I personally like the lighter (less rustic) sample.

Both of those would be termed "light" and not "medium" toned. The less rustic one has a more red based look, while the other more rustic is more yellow based. The one with fewer knots would be my personal preference. But you may prefer the more rustic look.

I wouldn't call either one of those medium tones. So if you really want a medium tone you should be looking at darker samples. But those light colors are what's popular now which is probably why they were presented to you. The best way to see undertones is to look at them against a white background. The color of the gray flooring they're lying on is going to affect your perception of the samples. Are you viewing these samples in your current house? If so, how do they look next to your furniture? If they're not in your house, bring them home. You need to be looking at them in more natural light than you'll find in a showroom.

If your furnishings are white, and your walls will be white, I would make the flooring a dark color. Nothing light.

I agree if all the rest is on the lighter side for furniture a darker floor would look nic e. If these are the only choices then the one with the least amount of grain , I do not like rustic busy flooring.

I would look at them on something that is not cool like the grey floor.

I would consider these both light tones.

Be sure to look at the manufacturer's website so you can see how the floor looks in a room. Knots and grain can end up looking like a pattern, especially if there isn't a lot of variation of the boards.

Also, I get Virgil's point about the dark floors but they can be difficult to keep clean. If there are some spaces in the house that feel off because there isn't enough contrast, a rug could solve the issue.

Thank you all! Here the pics from manufacturer

. They both look darker on those photos

Also find out what length the boards are? You want a good percentage of longer boards, but you need to look at the specs to know what you are getting.

Be aware that sample boards don't always give a good representation of what the floors will really look like. Sample boards can be old and/or new production runs can be slightly different.

If those two samples are your final two choices, then I would go ahead and order a box of each to lay out on the floor and get a real feel for the color and pattern of the floors. "Wasting" a few hundred dollars on a couple sample boxes is nothing, compared to ordering flooring for a whole house and then hating the way they look for the next 20 years!

Is this European Oak? What is the dimension of the top hardwood layer. 4 or 6mm are common. What material is the sublayer. Baltic hardwood ply is one option. What is the clear finish material. A link would help.

If you have more modern furniture, choose the less rustic one.

If you are building you have lots of other materials to pair with these floors. Now is the time to look at cabinets and counters as one of those floors may stand out more or less once compared with a fuller picture. And are you doing that floor everywhere or carpet in bedrooms? Again, lay it all out and then narrow down.

Thank you everyone.. Your comments have been very helpful!

I went by the construction site and ithey look so different there

Thank you everyone.. Your comments have veen very helpful!

I went by the construction site and ithey look so different there

Wow. Definitely not light toned at the construction site.

I know! Maybe all the gray flooring at rental where I took the first pics was throwing the colors off

Smart to see your options at the sight. The color warmth of the led lighting you get will also impact the way it looks. 3500k for example.

I would still pick the less rustic one.

It's interesting about how people talk about picking things onsite and as they go along, now.

My parents designed a house in the late 1960s, finished it in 1969, and on the day they moved in, it was fully decorated and furnished top to bottom, or about 90% so, with things picked out as soon as the floor plan and detail drawings were done. I don't think they waited until the inside finishing work was done to pick anything out. They did not want to move into a work in progress.

It's easy for a non emotionally involved designer to create a design whole. They are only worrying about cohesiveness and budget. They are not bringing emotional baggage to the selections process. Homeowners get caught up in the emotions of the choices being "forever" or other such stuff, and they don't have professional help to get them unstuck, and distanced. They don't understand that there are a lot of right choices, and do not need to search forever for THE one. That is self sabotage. IF they do hire a designer, they find it really hard to trust their capabilities, and want to throw in monkey wrenches. The most challenging part of working with homeowners is the homeowners not letting the designer actually help them. Most higher end projects do not have those challenges as those types of projects usually have homeowners who trust their professionals.

A busy, multi-colored, multi-textured floor shouts "look at me", and draws all the attention to the floor. In most instances, this is not a good decision. If it was my house I'd look for a flooring selection which is calm, quiet and supports visual emphasis on furnishings, art and other interior design items of interest, and not the floor.

I agree, I am will be looking for other options!

I am considering something like this now. Less pattern and knots. Would you think this is too washed out?

Who knows! Load up a dozen samples and bring them to the building site. I had no problem borrowing samples. I just made sure to return them as quickly as possible.

Do you have any furniture, rugs, etc. you are keeping/reusing from your previous house? That was another easy way for me to cross-off certain floors as I had several nice wood furniture pieces and oriental rugs I was keeping and it was easy to see when those clashed with the floor samples. It helped that we were renting a mile away from the building site and I had all my furniture at the rental.

IMO in most houses the more monolithic the finish of the wood floor, the more it acts as a background to what's happening on top of it, the better. There are obvious exceptions but most living areas do not support highly patterned wood floors, unless they are Victorian era or some elaborate Neoclassical design, and those are rigid patterns. A highly figured organic multicolored graining pattern is rarely good and hard to coordinate with.

Monarch Plank has a bunch of different tone options. Link.

1. SPECIES: European Oak
2. THICKNESS: 3/4" WIDTH: 9-1/2"". LENGTH: 8'
3. TOP LAYER: 6 mm Sawn Top Layer
4. TEXTURE: Wire Brushed
5. TREATMENT: Smoked & Reactive Stain (please click to learn more)
6. GRADE: Country
7. BACKING: Hardwood Lumber
8. FINISH: Bona® UV Urethane
9. GLOSS LEVEL: Ultra-Matte

Thank you all! Your comments have been very helpful! I called my builder earlier and told him I needed to see more options and needed more time. It’s a big decision and want to do it right , without feeling pressured.

I like your first options in terms of color, but would go with the more uniform, less knotty one. The newer options could look too pale with your light furniture.