Always a problem when you change materials from a previously done floor area. However, if you hire an experienced floor person and explain what you want done, it can be done, 'cause I've done it many times. If you go with waterborne polyurethane, specify Bona DriFast oil-modified stain...it is basically a thinned out oil base polyurethane...it will give you that oil color. The staining process with emit fumes, but they dissipate quickly, and when dry overnight and once you cover with the waterborne polyurethane, you will have little or no odor from any of the materials after seven days. Top coat with BonaKemi Traffic polyurethane and you will have an attractive and durable result. There are other brands and systems to get the same results...your floor person may have a system that he or she has experience and success with. The DriFast stain product claim is that it can be coated after a two hour dry time...I never do that. Overnight drying is best IMO. The commercial grade waterborne polyurethanes are the most durable wood finishing products being used on a regular basis today. I have never had to recoat any of my waterborne jobs. The gloss level should be chosen to come close to that on your other floors...or you can specify that the entire floor area receive a coat of the finish product and then it will all match in gloss level. Be aware that you will have to protect the floor from the dog's nails...nothing will resist the minor scratching and denting that can happen. Some do better than others, but the general concensus is that you will see wear and tear from the pooch. Keep fido's nails trimmed regularly and you should have little problem with that. Don't waste your time or money on cheap, consumer grade waterborne polyurethane.

I've had their tavern-grade walnut, hardwood in my home for about two years now with two cairn terriers, no kids. We wanted a distressed look so any marks from the dogs wouldn't show as much. Scratches from their claws haven't gone very deep and it has been vomited on once or twice but I was around and therefore cleaned it immediately with no marks. Fluids do bead and we haven't been overly protective of it and it looks like new and feels great underfoot. I just got some stain today from Coswick though because in the spots where my boy lays in front of the stairs and the sliding glass doors the stain has actually come off over time and there is a little plain wood floor showing.

Pillows can be done in a TL, but do two at a time to maintain balance, DELICATE cycle, and agitate for only MINIMAL times to avoid thrashing them too much. Let the machine run for a minute or two, then shut it off for some soaking, repeat several times as indicated by how dirty are the pillows. You'll also need to manually rearrange them, and smush them down to get the air out. Feathers/down MUST be dried THOROUGHLY or it'll mildew and STINK. Dry on LOW heat, through several cycles of 40 mins or so at a time until you are SURE they're dry completely. Tennis balls can help. I don't have any feather pillows (although I've washed a friend's down comforter several times), but I occasionally wash my poly-fill pillows, they come out nicely. My Calypso toploader works very well for pillows, it showers water over the items and has a bouncing wash plate instead of an agitator.

Before adding any product to the entire wall as a backsplash became "a thing", most backsplashes over countertops were a single four or six inch high row of tile w/rounded top edging either on the tile or separate rounded trim piece. Wall tile was usually reserved for behind/above/around the stove. The wall above that four or six inch row of tile was painted or wallpapered, enabling easy hanging of trivets or spice racks or bars with hooks for cooking spoons, etc., so, if you're undecided about your backsplash but, short term, want to protect the wall from any spills, you could always go with that retro idea -- something which would be easier and less costly to replace than a mistake made because your hurried the process.