Whatever you do for flooring, make sure you have extra leftover so that if someday you redo the kitchen you have material to patch in if necessary.

I can't get into the place until I close April 1 and I want the floors done before I move in April 25, so I can't really bring in dozens of samples to lay down next to the cabinets

I know it is exciting to have a new place, but you really don't want to rush to make a decision. Collect all of the samples that you are considering. Maybe you can make ONE appointment to go over to your new unit before closing. Take all of your samples and be prepared to eliminate the ones that don't work. Don't worry about a final decision.

The Washington finish you linked to has a lot of variation. It's not as busy as your current vinyl. But that is like saying a hippo isn't big, compared to a whale. The hippo is still big, and the hickory still has a lot of variation.

You definitely need to see a BOX of hickory spread out in your unit. And yes, that means you'll have to buy it. Which you won't be able to do with the ONE appointment idea.

I hate to break this news to you, but you may have to relax on your goal of having the floors finished before move-in. Depending on the installer's schedule, you may have to relax on that goal even if you have a decision finalized before April 1. In some areas, the good installers are booked several weeks ahead.

@plf12652 Thanks - I had thought of that but I need all the reminders I can get!

Maureen nailed it with the white countertop, backsplash and white on the peninsula face. If you can afford it, replace the black microwave for white.

I get that you want the floors done before you move in, but flooring is expensive and rather permanent decision. You will be much happier if you take time to bring samples home to test, especially since the hickory can be busy and yellow. The hickory is better than the existing vinyl, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best you can do for your budget.

Otherwise, Maureens suggestion of white counter and backsplash will help the kitchen. Depending on your budget, you could do laminate or solid surface (Corian or LG HiMacs)

Since your flooring has some gray in the pattern you could adopt that for your walls. New light fixtures are required for this room.

@kempek01 Thanks. I like the hickory. When I chose the flooring I had planned to paint the cabinets white. Now I'm not sure.

Here is a link for a video you might find helpful in choosing paint color around your golden oak: https://youtu.be/0_Lh14jBeCA (in case the link doesn’t work, search for designer Julie Khuu’s video on Best Wall Paint Colors to Pair with Wood Trim, Cabinets Etc). In choosing your white paint color, make sure it has a warm undertone. In the real estate listing photo, the lemony yellow is too cool for the cabinets and fights with them. A cool white would have a similar effect.

@plf12652 I may replace that range within the next year. I'm hoping to put a dual fuel range in its place but need to collect some quotes and see what's possible. When I do I'll get a microwave that complements it. The fridge will probably stay, it's only 2 years old.

@Indecisiveness Thanks, everybody. I guess I will just live with the existing flooring for a few years. My life and my schedule are such that if I don't do it know, I'll never do it.

I almost didn't buy the place because of the finishes. Now I'm already regretting the purchase.

Painting oak cabinets is either expensive or very tedious if you do it yourself. I wouldn't spend either the time or effort to paint the cabinets as you can render them relatively innocuous with other fixes.

I understand why it is tempting to get floors done before moving in. If you were going with a relatively innocuous choice, it would be different but you are choosing floors that make a statement - and you might dislike that statement especially since you have to live with the golden oak for awhile.

I assume you are getting factory finished floors. These can be done more easily than site finished floors after you have moved in. You don't need to clear everything out of all of the rooms for starters. When I had my floors finished onsite everything had to be moved out and I couldn't get back into my home for several days. My friends who had factory finished floors were able to just shift furniture around as the installers worked in different areas.

I agree with others that painting the walls will do a lot to change the look of the wood. The current color seems to clash and maximize it. Also changing the beige speckled counter will do wonders for it. A dining table that isn't golden oak in a style from the 1980's will also help.

There is really nothing inherently ugly about the cabinets themselves. Maybe paint those large doors on the wall opposite the kitchen so they blend. They might be easier to paint than the cabinets themselves and also they might not get as much wear as cabinets will.

I am not an expert on actual lighting but the fixture can be changed and that would also update the look tremendously. I think once you have changed stuff around the cabinets, they won't stand out as much. Right now everything else in your unit emphasizes the cabinets.

Please don’t regret your purchase. I think you bought at the right time. I also wanted to do the floors in my current house as soon as I moved in, but I’m glad I waited because all the appliances needed replacing soon after we moved in and that took a chunk of the budget. I also have golden oak cabinets and I plan to reface in the future. I used SW Accessible Beige for the walls in the kitchen and breakfast area. When you put up your photos and art work, it will feel like home.

I had also planned to install new counter and backsplash right away, but I’m so glad I waited because I learned that my choices would have been a mistake. Living in the house reveals what you need to do and it could be different than what you first wanted. Good luck, it will work out in time.

Also, since now we've decided I shouldn't get hickory in my home, what would everyone like to see instead? Please don't say carpet. I have horrible allergies that have multiplied tenfold since moving into a rental with carpet five years ago and I was really hoping to make this better.

No go: gray stains. They were in every flipped home I saw in my six-month search process.

Have you considered painting the floors you don’t like?

To clarify, I’m not saying not to get hickory, just that you should bring a sample to the house before deciding.

I chose my bathroom tile without ever seeing it in my space and I regret it. The color was much different in my house than the store.

Get samples of the Washington, Holiday and Joplin stains.

I happened to stumble on this old thread - what a difference you can make with "old fashioned" oak cabinets with some cosmetic updates.

Updated Oak Kitchen

Buying a home is one of the top stresses. You are probably feeling overwhelmed and once settled just take your time collecting inspiration pictures, note the combinations, etc. Consider priorities, set your budget, have a vision and go slow. It took us years before we redid all the rooms the way we wanted and actually ten years before painting kitchen cupboards and updating flooring as I was uncertain of what I wanted. Enjoy the journey.

I hope the decision not to get hickory is based on what you want not opinions of people who don’t have to live in your house. We hated our floors - a grayish marble like stone in every room and changed it very early on with engineered hickory and we love it! It’s so very durable and doesn’t have a lot of contrast. We put it in every room but wet rooms and it’s held up very well. You can see it in the pic below.

@User Can you find me some examples of textured sheet vinyl that looks good after painting? And is it a good idea to paint carpet?

@mojavemaria That's lovely! And very similar to what I had planned. I did actually pick a gray stone look Coretec tile for one of my three bathrooms, to tone down that awful yellow oak trim, but I agree I wouldn't want it throughout the house.

@Maureen Thanks, Maureen. I've been collecting ideas and learning what I want for five years now, so I'd like to think I have at least an inkling of what would please me. This is not my first home purchase, just the first place where I get to make all the decisions. I'm an older Gen Xer and this will likely be my last or second to last home; I'd like to enjoy it rather than live with ugliness while waiting for the perfect time to make the perfect changes.

Great advice from Maureen. Buyers' regret can be common. Trust me, all will be fine!

Thought you were smarter than that. Probably best you hire someone to help you. Be sure to get as many recommendations as you can.

@Indecisiveness I did bring three samples of engineered wood in very different colors/patterns plus two samples of Coretec tile (for bath) back to my apartment and lived with them for three days of different (weather changes) daylight/lamp light before deciding. The light in this apartment is not substantially different from my new home - it's only about 5 miles from here. I decided upon seeing the Coretec in natural light at home that one sample was way too blue and another much too yellow, so I went back and picked a third. :)

I still prefer the red birch hardwood I initially picked, but would need to get an estimate for installing that before I decide for sure.

However, it sounds like my plan is crazy and I should just live with the sheet vinyl and sad brown carpet for a few years, not to mention those "golden" cabinets.

Replacing flooring is messy and you need all your furniture out so I don’t think it’s crazy at all to want to do it before you move in. If you get a neutral wood floor it’s like a pair of blue jeans- it goes with everything!

We had oak cabinets like yours in our house and I painted them myself and replaced hardware knowing it was temporary until we could remodel the whole kitchen. It wasn’t permanent but it tided us over until we could remodel the whole kitchen which we did a couple years later. There is nothing wrong with doing temporary changes to make your house more livable until you have plans and funds to get what you really want.

I disagree with waiting. Get the walls painted and new flooring installed as planned. Just spend a bit more time making sure your flooring is something you can live with over the long term, and that it won't limit future improvement options -- think neutral. If you have to have the floors installed after your move-in date, it's not the end of the world -- a minor inconvenience that you will soon forget while enjoying your lovely new home. Go for it!

@mojavemaria Exactly. I've moved at least 20 times in my life and I know how much harder it is to change something huge like flooring once the furniture is in. And I am single...I don't have a nice big family to help me move all my furniture out, or a place to keep it while the work is done!

But I could pick a different floor. I haven't signed off on a final choice yet. I just want wood, not dark, not gray, not "pickled." Surely there is an engineered wood that won't compete with those stunning cabinets, haha. And that same wood product would look equally good in the living room and master bedroom.

You’ve looked at samples next to the oak cabinets in the new house?

As for the cabinets, the color that Beverly chose above makes the cabinets stick out less, its amazing how much that simple color change improved the space.

If you know you want to paint the cabinets, you’re happy with the layout and the boxes are still in good shape; you could look at getting new cabinets doors from Barker Doors or Scherrs. It’s obviously possible to paint yours, but painting new is less work and it would allow you to change the style. A less drastic change in the interim could be replacing the cabinet hardware.

If the trim is nothing special in the house, you could paint that but leave the doors stained. That might help tone done the yellow oak so It doesn’t bug you as much.

@Indecisiveness I do not live there yet. I don't have keys. I'm closing on April Fool's Day.

I did bring three samples of engineered wood in very different colors/patterns plus two samples of Coretec tile (for bath) back to my apartment and lived with them for three days of different (weather changes) daylight/lamp light before deciding. The light in this apartment is not substantially different from my new home - it's only about 5 miles from here. I decided upon seeing the Coretec in natural light at home that one sample was way too blue and another much too yellow, so I went back and picked a third. :)

I get that you dont have the keys yet. If you intend to live with the cabinets “as-is” for the foreseeable future and you’re not going to paint the wood trim, then you should look at the flooring samples in the house, next to the cabinets and trim.

Perhaps you could ask your realtor if you could arrange to get in the house for an hour?

Hi @d_gamba - I really like your townhouse! The layout seems wonderful, with the large living area and well laid out kitchen.

The floors that @mojavemaria has are beautiful! If that looks anything like your choice, you’ll be fine. And I also agree that you should plan to do the floors prior to moving in if you can swing it. Like you said - it will be so much easier, and I know what you mean about it never getting done if you don’t do it now ;).

As others have said, painting the walls and updating the hardware and light fixtures (possibly the counters) will make a huge impact. It will look like a different kitchen!

I know you don’t like the cabinets, and the fact that they used that wood everywhere can be overwhelming! But at least the are in good shape, and are a very neutral style. Believe me, we had the same issue in our house - the same oak cabinets/trim everywhere...every bathroom, bedroom, laundry room, kitchen, etc.! And ours were some weird cathedral style (with added arches, trims, etc.) - UGH. So it could be worse!

And you have those wonderful wide doors...great for moving furniture in!

Good luck with your new home; I’m sure it will be wonderful when you have a chance to put your own ’stamp’ on it!

And BTW, @User - incredibly rude comment - not necessary at all. Uncool.

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@MaryBocaTX Yes, EVERY room, every window sill, every door, every cabinet. Three vanities. And those lovely vanity lights, oak trim with big glass globes. At least I can replace the vanity lights myself.

Other units in this development have been updated with less dated finishes, and I'm also thinking of the future when I will someday resell. If I still have miles of golden oak where everyone else has current colors/finishes, my unit might not show well. Many years down the road, I hope, but I do keep it in mind.

@mojavemaria - Your hickory floors are lovely and much quieter than most of the hickory floors I have seen.

Not all floors from the same species are created equal. When I remodeled I used a red oak floor because I had a lot of cabinetry in white oak. I paid a bit more for an upgraded oak which had a quieter grain and fewer knots etc. It also reads more blonde than red. I had a lot going on in terms of other design choices so I wanted a fairly "anonymous" wood floor.

@d_gamba - Don't worry about potential resale down the road. By the time many people sell (unless they are specifically flipping) their kitchens will be dated and worn. In ten years people are going to think all of those gray Shaker cabinets should go the way of Tuscan kitchens - or avocado green appliances. :-).

When the time comes so that you have the money and ambition to do a full scale remodel, do what works for you but don't do it if you think you will get a 100% or more return on investment. Unless you are in the business of remodeling and are doing it wholesale, you will not reap full financial rewards but will receive pleasure from using a kitchen that delights you both aesthetically and functionally.

@Helen So true, Helen! Resale value is not my top concern, it's just not totally off my radar.

I'm generally extremely thrifty and careful and painstakingly slow in my decision-making, so it's been a huge thing for me to finally choose flooring. The idea of starting that process all over again is exhausting. I've had a hard couple of years, and I've been saving for this project for a long time. And my company now has us all working offsite every day for the foreseeable future, and I am not eligible for a covid vacine until summer...so I really prefer to get the floors done before I have to stay indoors with a work crew for several days. Plus the flooring that I'm opting for is on sale now, but will not remain on sale for unending months into the future. It's not youthful excitement that led me to this moment.

I will paint the back of the peninsula gray, and keep looking for a table that will distract from the mellow yellow.

We had floors installed and walls painted in the entire house before moving in. No regrets. Making fast decisions was stressful, but it was so nice moving into a freshly painted and newly floored home. We have wood trim, doors, and cabinets throughout that we didn't paint due to time/budget, but new floors and white wall paint really freshened up the house. Congratulations on your new home, good luck with moving in!

All you can do is ask - if you can visit the townhouse with flooring samples in hand. We agreed to let the buyer's decorator visit both of the last 2 houses we sold. Good luck with your choices. The townhouse looks lovely and will be even more so as you make it your own.

Wow @mdln. Just WOW!

@d_gamba, you must be thrilled to see the potential in the pics that @mdln just posted.

Very encouraging!

d_gamba......I know that townhouse can look wonderful and feel homey too.....You just have to have patience, one step at a time....this is a stressful time and add Covid into the mix! I just bought a house that has a neutral/green paint throughout the whole house with a trim color (Universal Khaki by Sherwin Williams) that I would never had chosen. As I have moved my furniture in and hung pictures the whole color picture changed! Now I am not seeing that green all around but am seeing it as a neutral background. So take your time and use Houzz to bounce ideas around.

@plf12652 Actually, that color is on my short list for elsewhere in the house - maybe one or two of the walls of the bedroom I'll be using as my office!

I have been living with Apartment Beige for years, so I have some bright-colored pieces that I'm not ready/able to change just yet. Just want to make sure my paint works with the new floor and the existing furniture for now.

if you want to see my oak kitchen remodel it is on pinterest @susan822 I left the cabinets, used with subway tile with grey grout for backsplash, used a marbled quartz countertop with a waterfall end, put in a pretty turquoise print shade and a white marbleized porcelain floor, I loved it!

@susan mallory Thank you! That really helps me see how a white countertop would look in my space. Your place looks fantastic!

If you choose to use gray, be sure that it is a warm gray! A cool gray will be fighting with the warm wood and will create dissonance that you will feel.

I have seen mid century houses that still have their blonde to yellow "wood everywhere" trims and cabinets - and they look wonderful. The key is the wall, ceilings and flooring, all light and white - no yellows, beiges or tans. We went through a period when everyone thought those colors were the ones that were appropriate but now to our eyes they make the wood look unpleasant.

Looking at your pictures I see yellow walls, "ceiling white" ceiling which is a cooler shade (I always see a gray undertone to it), a white white door (the style of which doesn't match the rest of the house), yellow gray floor, and beigeish? counter, and bad lighting. Not coherent.

As others have suggested, a good paint choice for the walls and ceiling would go a very long way toward making the cabinets more attractive. As would probably a good cleaning (of the cabinets) and better lighting. I would hold off on painting that island until you've made the other decisions.

Google "mid century houses with oak woodwork" and you will see lots of white with touches of sage, gray, blue and other colors. ( I like the photos mdln showed us too). Also predominantly oak flooring. They don't look dated, just light, bright, warm and cheerful. Your house isn't a mid century build but it looks to me, with its simple lines, that it can have that vibe.

Good luck with your new home, and please do come back to show us what you chose to do and how it all turns out!

@raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio Definitely plan to clean first before doing anything else!

I understand what you're saying about mid-century homes and their woodwork. I'd describe my style as eclectic, so I can work with this. Another thing I might want to do is repaint the big metal screen I have been using as a headboard. In my current apartment all the woodwork is yellow, and this headboard is a cool yellow, but a pale gray comforter has been enough to balance it in this small space. Any suggestions for color? I'd prefer not blue...my partner hates blue and I don't want to scare him away ;).

Can you bring your floor samples to a Lowe's or Home Depot that has golden oak cabinets on display to make sure the hickory you chose harmonizes with all the oak and trim you have?

Maureen's oak kitchen photos are a great way to go--new hardware, white countertops/backsplash, and modern lighting.

Here's a very good article about paint colors that go with wood trim. https://www.houzz.com/magazine/11-terrific-paint-color-matches-for-wood-details-stsetivw-vs~9025200

Additionally Google: "wall paint with golden oak cabinets" and a ton of Pinterest images will come up. And while you're Googling, put in the name of your hickory floor choice + "Golden oak cabinets" and see how they look. Congratulations on your new home. It's a nice big space, and you can do a lot with it.

Congratulations on your new home! You’re getting conflicting advice here, even though it’s all good advice. If you can get into the house one more time, that will be huge. There are few sellers that will deny the new homeowner access before closing. It’s a common real estate courtesy. Armed with ideas, you can bring in your floor and color samples but be aware that THEIR LIGHTING may be “off”. When you change fixtures and bulbs, you change the space. Looking at samples in your current house is still imperfect.

You can take your time. If you are a good baker, consider bartering baked good for painting help so you can start changing all the trim. Yes, if the floor could be installed prior to moving, it’s ideal. But getting the right floor is more ideal. I’m in the “wait” corner. House design is a journey. Try to embrace it. Your ideas may change once you live there and revisit your wish list.

I agree with @RedRyer in terms of accessing your unit prior to closing. When I sold my parents' condo the buyer made an appointment and came with a GC. I don't know why anyone would refuse a request from the buyer - they get access anyway to do inspections.

@Helen I can, it's just hard to schedule with my realtor. We're in a very intense market and she is super busy, plus I work full-time. I've already been back to the condo once since my offer was accepted...all she could give me was 18 minutes of time in there! It was so rushed I forgot to measure a few specs that I really wish I knew now, so I am trying to make a new list of these items and only go back in once more, and thus only return to the flooring store twice!

Congrats on your new house! Very nice! We have golden oak window trim and I’m happy to see it is becoming popular again. Others have posted pics of beautiful oak cabinets. Maybe all you need is wall paint, your own furnishings, and art work.