IMO, if we were just looking at a floor sample, the one on the left is my favorite. HOWEVER, we are talking about a floor in a room.. so I'd choose the one on the right. My 2 cents.... Even though I prefer dark floors and like the floor on the left because it's so dramatic and interesting, we just chose a floor that is very similar to the one on the right! I have a couple of friends who put in a floor that looks similar to the one on the right, too. They have an oil finish and they are very happy. It looks stunning and shows off the real wood. They are in homes with big budgets and great designers, fwiw. Ours wont be an oil finish, but not for any good reason.. it's just not what our floor person chose to give to provide the very matte look we want. For their homes and ours, we like floor that is less formal and lighter because they are easier to live with. My designer said you want the floor to be a beautiful backdrop to your home and you don't want it to compete with what's inside (depending on your style of course). He also said that the lighter and more natural look will be more timeless. It's not to say he doesn't do dark floors, but it just depends on the overall design. He did a black floor for a friend that is stunning. Floors have been really really light lately, but the tone on the right and what we are choosing is a safer choice VS the danish almost white floors that I am nuts over. You are right, lighter go better with MCM or more causal homes. They'll hide pet hair better. Darker floors are stunning for a more formal home. As someone else mentioned, the floor on the left won't be great with walnut furniture. Too much prominent grain competing. The floor on the right, again, is a gorgeous backdrop to whatever you do. I can't imagine you getting sick of it. The nice thing is that a floor with an oil finish that shows the real wood, as mentioned, will look much better with wear and tear. When a floor is perfect, every blemish will stand out and drive you nuts. When it's wire brushed and left fairly natural, each scratch will just look like it's supposed to be there and part of the wood. We are starting out with flaws on purpose just so I don't go batty when someone drags a chair across the room :)

A couple things I’d like to add. I put epoxy grout in both my bathroom remodels. It can leave a ting of shadow in marble because it soaks in the sides of the tile. You don’t want that area to have sealer on it though so the grout can make connection with the tile. You can barely see the bleed, but it’s there. I personally love it because it adds even more depth to the marble. Here is my slate floor in a light medium gray epoxy grout. It looks almost white in contrast to the black. That’s the trick to the eye. This floor is worn hard. Farmer husbands bathroom with bad shoes. I don’t fuss with this floor except may be once or twice a year, lol. And it’s not hard. I do know that there has been some slight staining near the sink where DH stands to wash up. But it’s slight. The last time I mopped this floor was several months ago. I just sweep it. It could use another mopping I see. The right half never gets walked on, the left is the main walking path into the room. I can see a slight darling. This shower shown below, with porcelain tile, has a narrow grout line. It is a very light epoxy where I combined 2 colors to get a slight off white. No mildew or mold accumulates because it gets wiped down after the showers are done for the day by the last user. Usually it’s just me. I have not washed the walls except 2 times early on 5 years ago, because I thought I should. It is a waste of time because of the daily wipe down with a large microfiber towel. I do spend time with the shower door sweeps from time to time because they will get mildewy. The floor is a cast iron shower pan and I do clean that as typical for cast iron, but because I’m usually the only one using it, that’s not often.

Oak & Broad I haven't heard of any issues but frankly I am quite insistent on educating (aka discouraging) people who want me to do something that I know is risky. Three of those things would be 1) putting oil finish on a kitchen floor, 2) putting oil finish on a kitchen floor and agreeing to coat it with urethane later, and 3) coating urethane over an oiled floor done by someone else. That said, my Pallman rep says he's heard of people using their primer product over hardwax oiled floors successfully. Frankly I don't see where this would be a warranty issue. If a person decides they think oil finish would work in their kitchen, against most advice, it's not up to the finish company to guarantee performance when a product is used to try to remedy a mistake. Sorry if that sounds harsh but I fail to see where the finish maker bears responsibility.

Here's what I could find out about the OP's choice: Legno Bastone- Guiseppina European materials made in Europe (which explains the price tag!) 13mm thick (1/2") 180mm wide (7") 1950mm longest length (6.4') UV Cured Hardwax Oil Finish The installation instructions state this floor can be glued, floated or nailed. If nailing down, you will need to assume the use of glue-assist because of the width of these planks. A full spread glue is probably your best option (pricey as it may be). The MAINTENANCE is always what I'm after when dealing with a hardwax Finish. The manufacturer prefers OSMO products (mentions it 9-10 times in the Residential Care link) http://www.legnobastone.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Legno-Bastone-Inc-Residential-Care-Instructions-01-02-2018.pdf I ALWAYS suggest a coat of maintenance oil once the floor has been laid...just before you move back into the house. This is a common requirement for COMMERCIAL installations. The reason: these floors can look THIRSTY fresh out of the box. And if they have been exposed to remodeling activity, they can get a little worn even before you move in. To prevent owner upset, it is well worth it to have the maintenance oil put down 1-2 days before the furniture goes back in. That way you have the freshest floor finish possible. And if you are going to do the maintenance yourself, it is a GREAT TIME to have the professionals SHOW YOU what to do and how to do it. This takes all the stress out of owning oiled floors. And PLEASE purchase EVERY SINGLE OSMO item listed in the maintenance link! Get everything ready BEFORE the floor needs it! And I mean everything. That way you are READY and able when life hits the fan!