I like it! Can you paint the oak risers of the stair the color of the wood you'd like to install upstairs? It wood tie the two levels together. I'd even paint the banister too!

Thanks! I am going downstairs to give that some thought :)

i personally like the same look throughout the house, it just works better. It doesn't look like the projects are hodgepodge after thoughts. Back in the 70s you carpeted each room a different color.....now we use the same carpet throughout, but the bottom line it is your house. Just remember resale

I like it! If you like it you should keep the flooring..its your house. I think it is very creative and looks nice!

I hear what you are saying kklinton - and that's my worry. However, rite now I have the same colored oatmeal carpet covering ALL the upstairs and it looks tired and dated. The dark wood would be covering ALL the upstairs - so in theory what's the difference?!? If someone didn't like my choice of carpet then they would replace it - doesn't the same go for the wood? Look forward to hearing from you.

The original oak is just too 'busy' for the upstairs furniture and the dark color will be dramatic!

Why not stain the rest of the floors to match the dark wood?

I struggled with this as we add a second story to our old house. Impossible to match upstairs and downstairs as downstairs is gorgeous original oak floors that would be too costly to replicate but we refuse to change. We are going the same general shade upstairs. Our solution was to carpet the stairs in a neutral tone to provide a bit of a break. I think it would work with a light/dark contrast too.

The colours just don't blend. Why don't you leave the flooring alone and try to change the furniture upstairs? In my opinion the type and colour of wood never gets dated.

Thanks for all the ideas - certainly food for thought. Keep them coming! But not changing the furniture ever.

Painting the stairs the same color as your darker flooring would be great! Painting it as if you had a carpet runner leaving -the lighter color on both sides of your " painted color runner" would act as a boarder will tie everything.

ok, I get that it is two different types of wood....but maybe you could get the downstairs to match better with a solid gel stain? I love the dark floors upstairs. Try adding a decorative stair carpet....this may be the easiest solution.

Is that a dog downstairs? Keep in mind if change to a dark color that dark floors show everything. I wanted brazilian cherry and after I installed it in my living room I decided to go with a lighter wood for the rest of the house. With two dogs I find I am always having a hard time keeping the darker floor clean. The dark color might also make the rooms look smaller.

If you choose to stain, visit ecospaints.net for no order non-toxic stain and varnish. It won't run you out of your home while the work is being done.

I have seen an amazing photo of 2 completely different woods (which I will post when I figure out some 'privacy' issue on my iPad). The v dark 'bitter chocolate' color is exactly the same I have in mind, their second wood is the same mid oak color, except a different more modern graining. It's is tied together in the room by painting the risers the bitter chocolate color. There are more elements in the room that 'switch' around - including a dark ceiling in part of the room. I am really considering doing this.

I just bought some sheets. Of dark brown paper and pinned it to the risers - it looks good downstairs looking up. I think I will photoshop an image for myself - take some of the guess work out of this.

I will post that too and would be happy for your comments

I don't care for the two-tone look. If you can't/don't want to stain the others darker to blend better, and have to go with the darker upstairs (can't match the original downstairs, etc.), then I like the idea of installing a runner to help blend the two so it tones down the contrast.

Hello, I am currently having similar dilemma. Wondering what you end up doing? My plan is to install read oak gunstock color on 2nd floor but my stairs is red oak butterscotch. Will it match? I am thinking perhaps having gunstock color on the stair tread will help the color transition when going upstairs. Comment anyone?

I would not have different flooring, with resale I think prospective buyers might take issue.

Ihusada - we put in the bitter chocolate floor upstairs - and we are delighted. We still have some remodeling to finish off and when we do we are going to paint the risers bitter chocolate (the treads are oak) to make the transition. I have seen this done and can't wait to complete our vision. Even my sceptic friends love it - and they would say if they didn't :)

Thanks for the comment. I was thinking about resale value as well, although I dont have plan to sell the house. So far the plan is to have gunstock color for 2nd floor, riser and threads. Wood spindles will be changed to wrought iron. Still not sure about what to do with stringers and the handrail, currently they are butterscotch color. If I change everything to gunstock color, this is totally a big project. End of the stairs meet with tile floor (main floor) Oh boy, this is tough decision :)

Ihusada - I have attached a photo I found on Houzz. Hope this give I confidence :)

Yes but that is a modern minimalist house so it looks purposeful and architectural. This would not be the same for this house. It just ends up looking like a upgrade on one floor.

White stringers I think will be okay, then I'll see how it looks before deciding what to do with handrail. Can't wait to start this project. We plan to do this next month. In the mean time we keep looking/searching for ideas.

Ihusada - when all the work has been completed I will post some photographs - then people can see for them selves how successful or not in their opinion our choices worked out. Perhaps you could do the same - because modernizing and upgrading with 2 woods seems a common dilemma

Carolmckee, i look forward to see the picture.

Carolmckee, I was curious if you finished your wood floor project. We are considering the same and I would love to see pictures of the finished project.

No not at all

I did put the different color upstairs and I did paint the risers to match the upstairs floor and I LOVE it!

Wickenhauserj. Hope these help. Even those people who tried to talk me out of it - now say it looks good.

It does look great! Thanks for posting pictures :)

I'm having a similar dilemma, my girls want modern bedrooms upstairs with extra light wood floors. The home has medium oak throughout the first floor and stairs,. I was thinking of keeping medium oak on stairs and continuing the upstairs hallways medium with matching wainscoting that the stairwell has and only keeping the bedrooms light. What do you think?

I think it could look patchy - but I am no authority. I changed at the landing and I am v happy with it. (See photos). My own feeling was as fewer transitions as possible. But it's what you are happy with. Good luck.

@window22 - Keep the medium color wood floors in all rooms. Promise the girls outstanding rugs or ??? Or, how old are they? How long would you have to live with the two types of wood?

They are 11 and 13. Yeah I have to agree with you both. My contractor also recommended changing at the landing or medium all over. My basement is light wood and we just love the variety. Stairs medium with medium wood furniture to help it all come together. Thanks!!

window22 I put a painting at the top of the stairs with a frame of both colored woods - it looks beautiful and added further to the transition

Love your stairs carolmckee! We ended up use all gunstock color with wrought iron. We are happy with it.

These are the paintings I use to help with the transition. The 2 paintings top and bottom of the stairs, have two toned frames to go with the stair colors. The tryptic hung directly over the stairs uses the two shades of wood color in the paintings themselves. I also used the dark brown in the gallery lighting. If you would like to see more of my paintings please check out my web site at carolmckee.com.

These are my paintings - see comment above. carolmckee.com

I have two different floors colors as carolmckee, except it's reversed. The light color flooring is on the second floor and stairs, while the dark flooring is on the first floor. Would it help to tie the two floors together by staining the risers using the dark color and staining the rails the light oak color? Right now the rails or painted white and the stairway (treads) are the light oak and the risers are white.

We have dark floors (luxury vinyl tile faux wood planks) walnut tone on the lower level of our house with wood treads (close match but not perfect) and white risers on the stairs. We want to replace the carpeting in the bedrooms and hallway upstairs. As the dark floors are so hard to keep clean looking (every speck shows and we have dogs), I want to put a medium color floor upstairs. Am thinking of something along the line colorwise of Grey Sky Hickory (http://www.uptownfloors.com/products-hardwood/country-lifestyle/grey-sky.htm), light-medium color. Most of our furniture is dark. Improvement is for resale. Should we purchase the same LVT (if available) or should we recarpet instead?

I have since sold my home - with the two different woods. The two woods were never a problem and I think if done well can add value to your home.