Thank you for the info.! Are you saying that the Bona Nordicseal should only be applied by a professional? It seems so hard lately to get anyone for smaller jobs. Have you heard of Ciranova? It looks like it may do the job I am looking for also.

Also, I am pretty set on doing the stairs as well, but doing white risers to break it up…I am ok without a perfect match, I think it adds character, just don’t want a clash, you know? Another QUESTION along those lines, the board that the balusters are mounted to on the bottom, originally I wanted the white oak but on the same vein as not clashing I thought going with a white one would also allow for less clash or finish comparison between the lvp and white oak. I can say this lvp has amazing graphics and the color/tone is a near perfect match. The trick will be to seal the white oak without changing the color too much.

Contractors are hard to come by now. You said "bedrooms", so don't know how large the job is. No, I have not heard of Ciranova.Doesn't mean it is not good.

You can also choose to bleach the floors first.

If you want to try this yourself, you can do some research and experiment. I just recommend a professional who knows what he is doing for best results.

I am confused on what you are saying about the bottom step. To me, finishes that are slightly off from each other don't work.

The lvp will be entire downstairs, stair treads and upstairs hallway. The real white oak is only newel posts and handrail…
Here’s a photo comparison of a white mounting board and white oak…not sure what the technical name is, it’s where the balusters are directly mounted at the bottom.

In both these examples the woods don’t perfectly match and it still looks good. Though I am going for a lighter white oak finish.

Oh, I see. What balusters are you going with? What other wood tones and finishes are in the home?

Black 3/4” round balusters, drilled directly into rail and mount board for a minimal look. Here’s a pic. of the room off the staircase. I use neutrals in most my permanent furniture. Keep in mind the flooring will be a modern/clean white oak…Paradigm Conquest Windsor, Tower or Chateau. Deciding soon.

First photo is room off staircase and the. Further into the house kitchen and nook

You would NOT need to bleach to achieve a decent match. Either Bona NordicSeal or NaturalSeal would likely get the color you want, followed by a clear non-yellowing urethane like Mega One or Traffic. Since it's stair parts a decent painter should be able to do this though they might have other materials that would achieve the same result.

Okay. It is really hard for me to say exactly how a particular seal would turn out. I recommenda a professional to help you the best.

Or you could experiement on a part of the newell that is not seen.

Thank you all for feedback. Am I to understand I need a professional to apply the Nordic products? I got a bid for a stain and it was $700, to stain 2 posts and two handrails…that is just over the top for me to pay. I am really wanting to do something I can apply myself. Iam even considering literally not using white oak in the railing at all to avoid all the stress of perfecting something I will only ever do once.

I would try to contrast by doing all white or using a darker tone and then reoeating the darker tone elsewhere in tne house.

Ok, that’s an idea…what about keeping the matte black round balusters, painting the handrail black and the newel posts white? I have already order my balusters and want the masculine edge they bring to the white walls….I am afraid if I go with white newels and handrail with black balusters it will be too “farmy”…?

This is a collage art app Inuse to cut and paste things for a general visual…this is the look I was trying to describe. This would be a lot easier then trying to stain white oak to match white oak lvp…

If you want to keep the black balusters, I think either of these 2 would look good. Will not look like "farmhouse".

Ok I think I could enjoy one of these. I am drawn to the white with black balusters, minimal and sharp. Thank you!

I agree. Youre home has touches of black, but it is not dominant. Your trim is white. Painting the trim on the stairs white and only the balusters black would work well.

Thank you!

Nora, I am trying to achieve the same look on my cabinets as you are on your floor and stairs. I love the white quarter sawn oak unfinished but any clear coat makes it look too dark. Have you tried the above advice yet? I’m wondering if it would work on cabinetry as well? The white stains are not what I’m looking for either

Sorry this is so delayed! I will respond in case this helps someone else…in order to match the raw white oak to my Paradigm Tower LVP in Windsor, Iam doing a roughly 15 minute whitewash and then following with a combination of general finishes (all General Finishes products) water based stains to get my tone match. Anyone could successfully do a white wash over the wood to lighten it and then a very quick on and off application of whatever tone needed to “match”….then using the flat out flat water based top coat…this should never darken or yellow.