Somehow there's been a posting error - let's try this again!

DH and I are building our house. We are at the final stages, and have most things picked out.

For the main floor, we have chosen a maple flooring which ranges in color from coffee to a light tea. The walls are a very light carmel. Its an open floor plan, so the dinette and great room are visible. The dinette will have a chocolate wall on the bottom 36" with a chair rail, and then the light carmel above. Accents of a fall red and burnt orange will be on the main floor.

The basement will be the media/entertainment area. It'll have a metal gray on the walls with a slate vinyl on the floor (which looks very real). There will be the same red from the main floor as accents in the basement.

The maple flooring and light carmel will be the main floor, how do we transition to the basement with gray slate and gray walls? Do we do maple steps? They're expensive and quite a few people has told us how slippery they are. I don't want carpet - food and drinks will be going up and down those steps frequently. Any thoughts?