I did have dark stained white oak floors (still do on the second floor) and I didn't like them at them. I had them stripped in the living room and dining room and refinished with a natural oak stain and then matching oak installed and finished in the kitchen.

FWIW, I think a dark stain takes away all the character and beauty of the wood, the floor might as well be painted dark brown plywood.

We used Minwax dark walnut on our beams and I'm now considering using it on my island. It's very nice. I think if you like that colour you can make it look very nice on the floor in your mostly white kitchen. We're using natural pine floors b/c they extend throughout the house with no real boundaries.

I've heard people refer to the cabinets as floating when they are so starkly different than the floor but you can bring it together with the use of some other dark elements. What will your countertops look like?

We had dark stained hardwood in a previous home and we loved it. I was worried when we bought the home that they might scratch, show every little thing etc. We had no problems with them. They were wonderful and everyone complimented them.

We have Minwax Dark Walnut stained oak flooring. Had it in the previous home, too. It just goes with our home style (English cottage inspired), so I can't imagine anything lighter.

We have a greyhound walking on our floors 24x7. We live in the country and spend most of the time outdoors, weather permitting. I vacuum once per week. Every other week, I also go over the floors with Bona floor cleaner after the vacuum. I'm not bothered by any patina that we get. We don't have a shiny poly finish. It's matte.

My blog has photos of the kitchen. Our kitchen walls are white, even though our cabinets are sage and island is black.

However, the best photo that I can show you of white walls with dark walnut floors is our foyer stairs.

Hope this helps.
Cameron

Here is a link that might be useful: blog with kitchen photos -- scroll down

oldhome -
Get what you love!
Just know the darker the finish on hw flooring the more the dust bunnies especially will show. If you choose a low luster (satin) poly scratching will not be that evident.
Also, the best advice re: hw in kitchen area is that it should have a coat of poly applied every year - this is due to the high traffic/use in that area. It's done to protect the flooring, keeping it looking great (think traffic pattern wear). Flooring people just rough up the existing surface and apply a coat - Using any type of oil based product (i.e. murphys soap) will prevent them from having the capability of doing this. In your case it may mean doing kit & family room.

I met w/the flooring person a number of times - he was patient and good w/trying to get the right color - I think he ended up using a "watered down" version of provincial-
The provincial, early american, and dark walnut are all in the same brown family.

Kitchen flooring was new white oak, all the other flooring was 75 yo oak. He did an incredible job matching the 2 - which I did not think was possible - transition btwn the 2 is first pic

HTH - good luck

Here is a link that might be useful: minwax stains

I have a super-dark floor, almost black. We've had it for a few years now and I really love it (it's in most areas of the house except for the kitchen, which is travertine). It's hand-scraped and distressed so I don't stress about dings and scratches showing. A lot of people say that their dark floors show a lot of dirt and dust but that hasn't been my experience. But then we're a shoes-off house, so take that into account.

We have dark walnut stain throughout our house on red oak. No polyurethane, but a wax. We have dogs, guests, constant use and love them. I am not a tidy person, and they still look good.
I have ordered wide plank white oak for my new kitchen. I am not using miniwax on them. I am going with an aniline dye b/c the research has shown me that it is the best way to see the grain rather than cover it up. Then I am planning on using tung oil (real) to finish them.

I had Minwax Jacobean throughout my last house. It's darker than the Dark Walnut. The actual wood was red oak. I loved the dark stain! It gave the house a more formal feel and not once in 7+ years did I ever wish I had lighter-colored floors.
try_hard
...

As I just learned on HGTV, you can use coffee to touch up those scratches. I tried it out last weekend on a couple of gouges that I couldn't help but notice every time I walked into the room...it worked!

I love, love, love my dark wood floors--mahogany stain applied very heavily.

I'm having very dark stained wood floors in my kitchen (will also have white painted, beaded inset cabinets). Planning on a dreamy gray countertop called Pietra Bedonia. I have seen a sample of our planned wood (called something lie Ipe) and love the darkness of it.

FYI, to help control dirt and scratches showing, consider a more matte finish vs a semi gloss.

Enjoy!

I have Mahogany-look wood tile. I wanted the darker look. We love it, but were afraid of trying to match (not perfectly, of course) our mahogany doors and oak jambs. My fabulous mother in law stained our doors using the Minwax Dark Walnut. I love it! I think it is just dark enough, w/out going overboard.

Dark is beautiful!!! Go with your gut and it will turn out great!

:)

We have oak stained Dark Walnut and love it - four cats, one dog and a DH that's not a neat freak. ;) It's finished with Minwax Tung oil. I have only touched up scratched places twice in 27mths...and not that many...with tung oil on a paper towel. It doesn't show dirt as much as you would think. I have ivory travertine in the kitchen and it shows more.

{{!gwi}}

I dont ahve any experience with dark floors, but I stumbled on this photo, and remembered your thread...... :)

http://ratemyspace.hgtv.com/SNC/ViewItem.aspx?pguid=6db6be3f-1720-4ba3-a081-999042c09b6b&itemguid=8e216a81-90cd-491f-bc04-b9e724ada7cc

Thanks so much to each and every one of you for taking the time to respond to my question! You've reassured me as to the durability/upkeep (esp those of you with pets) AND the beauty of the dark wood (the pix were so helpful - your wood floors are SO gorgeous).
I'm going to go for the dark stain.
Thanks again!
Tara