Flooring Help!

10 years ago

Hi! Looking for direction on choosing hardwood floors. When choosing a stain what should I consider first/most? I'm so overwhelmed by the choices out there. Below is some info on my home and what I am looking to achieve:

I have a small raised ranch (1320 sq ft) with an open floor plan. No direct sunlight but the front door/windows face northeast. My house was a pre-fab so it came with builder grade oak kitchen cabinets (we will either stain or replace eventually) and linoleum tiles in a greige-y color. My furniture is dark espresso (living room) and warm oak (dining room). I’ve started repainting the dining room/living room BM Edgecomb Gray. Unsure about the kitchen - was thinking SW Sea Salt. That area gets the least amount of natural light and it feels like its own room. I’m torn between a lighter, more traditional floor color or a flooring choice that’s dark brown. I’ve also been seeing some options that have dark and light running through it. I want the space to feel cohesive and larger than what it is.

I’ve posted a few pics and the floor plan. Living room pic is a bit older - the curtains (no sheers) now match the dining room ones, décor has been added and we now have a black sectional with no rug/table. I can try to post a more updated pic of that room but it’s overrun with toys!

Thank you!!!

View 1 from the kitchen from dining room. Hoping to paint the cabinets using Rustoleum Cabinet Transformations probably dark although I love white - :)

View of the kitchen from the living room

Updated dining room - BM Edgecomb Gray

Living room - curtains now the same as dining room, no area rug or table, dark brown carpet we want to replace

New furniture in our living room - Ikea Hemnes

Featured Answer

weedyacres

10 years ago

Home Decorating might be a better place to get advice on hardwood floor stain color.

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Comments (8)

mellypinto
Original Author
10 years ago
hmmm.... The Design Dilema board sent me here. And no one here is helpful. Starting to think Houzz isn't the right place for me to get advice. Thanks though.
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cpartist
10 years ago
Melly, I'd do almost a white washed oak floor. A dark floor will suck all the light out of the room. I have a condo with tons of natural light and did a dark floor and honestly I regret it because it could be so much lighter in feeling. In your case I'd also keep the wall color light. Instead of a gray, have you considered a soft green to "bring in" the outdoors or even a soft turquoise color?
H B
10 years ago
We don't have a lot of hardwood in our house, but it has darkened with exposure to light over time. I don't know if they all do that, but it may be something to bear in mind. For us, I just chose a wood I loved, without a lot of consideration for how it might look; turned out ok but it's a soft wood and easily is scratched and nicked. Good luck with your selection. Sorry you didn't feel you have had a good response. You may get responses if you make a few selections and then ask for thoughts on which goes best. There is a lot of range of prices as well as finishes. If I had ours to do over again, I would choose a more common wood with better wear characteristics, in part so that as we are able to do more hardwood in the house, it would have been easier (and less expensive) to match. Hope that helps.
mellypinto
Original Author
10 years ago
So I am afraid of the scratches and nicks. I have 2 toddlers and small dog. Ugh - I feel like this is one of the toughest decisions. I know I don't want oranges or reddish tones ideally. And I really like keeping my walls neutral and decorating with color. Much easier and cheaper down the road.
User
10 years ago
weedyacres makes a valid point. This forum is generally used for technical questions related to flooring. When someone requests decorating advice, which can be very subjective, they usually ask for help choosing between a few options. You have such disparate elements and variables in your design equation that it's difficult to make a viable suggestion Perhaps if you go to a local store, borrow some samples, narrow down the options and ask for advice here. you might get a better response.
I sell floors for a living and narrowing down a selection from the enormous number of offerings available is a process that requires a fair amount of feedback from the customer.
Another option that doesn't require a trip to a flooring store is to select some pictures from Houzz and ask people to weigh in on how they think your prospects would look in your home.

Good luck.
User
10 years ago
PS Do you have wood subfloor or concrete?
Vith
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
I know I don't want oranges or reddish tones ideally

So do zero stain and go with an oil based poly. Should give you a nice amber/golden look.I agree there isn't a LOT of natural light there and a dark floor may be regretted. That or you need better light fixtures if you are going to go dark.