Would it be darker then straight nutmeg? Because we tried straight nutmeg and it was just a tad too dark for what I wanted for the floor stain.

. If white oak then natural is the best IMO why make it look like anything else . Of course it will look lighter in a very bright room . Too many different wood stains are already into the mix .,BTW some context would be helpful so pics of at lteast the other woods .

I think the tone is right next to your woodwork, but it may be just a bit too light for my taste.

Maybe only lighten 25%

I love this pic - the floors are lighter than the trim, but the colors are all in the flooring and they are not so much lighter that it is too harsh of a difference.

Find the color that best matches the tone of your trim then lighten.

Jennifer, that's what im thinking. The tones match the trim for sure. I want to make sure it doesn't pull orange or yellow. Because in full daylight, it leans blblonde, which I don't like. I want more depth and richness in a brown stain without going dark.

Ill have him lighten it by 25%. The straight nutmeg was a little too dark and definitely darker then the trim.

I didnt know if maybe lightening a dark walnut would look more brown then blonde/yellow?

The problem is the open grain in your oak variety. European Oak is currently used because the grain isn't as open. You don't get the dark grain. Your wood grain can be filled with light opaque color to hide the open grain.

What is your floor guy lightening the stain with? Natural will make it turn blonde. White gives it a pale aged llook and grey will give it a dark aged look.

He's cutting it with neutral. I checked with chat and it agreed about diluting it down 50% will now make it look golden oak.

When you say mixing with grey, would it make it more brown?

It recommended 60/4 special walnut and neutral to get a light brown without pulling yellow, orange, green, or pink.

Would you recommend any other stain combinations?

Ok, here are the photos.

Which do.do you like the best?

I really like #3, but I hope it doesnt look too dark next to the trim. Its really rich and hahas the depth I was looking for.

Keep in mind the original photos. Those are still contenders.

In your options the dark open grain stands out. In the unfinished floor it doesn't. Imo, eliminating that dark grain is as important and as possible as your goal of no yellow, orange or red- just pale brown. Grain filling methods include paste wood filler, water based clear grain filler and a slurry of clear grain filler and sawdust. For me, next would be a matte finish coat of Ciranova Ecofix after the sealer.

I like #1 Golden Oak. # 2 &3 looks like Golden oak also.

They are all shades of nutmeg. Just

Can you tell us what the new mixes are?

Pictures on the internet can be deceiving.

It would be easier if all three pictures were taken from the same angle with the piece of trim in the same place

Looking at the photos and cutting and pasting the trim I like #1 the best with the trim, #3 would be my second choice, #2 my least favorite, but I think you would be fine with any one of the three choices.

The problem is that cutting and pasting could just be differences in lighting and camera angle, which is why I want to see pictures of each with the trim. Preferably standing up like picture #1. Take pics of the first two as well.

#1 70% neutral 30% nutmeg

#2 50/5 neutral nutmeg

#3 30% neutral 70% nutmeg

Its hard to get all in one shot. Im trying to change the camera angle so you can accurately see what im seeing. My phone changes the darkness. That's why it seems all over the place. Plus, lighting is casting a sheen so you can't see the full picture.

Here's another shot of #1 and #2

Here's another shot of #3

Omg! I need help. So I had the guy put #3 by the stairs, the darkest one. It looks terrible! It looks yellow and orange. At this point I dont know what to do. Should I have a sample.sample.of golden pecan. Fruitwood looked too green and washed out.

HereHere's the darkest one. Its so bad!

Just putting this out there. I agree with Patricia - too many wood variations. If your baseboard trim is making your selection difficult why not paint it. The point of contact for your steps and door trim are small in comparison and can stay. That will allow you to pick the stain you like most.

SD these are the stain I like, but they were lightened. I didnt want to go dark. It keeps going golden on me till the evening.

Although not what you intended -I would try testing a mat clear varnish during the day. It would give you a modern look that might be a refreshing contrast with the more traditional tones.

Thank you for the recommendation. What about a pretreatment dye to be put down before the stain.

I don't know much about products - bleach to lighten grain and other treatments to enhance absorption and even out stain.

I like the natural wood shown in your earlier picture - it would look much richer and livelier with clear varnish.

The natural is nice, but painting the trim, staircase, windows would a massive expense. I just want a light brown. I see photos online that its possible. Also I never hear about peopeople complaining about lightlightening a darker stain and it turning golden oak on their floors..

I think you may not fully understand how light impacts the appearance of everything.

You are not alone - I see tons of design dilemmas where people paint a sample on one wall and like it and then are surprised/disappointed when the same color looks different in another room or on another wall.

If you look at the photo below you can see how different lights impact the look of the flooring

This is the same color paint on the lower and upper areas of the wall, but it appears much lighter and cooler on the lower areas of the staircase because of natural daylight.

This is another flooring example from Houzz

This is a normal occurrence, happens in every home, but when we aren't focused on the changes in lighting we don't notice it. Our brains expect colors to change with lighting and just see the room as a whole.

You also keep saying that you just want a light brown.

If you think of blue you have light blue and navy blue, with red you have pink or burgundy

when you lighten browns they are all in the yellow or orange hue family - a rich brown will be yellow or orange as you lighten it or when it has a lot of natural daylight reflecting off of it.

If you add gray you get pink or violet instead of yellow or orange.

This is an excellent article on coordinating wood tones.

https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/how-to-mix-match-and-coordinate-wood-stains-undertones/

Ok so here it is... I dont know how i feel about it. It looks good in some areas but some rooms it really looklooks orange brown.

I dont know if I should have them re sand and just do a natural coat.

Thoughts?

It looks beautiful in my opinion.

Agree -- it looks beautiful!

Thank you, I hope the amber tones down a bit. Looks different from the samples. The finish was applied less then 24 hours

I think the floor looks very nice also.

I think that you are driving yourself crazy by overthinking all of it. Trust me - I do the same thing. It can be paralyzing at times - especially when related to a large expense.

I think that you need to wait to decide whether to sand and stain again. Move all your rugs/furniture back in the rooms - and live with it for awhile.

If you still don't like it, you can always change it later - however, I don't think that you will 😉

I hope I grow to like it. I am over analyzing it for sure. Im just very

It looks beautiful, works beautifully with your trim and your fireplace. I think you will feel better once other furnishings are in place.