Sorry can’t figure out how to edit, but option 3 is install now with a plan to refinish down the road, and option 4 is install and attempt to eventually like it:)

It is very nice with cool colors. Move on with your choice.

If you hate it, return it

I wonder if it will grow on you. It looks good to me!

Another option you didn't consider ... and how designers/homeowners can achieve a "perfect" look ... is to buy extra boxes and cull out the very light boards. In your sample box it looks like that would be 2 planks that are much lighter.

I've done this with outdoor stone where I wanted the warmer beige/brown ones and not the gray ones. Buy extra and get rid of the ones that don't fit into the design scheme.

You would need to open several boxes to get a better idea of what percentage is made up of light boards. Then do the math for how many extra boxes you would need to cover 2K sq.ft when you are throwing our X percentage.

I like the flooring. I would keep it and install it, and see if once you are all finished with the install, you like it better. If not, live with it 6 months or more, and then have it sanded and restained.

A is only viable if they will take it back, B is only an option if you have money to burn since you will only make less than half what you paid. I do think it’s pretty and would just Install it, possibly culling boards you don’t like.

You have 2000 sq feet of a flooring you dislike.

At even 5.00 bucks a sq foot? You have a 10,000 dollar investment in "I hate it".

I'll pray you didn't buy it online. Go back to wherever, expect at least a 25% restock fee.

Or.........install it, get the sanding guy immediately.

Or, go on Facebook marketplace and dump it. lose 5 k . That is what will happen.

Is that unpleasant? Yes, but installing something you detest is more unpleasant. At 3.00 per sq foot installation, with shoe? There goes 6k. For you hate it.

All in 16 k to bug you forever. You don't need another reason to dump it.

I think the floor is fine maybe adjust your lighting o see if that helps but honestly by the time you get all your furniture , rugs in place IMO you will be fine Waht is you wall color maybe that is the big issue.If the sample is the bottom pic IMO the actual floor looks much nicer.

It is unfortunate that you don't like the actual floor after making the decision based a sample board. With all the hot selling colors in lighter oak, it has been a real challenge for homeowners to make their wood flooring selections based on a board of few planks. As a wood flooring specialty retailer for 20 years, we face the same challenge, handling one to two returns each year and send back the unwanted batch to the manufacturers. The reason can be simple: customers don't like it and don't think it matches the sample. It isn't a fun process, but it can be done if it has to be done with a reasonable cost. Here is my advice to avoid it happen:

1. Buy your wood floor from floor store you trust. An experienced salesperson is trained to help you not only select the floor but also envision what you will get. Flooring stores usually have good relationship with each brand they show case. That means they are in much stronger position to handle returns and claims in case it happens.

2. There are many factors that can affect the final look of wood floor batch. I suggest to order a box after you set your mind on a particular floor while having the store reserve your needed sqft in the same batch,

3. Always allow yourself plenty of time to plan a wood flooring project.

@Beth Bickel,

If you absolutely don't like the floor, just tell your contractor to return it. You have to make up your mind first. Be firm. It will come with a cost but may not be as bad as you think. It all depends on how your contractor approaches his supplier and his relationship makes a difference also. Offer to buy your floor from the same supplier if they can find you what you like. Be sure to order a box first this time:)

Good luck!

To all who may pass by? Never ever order all your square footage on any flooring ready to install/prefinished anything. Order a single box for a test drive.

Stay LOCAL to your site. Online is for sweaters: ) and all else Amazon or other with simple return policies. There is nothing simple with regards to returning flooring, and that applies to appliances as well.

How does it look with your newly renovated kitchen? If it works - then keep it.

You have to mix 3-5 bundles together for a more even and balance look. You cannot decide based on a singe bundle.

Check if you can return it. For your next choice, order a box. Just one to see the mix. If you can't econimicaly return it, compare the cost of culling the boards you don't like. That adds to your material cost but you get the floor you chose without more searching.

Thanks all:) Several of you said you like the floor which helps so much because the flooring guy will let us know tomorrow if a return is possible and if it isn’t, we can at least feel a little better knowing that some think it’s an attractive floor! We’re considering the idea of buying more material to cull the unwanted boards-doing the math on that now and that would save us the hassle of having to find a new floor again. So much stress-it was harder selecting flooring than all of the kitchen materials combined. @JAN MOYER we did stay local and didn’t buy it online; our local flooring store had the sample and we were going to buy directly from them until our installer told us he could get us a better deal per SF. We bought directly from him when he said his floor colleague was able to get the better price for us. Wondering now if this person bought the flooring online though…we paid with a check and got no receipt; flooring arrived 3 weeks later. @Diana Bier Interiors, LLC or it turns out that the flooring is absolutely non-returnable maybe our installer will offer to sand/restain at a discounted rate because he did agree that the variation in planks isn’t represented in the store sample and was surprised himself when he opened the box. We don’t want to cringe when we walk in-that’s an important point. @Patricia Colwell Consulting my husband believes the same, that once we “fill the rooms” with furnishings we might not think this is such a big deal. I want to believe this so if we can’t return I’m thinking since most of the house is still unfurnished we have the advantage of being able to add pieces that will be a good fit with the floor. @Unique Wood Floors great point about offering to buy something else from the same supplier-hadn’t thought of this.

A check handed to the installer. ..............okay, shoot me now.

Up to you. It's true you are looking at an unfurnished house. But that doesn't apply to your kitchen, where every pic is located.

I'd go with my gut.

I always ask this:

If I eat this _______ dollar amount and find what I really love, and the cost of my combined boo boo is _______$

What is that over ten years if you think you will be there ten years? Or however long you think you will be there. Just simple division which usually seems a lot less tragic.

What's that number and does it change your life?

@HALLETT & Co. I just a pic of your living room on another thread and your floor is gorgeous!! That’s exactly the look we were trying to achieve. Can you share info please? Thank you:)

I'm sorry you had this experience -- there is indeed way more variation in the box than on the sample, and they should take it back without the full restocking fee! I'd feel very misled.

However, if the fates are against you, I agree that culling light boards might be enough. I'm definitely not seeing pink, nor a huge difference between the undertones of sample and box, so you're probably ok there. You might even be able to use the light boards somewhere that would feel intentional, like in your closets closets or a single smaller bedroom, such that you lose even less than you might otherwise, or have to buy less additional material. (Ideal would be under kitchen cabinets, but I'm assuming you're not in a shell at the moment!)

Good luck finding a solution you can live with. It's a pretty choice!

The other thing to always remember about hardwood is that it changes color over time. So if one sample is newer than the other, the colors may well be off - simply as a function of time.

My white oak floor today is a VERY different color than it was when it was installed ~10 years ago. Which is why I find it interesting to see people agonize over tiny shades of differences.....which are going to change over time anyway.

You chose from an aged wood sample. Not a freshly unboxed, with zero light sample. Oak ambers as it ages. It will be warm brown with more light exposure. Take a couple of boards out in the full sun, and cover one end. Even just a few days of intense sun will later the look. You will see the difference between the wrapped and exposed end.

UA floors quartersawn oak (oil finished oak floors) Yes we love them and they have held up well. https://uafloors.com/en/product/10 I didn't love that they were imported but I purchased them locally through a shop I use a lot and they have been great. Installed in 2020 at the start of the pandemic

Update: we decided to just go ahead and install the floor, hoping that by culling some boards we would have a floor that we can live with even if the tone isn’t exactly what we thought we were getting. After opening several more boxes, it seemed like the ratio of light to darker boards was about even, and we actually liked the look of the lighter planks better. This is where we’re at after day one. We like it a lot! There are some planks that read pinker than others, but I don’t think it screams pink at all. Someone above mentioned that the floor will likely morph in color over time. We knew that was true with maple, but didn’t realize that white oak would do the same. That makes us feel even better about what the floor will look like in the future, more light brown tones. Thanks SO much for all of your suggestions and feedback, it truly helped us feel less desperate and more confident that this floor might just work out after all. I’ll post pics of it once it’s done-again, thanks so much and happy holidays Houzzers!

And yes now we’re going to paint the fireplace and hoping to get a lighter sofa next year; would love to try performance fabric this time vs leather.

Thanks for the update, Beth! It looks very pretty!

It's gorgeous: beautiful and classic.

Your floors look very nice.

I am so glad that you and installer found a happy solution. Thanks for sharing your experience on Houzz. Your floor looks amazing! This will help many others make their wood floor decisions.