attached are two more pictures of the kitchen in case it helps

Bump! Sorry to keep on posting this, but I'm just trying to get a second opinion before I need to decide on the color of the wood tomorrow morning.

I totally agree with both of your points. Was initially going to go with option #2, but then changed my mind when I came to the realization that the contrast between the two rooms is perfectly normal. I initially was under the impression that the color of the wood had to be uniform across the apartment.
You make a really good point about going with the wider wood since it would delineate the room. This is the first time I have ever had to experience a renovation, so all of this is all brand new to me.

Yes, the darker one -- it's warmer, and while it doesn't match, it does "go." If you match the width, it may be possible for the old floor to someday be refinished and stained a tone closer to the new ones.

I think I'd go with the darker one, same width as you already have.

Decision decisions!! Do you think it would look super weird if I ended up refinishing the floors down the road and width was different between the two rooms? It's a pretty small kitchen so I'm not sure if it would be even that noticeable.

I think you could go either way with the width. It wouldn't make too much difference.

River - while #2 is definitely a closer comparison to the floor throughout my 1-bedroom apartment, wouldn't darker rather than lighter be a better option since it would give the kitchen some color and help break up the two rooms?

I recommend to go with 3" specially in smaller place like your kitchen it would look nicer but I vote to different color than old one since both looks good,unless you want play safe and not ready for change .

If it helps at all, I found a photo of my backsplash

Yea - I guess it just comes down to personal preference at the end of the day. Both colors would work, so I just need to make a final decision! Rather than the shaker style cabinet in the picture, I went with a flat slab design with stainless steel pulls. The one thing that I am decided in is that I will be getting the larger width planks.

After living in a tiny 3 bedroom apartment for 6 years, I finally decided to grow up this year and purchase my first apartment. While it has been enjoyable researching renovation ideas, now that it is happening for real it's rather stressful. Just praying that I picked the right stuff and that this all wont be a waste of money. Thanks for all of the comments since this has been really helpful.

Once the floors and cabinets are hung I will post some pictures so we can all walk me through deciding on a backsplash!!

Are you working with a wood flooring professional? They should be able to give you samples & design advice.

I think you should shop around ... there just has to be a better match. This is a fairly expensive project, be sure you get what you want! Afterall, that is why you purchased your own space. You will find one that you don't have to question ... that's when you will know which one you want :)

There is no need to rule out matching the rest of the floors if that is what you want. However, you need to consult with a hardwood flooring specialist to get a good match, which is indeed possible (not easy, but possible) regardless of the age of your current floors. We built an addition that was continuous with our kitchen, where we have white oak floors that are 90 years old. We didn't want to refinish the old floors as they have probably only one more sanding left in them. Our GC brought in a wood flooring specialist who identified the wood and tried out different stains until he got a match. Here's a photo of the two floors together. The older floor has wider gaps between the boards from shrinkage over time, but the wood species and stain are a good match. Upper half of photo is the 90 year old floor (last refinished 20 years ago); bottom half is the 5 year old floor in the addition:

Many old houses have rooms with wood floors of different widths, not just depending on the era when they were laid but the function of the room.

Just wanted to update everyone that I just got the floors done and overall I am very happy with the color/species of wood that I went with. Rather than going with the white oak samples in the original photos, I went another direction and went with the Somerset American Country collection in Hickory since I felt this wood had much more character than the high gloss wood that I almost went with. The cabinets are getting hung this week, so hopefully I will have more progress to share with everyone.

In terms of cleaning the floors, would you recommend a bona duster and fast dry spray? With all of the construction and different people working in my apartment the floors are a mess.

Is anyone willing to offer advice? I am selecting everything for a new home and we have chosen river ridge birch chattooga floors. It is dark brown with some caramel lighr brown in it. Now for the ccabinets I am at a loss. I really don't want to try to match the lighter brown color as we had light brown honeyish shade of cabinets in old house and are very tired of it. I would like to do dark brown cabinets or possibly white with some glaze? Our cabinet maker has offered choices of oak, cherry, and maple and he uses a certain line of stains and nothing really jumped out at us. We will be getting granite tops and picking the backspash also.

I would white wash or finish the rest of the floors in a antique white style maybe with some gray highlights to go with this new floor, trying to match it would look like a poor mans patch job. Seriously it would look amazing as a semi painted floor and tie it in to the house, PLEASE do something with the other flooring as it looks so bad next to the new! Sorry to say, but until you get the other flooring brought up to speed your new job will just emphasize the worst parts.

Ps you choose a great color for the floor and it goes well with the cabinets, not matching but coordinating the two. You are on a good path with your remodel :0

To river valley, do not think the wood is Oak as shown, looks like a maple or a alder, maybe even beechwood stained, do not see the grain for oak. Aside from that, I agree that anything oak is a little dated unless actually painted which I love as the wood grain looks amazing with a painted surface, (tip for all you wishing to update without any money to buy new cabinets) I have done several remodel jobs with a dark willow on the base and an antique white on the top, or a coffee brown latex with a glaze and a light gray upper cabinet) hint especially with a wood redo in antique white with gray highlights. My point here is to go with a maple, alder or something that is not oak if going brand new.

So we made a little more progress today and below is what we got. The fridge is being tossed and replaced with a stainless steel fisher and paykel French door fridge. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I could do with the flush mount light? I hate the one I currently have in the kitchen.

Some more

Thoughts? Below are just a couple that I just found. If it matters at all the last photo is of the pendant lights that I will hang over the breakfast bar.

anyone have any suggestions or ideas?

And more photos

For a small space, I would do the same hardwoods throughout. You may have to sand and stain everything to get a perfect match.

Lizzie, post is 3 yrs old. They probably figured it out by now. Always a good idea to look at dates before responding. :)

Houzz shouldn't have featured it as a new question.