I think the determining factors will be .... the added expense, your design style, the colors of your furniture. If you leave the way it is, you would just need to repeat the same darker color and lighter wood tones in the nearby spaces. I don't think the floor necessarily has to match, but should repeat in color on other furniture or accessories.

I would definitely stain both to match either way. If the house is already dark then go for the lighter color. The color of the treads is popular and looks great with the white trim. Gotta match tho!

You could work around it with the suggestions LB Interiors has made, but overall, I agree with Creekside Homes. The stain on the stairs and the wall color look real sharp with the white trim. Stain the floors to match to stairs.

Christi, on behalf of Thos. Baker

Thanks! The darker treads match the original hardwood upstairs, so if we make a change will likely stain the floor to match rather than the opposite.... Only concern is if the darker stain will darken the house... Lots of bright natural sunlight that seems to work well with the lighter floors

The darker the floors, the more dust shows up. I would actually sand and paint the stair treads, perhaps in light to mid grey paint. Then leave the light floors as they are or even sand and refinish in a satin finish clear lacquer.

Every space needs a touch of black, so that may provide a nice way to transition between the flight floors on the first floor and the darker ones upstairs.

Thank you!

Our pleasure! We enjoy these types of challenges. :)

Stain the floor to match the treads and the upstairs floor so the house has continuity. If you have a light downstairs floor, black on the staircase and a darker upstairs floor it will look willy-nilly.

HI -- I think they should match. The only time the stairs could be different than the floors ,is if the stairs are painted . You could get away with the difference if you are putting a rug runner on the stairs.

I will add to my other comment. I think if you can handle the expense, the same color flooring is a better solution for continuity only.

If the expense is a big consideration, it is not necessary to match both levels. Dark floors on another level will not detract from the lower level being a light color. There is nothing in design that says that both levels need to be the same. It is a matter of comfortability, preference, budget and personal taste. Try to decide on the priority for your solution. There are no absolutes. It is a difficult decision when you have all this to consider : )

Again, I agree with LB Interiors. But in all honesty, it would make me sad if those gorgeous stairs were to be painted or carpeted. If you've got the budget for stripping and re-staining and continuity is a priority, go with that. If you're having a difficult time coming to a decision, it might be worth asking a realtor if continuity adds value to your home or if it matters one way or another. Most people recognize the value in wood flooring and if I were looking at a home, continuity would be important to me. Not that you're planning to sell your home anytime soon -- but it still might be good information to have!

Christi, on behalf of Thos. Baker

Agree with LB.

I'm with LB on this one. If staining the lower level will make the house "too dark" then this is the answer to the question. A carpet runner will allow the two floors to work together - for now. The darker tread is beautiful against the white...but that shouldn't be the deciding factor.

Another question - how long before the "upstairs" flooring needs to be refinished? If the refinishing of the upstairs floors is just around the corner (in the next 5-7 years) then I would wait until the refinishing of the upstairs/stairs before making a decision on what to do "everywhere".

There is nothing worse then going through the expense of "matching" one level to the other...only to find you have to change out the original level because it is time to have the floors refinished. It means double the work and double the expense...Try to do everything at once so the floors are on the same "schedule".

Until then...runners on the stairs will work well.

Cancork Floor has other very good questions to consider. All those questions need consideration. It is difficult for sure. Future desire? How long will you be in the home? You may expect to be in this home a short time or a very long time, but our lives and plans can change, one never can predict our future. The best answer and preferences for most - is same floor color.

I would hate to say to myself " I wished I had ....
- done all the floors the same when finances permitted
- prepared for possible 'resale' whenever
- really want the same color throughout
- restain the floor that is my preference for color, plan to do other floor at a later date

I say this because "I had wished' ........
I waited for the finances to have window treatments in the design style and fabrics that I preferred ... but instead opted for a lower budget decision and always 'hated' the 'new' window treatments that lasted way too long. I won't make that mistake again.
Hope this helps!

You're getting excellent input from pros who appreciate the dilemma of having to make a major remodeling or spendy design decision. While it's important to create an environment that makes you feel comfortable and happy living in your own home, it's always wise to consider how choices will affect the future, which as LB has pointed out, can never be predicted!

Having remodeled homes that I knew I would eventually sell down the road, I made decisions that not only could I live with and enjoy, but keeping in the back of my mind what I knew would appeal to potential buyers in the future. That played a role in being able to sell my home when I was ready, with no "issues" that could be used as bargaining tools against the asking price. I'm not suggesting that decisions be based on the needs of a "future unknown person," but that your best interests should always be at the forefront.

Christi, on behalf of Thos. Baker

In reading over the previous comments I think I notice that no one has asked in what era your home was built? You mention the "original hardwood" upstairs, and I notice the relatively thick trim around your door/archway, which leads me to believe that your house may be older or historic? If so, I would worry less about the woods matching. I live in an area where almost all the homes were built from 1910-1935 and it is quite common for the downstairs to have a different hardwood finish (and often a different hardwood species) than the upstairs. Sometimes the risers on the stairs are finished in the lighter color and the treads the darker one; sometimes the risers are white like yours and the stairs either match the downstairs or the upstairs wood. In any case, the two wood tones in your house look quite beautiful together. If and when either the upstairs or the downstairs floors need to be refinished for other reasons, and if you do not like having the two different tones, then you can refinish in a lighter or darker stain for consistency throughout. But I wouldn't worry about it. People who buy historic homes usually love as many original features as possible and are tolerant of different wood tones as long as they look beautiful together. Our first house was a 1918 Craftsman with three different wood species used on the floors, all original. It looked fabulous.

The home was built in 1940. The original hardwood is upstairs and presumably on the treads. The hardwood on the downstairs was newly installed within the last 2 years by the previous owners- I am guessing that prior to that the original first floor hardwood may have matched but am unsure and that the owners made the change to lighten it up. Does this change the previous input? Thank you for your help!!

It doesn't change my previous input, even though the first floor wood is new. I still think you shouldn't worry about this unless it bothers you, and even then you should wait until the floors on the first floor need refinishing for other reasons (like wear and tear). In installing the new hardwood downstairs the previous owners chose a color that complements the tone of the stairs (and since lots of wood stains don't look good next to each other, I think this is important to note). So darken the floors only if you want to, and don't do it until you need to refinish anyway. At least that's what I'd do, having lived the last 30 years in older houses with interesting details that I wouldn't think of changing.

Don't be over confident that the wood specie installed recently, the stair treads, and original on the 2nd floor are all hardwood. Even if they are, different hardwood specie take stain differently, and (ie.) old red oak will take stain differently than new red oak.

They don't have to match. I prefer darker stairs and lighter floors. And true…darker shows dust much more.

I love the stain on the stairs....can you tell me what color stain it is?