So you've already put two coats of poly? I like them matching the floor (light) as close as possible. The floor is gorgeous!

Just poly them. You don’t need stain. Gorgeous flooring!!

Hi! thank you, the house is 1906, they don’t make em how they use to! The floors were acutally covered in pink wall-to-wall carpet, if you can believe that! The 80’s was a terrilble renovation decade 😉

Answer to your question: The last two pics with stairs have no finish on them, Just bare wood. First pic is two coats poly.

You both think I should just do a clear poly? we are using water based to avoid the orange tinge you get from oil if that matters. Do you think the red oak stairs will look too red/ pink and clash with the floors?

@Flo Mangan @houssaon

@Flo Mangan ha! i just left my gray phase and entered my white phase with blue accents (hello, chantilly lace)!

ok going to do a test of natural on stairs.

thanks again.

My pleasure. Congratulations on escaping grays!! You will live white and blues. We moved into new house early spring and transformed this house out of Tuscany $$LL. Painted walls SW Alabaster. A tad warmer than Chantilly. But bright white trim. Best of luck. Post when you finish.

Your floors are lovely as is❣️

I get the dilemma. Perhaps you can get 2 pieces of the same wood as your steps and try a walnut stain and a no-stain-just-poly example. I’m torn between keeping the steps being natural with polyurethane or getting them a little darker for maintenance reasons. Steps take a beating, so unless there is a runner in their future (which doesn’t make sense with that gorgeous staircase) I would be concerned about wear and tear. But enough poly on anything is like iron, so going natural would absolutely work. My curiosity would force me to try to match the darkest line in the main floor.
And yes, your floors are INCREDIBLE! What a gift to find these under carpeting!

I could imagine a light stain to blend with the darker accents in the main floor. Provincial?

Gorgeous floors! I don't understand the cedar shakes though.

I would try Provincial, Walnut and walnut mixed with oak. I have never had my wood floors stained one color right out of the can. My floor guy and I would try several patches on the bare wood before taking the plunge for 2,000 sq. ft. I think you need to do samples to reassure yourself. That’s a lot of staircase to finish. You want it to be perfect.

@territheresa we have 3 girls, so my husband built them a little house under the stairs. the cedar is the exterior of the house 🤣 they wont be there forever.

That’s adorable! I’m sure they will love their secret “house” for a long time.

So cute and some also make doggie beds under stairs too. 🦮🐕‍🦺🐕🐩

Work with the darker colour in the in-lay. And then change banister when you want more work for yourself. Believe me, it will look beautifully coordinated until then! Beautiful floors BTW. There are many people who would kill for those (including myself)!