I went through this exact same thing!!! After looking at both samples the "red" started to look pink to me. I'm so glad we went with brown. Are the textures the same? That was a big deal for me as well.

I like the one with more brown in it but that's my personal preference. I have heard that Birch is super soft. We have oak now and it's pretty durable but will be doing Hickory in our new build. Good luck!

My only advice is to remember that it will look darker installed than it looks with relatively small samples on light background.

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This post was edited by GauchoGordo1993 on Tue, Nov 12, 13 at 15:09

Thank you for all the advice.

Teachertile, both are considered "handscraped" but come from different manufacturers. The browner one has more sheen to me when I look at it, which I don't prefer but it's not glowing or anything.

Robynstamp - thanks for the info. Birch is softer but I believe the janka rating is around 1260 (yellow birch). I may up my budget though if I keep worrying about the softness. I would hate to install it and hate it 6 months later.

I prefer the brown. You said it has more sheen, is that something you could ask about? Is it finished differently than the red?

They're both beautiful. I like the redder one, but it depends on the rest of your colors.

I'm with Linelle. They are both beautiful but I like the red better. It looks richer in your photos.

I think I'm on the Linelle and Romy bandwagon - the redder one.

Thank you all!!! I was leaning toward the red on the way home tonight :)

My vote is for the brown.

I like both, but I think that the brown one is more on-style right now then the red

A vote for the red here. We have red harwood and it just seems to go with everything. They both look great and you won't go wrong with either one.

BUT, OMG - your coin jar brought back memories! We used to have one just like the one you have on your FP. We were so surprised when we finally had the coins rolled and it paid for the closing costs for a second house we purchased.

Perky, thanks for the red vote - I woke up this morning really wanting the red. I just love the darkness it in. I'm also considering all new white trim and doors which I think will make the red floors pop even more.

I am looking forward to cashing in the coins someday. If I go over budget too much then we may be cashing it in soon..hehehehe.

I would do brown, but I don't tend to like woods with strong red tones. Is the brown slightly lighter in color? (That would be a positive... to hide dirt.) The samples, in general, look so similar that it probably won't matter either way... Does one cost less, by chance?

In some lights the brown looks lighter but overall they are about the same. The price difference is only about $200.

Here are close ups. The browner one has bigger bevels which I'm not a fan of.

Brown-
{{!gwi}}

Brown again-
{{!gwi}}

red up close-
{{!gwi}}

I like both colors for different reasons, but the bevel would definitely kick me over to the brown.

Hardwoods are beautiful, but I hate having them in a kitchen. They take a lot of abuse with stuff getting dropped on them and you always have to worry about water damage.

We had a leak at our ice maker hookup that was quickly stopped, but it caused all of the boards around the refrigerator to cup. It took 6 months for the floor to truly dry out and the cupping to ease (eased but not totally gone). Still, it wasn't until we had the floors refinished that all signs of the water damage were erased.

Hardwoods really should not be put in areas of the home that have a water source.

I've had HW in the kitchen and powder room for 22 years without any problems. Yes, there are some dings or scratches from cans being dropped or kids riding tricycles or dogs chasing, but I'd expect that a ceramic or vinyl floor would look worse by now.

Thanks for the feedback. Our layout is pretty open. The living room runs open through the eat in area into the kitchen. I think hardwood would flow and look better overall since the area is so open. If I have problems then I can also choose tile. I have a small kitchen space anyway.

Can I ask what brands and color names apply to each sample? We recently installed a product that looks remarkably similar to the photos you shared. Ours is Bruce Birch Engineered, in golden blonde and there is a LOT of red to it. I can't seem to upload any photos at the moment due to a server problem, but will try back in a bit. Meanwhile, I do notice that it is a bit softer than I had expected, but so far, not enough to concern me - with 5 kids, a dog, a cat and husband who wears boots...

The red one is Baroque hardwood floors. The brown one is by Stonewood. Both are called "honey" in color and both are 3/4 thick and slightly under 5 actual inches wide.

I just put a deposit down on the red one! I'm so excited!

The red one is the best choice. It has a richer look.

Brown