Maybe a muted color with pattern? I like the blues in the pillows.

Anyone?

I recommend waiting until the floor receives it's final coat of finish. Maple has a LONG history of darkening when it ages. Sigh. I hope someone told you that. Anyway, maple is photosensitive. That is to say it gets darker and stronger in colour as it is exposed to sunlight/UV light. And that includes any light source (light from bulbs will take a little longer to turn bright yellow...but it will still happen).

Right. Now that you know, you really should wait as much as 6 months before putting down an area rug over newly finished maple. This will allow for two things:

1. You will have a STRONG understanding of how your furniture works with the floors/fireplace and lighting in your space.

2. It allows the floors to darken evenly. If you put down a rug too soon, you will find you have a rug-sized patch of VERY pale maple...surrounded by a strong 'margarine yellow" colour.

Even if you work with a water based polyurethane (aka "clear coat") your floor is still going to turn margarine yellow. There is only one way to keep the floors a blonde wood tone: A UV blocker added to the polyurethane. The expensive names in floor refinishing systems have this but the regular (ie. cheap) finishes do not (or not that my research has shown).

Loba produces a product called UVProtect which is an additive that prevents as much as 90% of the discolouration that maple is known for.

If you wish to avoid the colour change, you will need to speak with your refinsher very, very quickly. Regardless, you will want to wait at least 6 months before throwing down an area rug. Which means you have plenty of time to find something.

We used three coats of a water based finish. I'm aware of the color change but I can't wait six months without a rug. I think matching the rug to the furniture pieces and accessories should be enough for now.

I'm glad you were aware of all the pluses and minuses of maple. I still will tell you - as any flooring professional worth their salt SHOULD tell you - wait as long as possible to put the rug in place. Maple is very sensitive to light. You don't want to kick yourself a few years down the road for rushing the rug placement. It really isn't worth it.

If you were my client, I would actually write that down as a caveat and have you initial that you understand the implications of putting a rug down too quickly over:

A) freshly finished floor (still needs 2-4 weeks before rugs can be added)

B) a freshly refinished maple floor.

I have sold cork to people for many years. The exact opposite is the problem with cork. It fades. And it fades QUICKLY (it can lose all it's colour inside of a summer). I always recommend waiting 6-12 months before putting down area rugs over such a reactive floor.

The choice is yours. It is your floor. It is your home. But ask yourself this question:

How will I feel in 1 year when I want to rearrange the rug/furniture only to find a BIG BLOCK of pale blonde wood in the middle of my bright yellow maple floor?

For those of us who know and love (and accept) wood's quirks, we are OK with this (a little annoyed but totally fine with it). For anyone who has a perfectionist side to themselves (many people do...that's fine...nothing wrong with that) This large rectangle of swedish blond wood is going to be VERY upsetting.

As I always say, "Homeowner, Know thyself."

How old is the finish?

The last coat was done two days ago and I have a fan going ever since. I was hoping to put a rug in about a week.

Thank you ladies. Those are very pretty. The couch has more of a beige/yellow tone and the chairs are a muted brown. I’d like to add blue as an accesory.

Please wait the full 4 weeks before putting down an area rug. There is nothing worse than gluing your rug to the finish. I've seen it happen. It is a horrifying event. Not only does it ruin your rug, you ruin the finish underneath and require another expensive fix for the floor.

When finish is soft, it allows things to 'sink' into it. Once sunk, the finish hardens AROUND and TO the item. Kinda' like painting a window shut. You have to damage both the finish and the item to get it unstuck. Imagine peeling the rug off the floor and ripping the finish off with it (exposing a rug-sized patch of raw wood underneath = expensive lesson).

I've seen dog beds inbedded into a water based finish even after the 10 day cure time had expired. Soft coverings really should be 1 month after the final application.

SJ. Thank you for the heads up. I will definitely wait the 30 days before putting down my area rug. When do you think I should put in my couch, chair and coffee table? I’m using felt pads. I’m on day three of drying. I left my ceiling fan on and today I opened the patio doors to let fresh air in. This is how it looks now.

It will depend on the product used, how many coats applied and the interior temperature/humidity range during the cure time.

What was the product used? If you look up the application instructions it will tell you how quickly you can walk on it, add furniture and add area rugs. The furniture usually requires 95% cure rate whereas the rugs required 100% cure.

Felt pads are great...except they can get stuck in the soft finish. Be aware of that before moving back in.

All of this rests with the finish.