Here are my current honey oak floors.

A good floor re-finisher would sample the stain colors you are interested in right on the actual floors, once they have been sanded. I have a great guy to recommend if you are in LA! Third generation running the family's wood flooring business.

The true dark form of stain colors is to pretreat by water popping first. That's how you get the true color that is labeled on the can. If, you want a lighter form, skip the water popping pretreatment. If, you want a custom color, then start cutting or mixing with colors like neautral or others.

Thanks, G&S. Based on my research, that's what I was thinking, too. I definitely want to lean lighter, so I'll tell them not to water pop. They are putting the samples onto my hardwoods at the beginning of January. I'm hopeful some of the Houzz community will have read my message and might have pictures of completed projects using dilutions of any of the colors I mentioned by then. It's good to hear others' experiences and learn as much as I can before we get started.

I do not understand what you want the floors now are yellow toned that is probably more the finish than the floors if they are white oak .So to choose a stain will need the flooring sanded then some samples tested in your space . No one can help by showing you stuff in their space .

Yes, the flooring guy thinks an oil-based poly was originally used, and it has ambered over the last twenty years. I was able to find this image on the internet that relates to diluting Medium Brown. I'm hoping some of the Houzz readers might have similar photos to share.

What's your goal for re-staining? i.e. why are you doing it - don't like the color, need to repair damage, what?

FWIW, I like the current color with all the rest of what's going on, it adds a nice warmth and complements your (beautiful) creamy white walls nicely while at the same time is visually hefty enough to stand up against the darker ceilings and room in some of the pics you show. IMO a much lighter floor isn't going to looks as good as what you have now. If you go darker (e.g. Provencial and the like), then yes but lighter = no.

I have been making changes to get rid of the 2010s Tuscan style in my home. Changing the wall color, replacing some of my dark furniture, and reupholstering others did wonders in the transformation. The next big change will be the floors. No more honey oak! I know there is a blend of stains that will work with my cabinetry but not lean orange and still look good. I just need to discover it.

Those pics are exactly what you will see when the flooring person shows you the choices in your space . I have no idea how to advise which stain in your home

Here are a few before and after images of what I've done so far. Hopefully, they will show why honey oak isn't what I’m going for. I'm hopeful I'll be able to mix up a warm light brown with no orange undertones.

You won't make red oak look like white oak, no matter what kind of voodoo staining you try to make happen.

I don't have red oak.

You don't have white oak.

The floor refinish guys were initially unsure, but after sanding a section and applying a few samples, they said white oak. I'm waiting for them to return to do the six stains I mentioned in my original post.

I didn't mean to post those additional before and after images. I meant to post this first round of sample stains, showing the detail of my unfinished wood. This time, it attached the same picture twice, and I can't figure out how to remove one. Sorry for the duplication. Attaching pictures is proving to be tricky.

Better closeups…

Red oak, and you are going to end up with exactly what you had if you aren’t careful. Dont stain it at all. Just do a water based clear coat.

Top left or bottom right. Make sure they put some poly over it so you see the true depth of the color.

I hope you guys are wrong. New white oak to lay herringbone in our dining room and staircase landings just got delivered.