@breezy_2 I know this post is from 13 years ago, but I wonder if you were able to resolve your situation and how?

Gel stain is not a panacea for imperfect sanding. In addition it's not a good idea to leave excess stain on the surface. I would hand scrape and sand an area where the finish wasn't completely removed and see if another application of stain on that spot made it blend. Start with one in the lower left of your picture. It might be necessary to tape off individual boards or groups of boards when re-staining. Another option would be to apply a coat of poly then do a glaze/faux finish touch up on top of the poly.

White washing a wood (pine) that has TREMENDOUS amounts of tannin (the colours that make wood the colour of wood) in it can lead to a floor that loves to turn PINK. Heart wood pine is extremely valuable. It is rare...and it is expensive. Especially if it is wide plank. We will need a photo of the floor, and not the banister. I personally would look to a white table rather than changing the colour of the flooring. If you want to cool down the flooring, you might want to look at changing to a water based finish rather than an oil based finish. The ORANGE comes from the oil or solvent based polyurethanes. These cheaper oil based products (the things that stink up a house for 30+ days and cause migraines) naturally turn orange. If you coat a piece of white paper with them, it turns the paper orange. We call this 'ambering'. Before you look at white washing, please look at using a water based polyurethane from Bona or Loba. These finishes are clear and COLOURLESS. That is to say, the colour of the RAW WOOD will be maintained. They will NOT turn orange. It is possible that this is all you are looking for. A classic Scandinavian Modern home has natural wood toned floors and white walls with plenty of glass and chrome. The furniture is then used to add colour. The Scandinavian wood is often finished in the water based finishes simply because it is illegal to use the oil based finishes in Europe. Indoor air quality is heavily regulated in Europe...which means most of the N. American products are impossible to buy over there. Go ahead and find some 'raw' wood used for your floors. See how you like that colour. A water based finish WILL keep that colour. I would prefer that over a pink floor.

Also - I agree with you - I think changing out the lighting will make a big difference. Maybe you could start with that, and then if you want more of a change, evaluate then? Perhaps something with a slight greenish hue could work well with the granite + provide a nice contrast with all of your wood. Also -- I love the contrast in your bookshelves with the wood + white, plus the way you've organized them. It really looks beautiful and warm/inviting.