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Hardwood floor advice needed!!

6 years ago

I just moved into a new house and am going to have hardwood floors put down everywhere except for the kitchen. The choices are overwhelming! I know that I want Oak (leaning towards European Oak) but am struggling to determine the color. Initially, I thought darker floors, but now do not think that will be a good choice. The back half of my house is pretty dark and shaded (covered patio and huge trees). I am afraid that would make it pretty cave-like. I have attached some pictures. The living/dining room (currently has the light carpet) is at the front of the house and gets a fair amount of light. I have an orange loveseat that will also go in that room. The family (room with the tile/rug with circles) is in the back and is dark. The purple couch is being replaced with a green one (similar in shade to the greenish chair with the circles). It opens to the kitchen the current tile will stay (picture showing the color of kitchen floor). All of my furniture is darker wood.

So now I think I need to go light for the floors, but am not sure what color. I hate a yellowish tone. I do like a lighter greyish tone, but am not sure that will go with my furniture/kitchen floors. Any suggestions are very appreciated. Thanks!

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Comments (4)

gregmills_gw
6 years ago
Are you going to have a site finished floor or a prefinished floor?

In either case, i suggest you find your installer and then ask for either samples to be placed on your floor (if going site finished) or ask where the best showroom in your area is to get an example of your choices)
PRO
User
6 years ago
There are some really beautiful pre-finished Oak floors that have a variety of white-wash, grey tones, bleached and lighter-looking colors. I think you're headed in the right direction with the lighter color. The dark furniture will serve as a nice contrast in the spaces, and a lighter color will give you more room to play around with your decor. If you're going with a site-finished floor, and want something light, red oak has pink and peachy undertones, while white oak has beige and light brown undertones. Oil poly is what you're going to want for durability reasons, being that you're installing throughout the home, but it will have an ambering effect on the floors, which since you said you didn't like the yellow tones, won't give you the look that you want, especially after a few years when it ambers even more.... I would look into the pre-finished options. If you decide on site-finished, make sure you find an experienced finisher who can show you bleached or white washed and grey tones for your floor (but then you'd need a water-base finish which is generally more expensive than oil based, especially for a quality one)

Good luck, and be sure to post completed pics of what you chose!

The Flooring Blog

The Couture Floor Company
Bridget P thanked User
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Bridget P
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks for the input, I appreciate it. I met with a floorer today and what he said pretty much matches up with what you wrote. Based on the samples that I have seen (I haven't liked anything) it seems an on-site finish may work best. He did recommend a water-based finished based on the colors I want (and the floors will not have heavy traffic).
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User
6 years ago
Great! It sounds like the plan is coming together nicely. I can't wait to see what you choose and the final product! Good luck! Nothing beats a brand new hardwood floor!

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