Have you looked on craigslist? We purchased a reclaimed mantle and shelves from this website. Here is a link that might be useful: Elmwood

We would like to use reclaimed wood for a floating vanity in our basement powder room similar to the photo below. We visited a reclaimed lumber and architectural Salvage yard and found a piece of wood that would work for our desired 36 inch x 22 vanity top (it could be less than 22). However, when the owner showed us how lightly sanding and applying tung oil which he recommended looked, we no longer liked the color. It was very dark with orange/amber tones. We loved the way the wood looked without the oil but we know it needs to be protected from water stains, etc. I feel like I am at ground zero again and my contractor will need something from me ASAP. Does anyone have any suggestions?

If you insist on the lighter flooring, then I would go with the slightly darker version (the one on the left in the last photo). Are you keeping the brick? If you are, the slightly darker wood floors are a better compliment than the super light wood. If you are removing the brick and rebuilding the stairs, then you will want to find out if either of the vinyl floors have stair treads and nosing available. People who have used vinyl that does NOT have treads/nosing found their BIGGEST headache comes from trying to find a solution to this problem. As for your darker wood floors, they look (just one photo with one chip out of the wood) like they could be ready for a sand/refinish. If they are, I HIGHLY recommend doing the hardwood FIRST...and then choosing the fake-wood look product for the den. You might find a good colour match can be had if your red oak hardwoods can be sanded and refinished as 'raw' = the colour of the planks you want to use. How old are your hardwood floors? If the finish is very close to 20 years old, they are ready for a full sand/refinish. It is always advisable to figure out the BIG ticket item before you try to figure out a small ticket item. And if you are refinishing the hardwood, why not add more of the same??

I love the reclaimed wood beams in our new home but they appear to have been faded by the sun overtime. I want the wood to look richer, hydrated, and true to its original color. Can I just put linseed oil on it? Or do I have to sand first? I don't want to lose any of character from the reclaimed wood so I'm nervous about sanding.