Thanks Katz! Wow... sounds like you are in a houseful of chaos. Congratulations! It must be a wonderful feeling being able to "move in." I can't wait! I sent you an email to whatever email address is linked here at gardenweb. One of the questions I had was in regards to the Provenza Old World Collection. That is the flooring we are thinking about. We noticed that the tung oil finish is much rougher than the urethane finishes. Have you noticed that it is more difficult to clean? We are also going to have fur babies on this floor (one of the nice things about that tung oil finish, - quick removal of scratches!), and was wondering about the fur clean up issues. I have heard that those with urethane finishes initially can't believe how much fur "floats" around, especially if they had carpet before. Now I am curious about this rougher finish. Will the fur cling to it? Is it tough to clean? I am thrilled to hear about your experience with this floor and wish you well as your finish your home. Thanks again! :)

SJ McCarthy, I do have photos of the cracking and rising floor boards. And of the spotty finish, streaks, and drips. The boards have sat untouched and unfinished in our AC home for the last nine months, and within days of the oil and water applications the cracking and rising occurred. It’s been less than ten days since the floor has been finished. The guy who did the work was the owner of a highly rated flooring refinishing company in my area. We agreed to use a water-based finish which is on my contract as Poloplaz 1k water-based floor finish with a matte sheen. When he arrive he talked me into using an oil-based product instead, stating that it would keep the natural color as it is, but also preserve the wood. I apologize for repeating myself here -- I was so fearful of the oil yellowing the white oak which I stated many times to him, but he assured me if it did yellow it wouldn’t be for fifteen to twenty years. He said he would be using a clear, natural, expensive oil-based polyurethane finish that was newly opened. I'm not sure of the brand but I do have a photo of the yellow oil drip down the side of one of the white panels around the stairs. The next day after the oil application he added the matte flat water-based finish and I absolutely know what product he used because after the second coat was applied I followed him out to his truck voicing my concerns about the color/finish of the floor and he showed me the container… Bona Traffic HD extra matte. That’s when he blamed the product for the streaky look of the finish. He said he doesn’t like using this Bona product for quality reasons but because I insisted on a matte finish he didn’t have a choice. He said he could use a different product but it would leave a shine and not have the matte look I wanted. Thankfully the guy did not apply the 'natural poly' over the factory finished Shaw floors. My contract with him states that he would apply it over the entire dining area, and I was charged for it, but at the last minute the decision to not do it was made. The guy is not affiliated with my general contractor because I wanted to hire a flooring ‘professional’ who truly understood hardwood floor finishes. I was incredibly anxious and very select about what I wanted in the finish and it took me a while to find and then trust someone. Unfortunately I paid him in full. Contractors, here at least, are allowed to have a lien against your home if you withhold payment and because I'm not familiar with what that truly means legally for me, as the homeowner, I paid. Thank you for your information regarding an inspector from NWFA -- it's a great idea and I will most certainly make a few phone calls. Recent research has informed me that an oil-based polyurethane needs to cure for at least two weeks to 60 days before adding a water-based finish, do you know if that statement is true? And if so then the pro not waiting for the curing time before applying the water-based finish likely and knowingly voided the warranty on the Bona product -- he's been in business a long time so he would know. Also, is a natural polyurethane the same as an oil-based polyurethane? I'm just making sure I understand everything before speaking with an inspector. Thank you so very much for your advice and time, SJ McCarthy, I really appreciate all of your help.

@lv2plyglfgal No...I have not tried those products..just the Bona Naturalle. My goal wasn't to get totally unchanged raw look, but to find a product that gave a slightly fumed look like my inspo picture below, that could also be protected by poly if necessary, and find a protective coating that did not alter the colors. The Pallman's white came close, as you can see from picture above, but it looked too pink on larger sample. Apparently, certain character grades of white oak can include a small percentage of red planks. I did like the sample I have of a board with a bit of reactive stain and poly, but it did have a tint of yellow from the Bona. I started this process months ago and totally went down the rabbit hole trying to figure out how to achieve this look below without spending a zillion dollars, Lol. We even literally fumed some planks ourselves. Rubio's Monocoat smoke was nearly perfect in appearance, but it just has too many reported issues and no poly coatings that the company "recognizes" as adhering. The Ciranova Unico did the same thing with better protection options,etc.. I'm also testing options for my cabinets, stains, waxes, etc.. There is a woman who wants what you want...here is a link to her blog keeping white oak(if that is allowed here.) When you start testing, I'd love to see your results; we can narrow things down without each buying everything..LOL...my DH would rather me spend 100s now to help decide rather than thousands later if I hate what we did. But the biggest issue I have had is replicating results on larger samples...(Oh, and PS, apparently the Fortico is much easier to apply that Bona. You do not need a Phd in flooring...)

@Natalie: While you may only be doing one project at a time, you need to have an overall future plan so you don't wind up with a patchwork approach. You posted a Design Dilemma just for the floor. Seriously, that's not how good design works. If you have a limited budget, many on here have given you answers that work about those floors: Keep your beautiful floors as they are. That will save you a lot of $$$. Use the savings to get professional advice on how to create a palette that works with those floors for future furnishings, art, gorgeous rugs, cabinet colors. Do you really need to replace the cabinets at all? Are they in good shape already? You could paint them or reface them if you want something lighter--far more affordable than getting new cabinets. Again, a color consultant could help you. Do some Houzz and Google searches for "kitchen Brazilian cherry floors" and you'll get many inspiration photos. Choose some that seem to work and share them with a color consultant who may agree or offer alternatives you may not have thought of.