damage. The floors were sanded enough to remove stain and then re-stained a golden oak in a satin poly finish. The largest damaged section was in a bathroom, that portion was replaced with matching resourced wood, some of those boards have very small flecks of paint. I am saying this to say the following. The golden oak stain looks different in every room due to the paint colors and lighting and are hardly the focal point of each room. Whatever stain you go with will possibly be affected by light and wall color. Someone suggested you try samples from a floor store to move around the room at different times. Sounds like good advice to me. ... The different way the golden oak stain looks here is that in the blue room painted Royal Islander color Ocean Exploration in eggshell the floor looks greyed and lighter, less golden, it's a northeast facing room with lots of window light. It's a blue with black in it. (Royal Islander is specific to Hawaii made by Sherwin Williams). In the orange room, Benjamin Moore's Autumn Orange, orange with black in it, the floor is more golden, darker, it's a north west facing room with lots of light but shadowed from a porch cover. In the one bathroom with Benjamin Moore's Soft White, a white with a little pink to it, semi-gloss, like the inside of conch shell, the floors appear more brown, less golden, it's a west facing room with a porch overhang. The other bathroom, is Royal Islander High Hide White in semi-gloss, the floors there are deeper, slightly golden, incidentally after trying 3 different colors there the white looked the best. The trim in each room is the same as the wall color. The point is if re-doing the floors makes you happy, do it. Be honest with what you have to work with, damage, imperfection, how much can they be sanded, etc, or even keeping them as is after you paint if in good shape for your taste. No harm in exploring. We did and are very happy. I was apprehensive about golden oak initially but was sure I did not want a dark color because it's harder to keep looking clean with so much light coming in. Good luck with your home.

This is how the same golden oak turned out in different rooms with different wall color and light.

Hi revastark - What a beautiful house - lovely windows, beams, high ceilings! Could you give us an indication of which way you are leaning since receiving opposing advice. If you are confused, which I know I would be, first consider the budget then the practicalities. Dark floors are in fashion right now but they may not be in a few years time. Through the windows, it looks bright out of doors and fairly dark indoors. Dark floors are going to make it look darker. Very light floors show every speck of dust and pet hair (this may not be a consideration). Also light floors may not look right with all the other woodwork. Your floors are a beautiful warm mid tone that you will never get tired of. Rather spend the money on rugs and paint, furnishings and lamps. The world is your oyster as far as color, style, texture are concerned. Once you make these decisions the floor will attract less attention than it does now. You may consider bringing the pool and garden colors indoors in more muted shades i.e. aqua and various greens to achieve flow.