Our finish carpenter, who is also a GC, insists that doors be done first, door trim put up and then a special saw is used to get the trim tight over the wood floors. The doors framing is part of the framing and should not sit on top of the flooring. Baseboard should be put on top of the wood floors because you need to hide the expansion joint. Lots of times things are done a certain way in construction because it is easier and quicker, not better.

I don't see anything wrong with your idea as long as the lighter color stain is a complimentary shade that blends well with the flooring and everything else going on in the house.

When it comes to hardwood, trends are something to ignore! Why? Because hardwood is pretty much a lifetime purchase, and unless yours is damaged in some way, you're probably not going to replace it. So, light wood vs. dark wood, wide planks vs. narrow planks -- that stuff's all going to come and go. With that in mind -- as well as the very real concerns about cleaning dark wood -- I'll vote for a nice, neutral midtone every time. Not too much contrast, not too red, and (unless it's a beach house) not too pale. I think this is the wood that's most likely to give you good service and stand the test of time.

I don't know what to say. The idea that anyone would consider junking oak trim and replacing it with MDF (a fancy name for thick cardboard) is completely alien to me. So is "the wood grain will show through and look bad." It wasn't all that long ago that manufacturers of builder-grade doors and trim were embossing faux wood grain texture into the surface of their "products" so they'd look like painted real wood instead of Masonite -- flat compressed glue and sawdust. But then, I'm kind of old. :) It's interesting to see this change in taste. I may be missing something, but it seems to me that people now seem fine with -- even aim for -- a smooth, even, plastic-like solid-color finish for trim, cabinets, even walls and ceilings. Wood is out, paint is in. Homeowners who can't replace their finished natural wood paneling, cabinets, and trim ask how to paint them. Years ago, probably in the late 1960s or early 1970s, I read an article that mentioned how new, cheaper building materials have always tried to imitate the old, expensive ones. (Besides interior trim, another example of this is wood-textured vinyl siding.) The author said that eventually decorators appreciate and use the new materials for their actual native characteristics. I guess it's happening.