Tons of natural light, 8’ ceilings, brown leather furniture...... Gray? Taupe? Tan? Green? Help!

mark_rachel, that is what I told my husband! And, Oak & Board, I've been studying this off and on for at least a year. You are one of my favorite commentors. I have learned a lot from you. Both of the samples are solid hardwood not engineered. KD is pleased with the quality of the floor and barely there bevel. Haven't seen a white oak floor yet in Michigan. Well aware of matching existing flooring of which we have none. Need a little more visual interest than the white oak. Considered natural hickory and I think it is too much for me. In my area, everyone is used to red oak. Boring Detroit area suburbs. Not a high end home.

Agreed with the above. For fairly priced change. I’d paint the risers and balusters white. If you want to up the game a drop you can add a runner And for the wrought iron- you will have to do a lot of it. Also at the top of the stairs by the railing in the hallway. So it’s a big project. It is expensive. Not so necessary. But it would look nice :)

I would not use a really dark stain (Jacobean, Espresso) - too hard to keep clean. I would not use a gray/weathered stain - will scream "Gray Trend" in 5 years. I really like to see some contrast with white walls, so I would go for a medium dark wood stain. Beyond that, you really need to test the stains in your home. Don't forget to test with your current wood furniture as well as the wall color. You want your furniture to look good with the flooring not match the flooring. Here is a great blog post from someone who had to pick floor stain and walks you through her process. https://decorhint.com/hardwood-floor-stains-on-red-oak/