I wish I could show you my pictures, but right now I still have 850 sq feet of rift and Quartered white oak just waiting for me to install it. I am leaving the white oak unstained (finishing with waterlox) and getting my kitchen cabinets made from plain sawn red oak with a darkish finish so there will be a nice contrast.

How warm is the white oak when unfinished? I have heard that it tends to have a bit more "green" to it and there are no samples to look at nearby. Why did you decide to use the white vs. red? The only sample my GC had in stock was the red and there was a lot of pink but someone told me recently if we went with a quartersawn red, it would look warmer and have less of a pink tone to it. Any advice would be appreciated.

I ordered a couple of samples from Hurst Hardwoods. I got Quartersawn white oak, quartersawn maple and walnut. Unfinished, the white oak is nearly the same color as maple, but I did get select grade so there is hardly any mineral streaking in it. the color is very even and very light colored. I do not think it is greenish at all. I did coat a piece with waterlox (the finish I'll be using) and it looks great. I do think red oak may be warmer from the start, but also has the red shades I am trying to stay away from. White oak with waterlox should patina to a warmer shade once it ages a bit.

Okay, thanks for the info.

we just installed rift and quartered white oak throughout the house and finished with waterlox. the floors are spectacular. the linear grain of the WO is soft, yet varied, and the flecking of the quartersawn adds tremendous depth and beauty. Waterlox actually warms the none of the wood without imparting any noticeable color, and you can, if you like, add a little oil based stain to the first coat to add a little tint if you like.

the WO has none of the agitation of face sawn RO, and feels much finer and older somehow. I live in LA, where red oak is common, and these floors are more beautiful than anything else around. so yummy you could sleep on them.