https://theflooringgirl.com/hardwood-flooring/hardwood-flooring-trends/#:~:text=White%20oak%20allows%20a%20broader%20range%20of%20stain,than%20red%20oak%20%28due%20to%20its%20molecular%20structure%29. The link has a long article, but it basically says...trends for 2020. 1. People are choosing darker stained hardwood. Darker is more maintenance especially with kids. Choose between style or less maintenance. 2. Cool tones are in. Getting away from red-Browns and yellows. Going to browns with no red tones or grays. Add a touch of gray to the browns to make cooler and lighter. 3. Very dark brown floors. Use Ebony and Walnut 50/50 or Ebony and Jacobean 50/50 to get extremely dark opaque floors that hide most of the oak grain. Shows every bit of dust and footprints though. 4. To go darker, but not as dark as #3, try dark walnut, antique brown, coffee brown, or special walnut, or other blends. https://www.rocktherm.com/hardwood-floor-stain-colors-for-white-oak/ The above link shows a lot of stain testing with Minwax. Click of the link above, then click the right arrows to see the results. 25 pictures. Duraseal has a link with quite a few stain samples on white oak. https://www.duraseal.com/stain-gallery/ https://www.rocktherm.com/hardwood-floor-stain-colors-for-oak/ https://www.wideplankflooring.com/blog/three-reasons-to-love-white-oak-floors-2/ This link tells you about which white to choose. Some white oak from certain areas are not as strong as white oak from other areas. Google "stains on white oak flooring". Good white oak can last for 50 years. The color alone is worth it. Learn what red oak grain looks like vs white oak wood grain.

Sure...this looks to be an oil based finish on a wood of some sort. There does not appear to be a stain. The orange/gold tones you see are from the oil based polyurethane. Bona IntenseSeal (2 coats would probably do it...if it is allowed) then followed with 2 coats of Bona Traffic HD *should get you very very close to this colour. The 'IntenseSeal' intensifies the YELLOWS in wood...or more to the point it creates the LOOK of oil based without the oil based finish. What you are looking for is: 1. Several colour patches on your floors (3-5 = NORMAL for a refinisher to put down). 2. Each colour patched coated in ONE coat of your desired polyurethane 3. A 'control' patch of JUST the coat of polyurethane For a routine finish the above three steps are normal and are considered part and parcel of your project's price tag. That leads us to the Elephant in the room: how much were you QUOTED for this job? How many square feet do you have to deal with? Here's a hint at what I'm after. The 'average' sand/refinish (including colour swatches) is $5/sf ... including labour. That's ALL IN! Now onto the Bona Traffic HD price tags. As soon as you get into the TOUGHEST OF THE TOUGH finishes like Bona Traffic HD, you *can be looking at $2/sf EXTRA from YOUR areas 'going rate'. Yes. Bona Traffic HD is THAT much more expensive. The Bona sealants are often used in lieu of 'stains'. They can increase or decrease the colour in wood by 2-3 steps. The IntenseSeal ADDS 3 steps of depth = identical to Oil based polyurethane. Let us know the full quote for your situation and how many square feet you have. We'll tell you if you are paying too much or too little for what this 'dude' is offering.

About to refinish our red oak floors and im having such a hard time deciding! ive been leaning towards aged barrel. it is beautiful in the above pics, but I’m hopinh it isnt too dark. my stair treads are black, and i want a good contrast. the wood is also in the kitchen and kitchen will be all white. opinions, please please!

"considering medium brown/weathered oak chesnut/weathered oak" Isn't that what is in your second photo? You say "my flooring guy is pretty useless coming up with combos on his own", but it looks like your second photo shows he is providing what you are asking for. Your top photo is not "medium brown/weathered oak/chestnut". I think the flooring guy is giving you what you asked for, but what you asked for is not what you actually want. Show him your top photo that you posted here. Here are photos of chestnut stain on white oak and weathered oak stain on white oak (a much more gray finish than it sounds like you want). So you need to give your flooring guy the correct instruction of what you want, and not blame him when you do not.