What type of advice are you looking for Julie? Maintenance or design? Can you explain what the pictures represent? Give us more details.

Solid hardwood means you will be able to refinish at a later date...so the colour won't matter. It looks like you have red oak on your floors right now. You will find the colour you have chosen will darken your home considerably. This means you might find you have to add more lighting just to get the same amount of "lightness" as you have now. The dark wood is magnificent but some people consider it too dated. There are some exceptions to "dark = dated". A strong modern design with harsh lines (white, black, gray + chrome with plenty of glass) can look very trendy at this point but dark floors are "out" in Europe. That means the dark floor trend is on its way out for N. America. It depends on your location.

The dust up-keep is almost impossible with dark wood. Some people have moved to swiffering (dry dusting) their dark wood floors daily and sometimes twice daily because of the fine layer of white dust that sits on the floor. A live-in maid is handy but the "live in" often turns out to be "lady of the house". If you already have a daily sweeping routine then this shouldn't bother you. If you have "low" cleaning drive then you might find these floors are too much to handle.

Personally I would look at a floor that had the same tones ("cold brown") of your choice but a few steps lighter. In most "regularly" lit homes, the mid-tone floor will darken by a step or two = same drama as dark without the heavy maintainance.

You have to want the heavy drama of a "near black" floor to put up with the maintenance...and the budget to double your lighting.

Thank you for this feedback. It is exactly why I posted. I sincerely appreciate your advice and look deeper into lighter grey tones.

Do you see any concerns with the idea of going to a maple to lessen the strong grain pattern?

Hi Julie, we are looking at PG Model Maple hardwood. Did you end up going with this company? Any issues with the flooring?