Lhutch, my contractor advised me to do floors last because we were removing a wall (so flooring had to be repaired there) and there was also some damage to the floors during cabinet install (little nicks etc). There was a good amount of dust from kitchen work too, so I’m glad we didn’t do the floors first. Michelle, I hadn’t even thought of that—will definitely do that. Thank you!! anglophilia, I have no problem with the baseboards, they’re fine to me. I don’t like the look of the stained trim, and have always had the white trim. Cole Man, the baseboards are definitely replaceable but again, it’s a significant cost to do so. This guy was certainly not the lowest bidder and I’ve worked with him before, he’s not a fly by night contractor or anything...and he says he doesn’t routinely remove trim or shoe molding. I didn’t even think of it until recently so didn’t think to ask other bidders. At this point just want floors sanded and stained properly and the trim to not look like garbage when it’s all done. I hate that you cannot just trust the workmanship of people anymore...you have to be 5 steps ahead and micromanage them to make sure you’re asking the right questions and getting the right results. I thought I did my due diligence, the guy wrote a detailed proposal, etc but I wouldn’t have known to ask about trim...that’s why I hired a professional. But that’s a different post. :-)

From the images I found online it looks like an English Chestnut or red oak with multiple coats of poly on top

You can mix colors together for a custom match. I would add a little ebony filler to white oak filler.

You don't want to pick the floor color in isolation. It has to work with the elements you are not going to change. Are you keeping the wood beams? Are you keeping the exposed brick? Are you planning on painting? Do you already own furniture that you will be using long term or will you be buying new in the next few years? I suggest using some online or phone apps where you can upload the picture of the room and change flooring materials - test different looks in your room and decide what color you are aiming for. I think that the wood beams and red brick make your space unique and wonderful, so I would use that to plan the rest of the space (flooring stain, paint colors, furnishings), but you need to decide what you love and how to make it work in your home.