Definately Owens for several reasons. Very thick wear layer and much longer lengths. In fact if you wanted all lengths over four foot you could add an extra 15% on the order to cull out the two and three footers. Lenths up to eight feet, which is extremely rare in engineered. It's also not easy to find those kind of lengths in common solids as well. Owens is an unfinished product. People will be in awe when they see the final result. Pictured is a white oak select.

For that price point, I heard good things about UrbanFloor. There is also a local manufacturer here in Cali, whom I am purchasing flooring from, that has great knowledge of the industry, products, and has an excellent line of flooring himself. Message me if you want their info, and you can talk to them and see if they have something you like.

My subfloor is not slab so I can do either. I had originally thought of doing solid, so I could refinish them, but I have a budget of $5/SF and this Bruce solid is the only one in my budget that is 5 inches wide. Alas, reviews of their solid floors seem quite poor, although I have not read any reviews specifically of their Kennedale line, which the store salesman tells me is very high quality. I have read that the engineered is better for wider planks. So that is one consideration. I also read that the Shaw finish is very durable and scratch resistant. I am hoping to buy a Roomba and have that sweep up every day, keeping dust to a minimum. The darker wood really sets off my white cabinetry well, somI prefer to go as dark as I can allow. Doesmany one own a Roomba and can speak to how well those work?

qam999, we do have wood in living room that runs in the direction of hallway (direction of front door to back door, vertically if you will, in the sketch above). g&s, when you say length of room do you mean perpendicular to the direction of hallway? This means putting the wood parallel to the exterior wall by the front door and not the hallway?