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.

Choosing the right flooring type isn't enough for your living condition. You will have to consider the types of cut: flat sawn, rift and quarter sawn, quarter sawn or live sawn. Quarter sawn and rift & quarter sawn will be best choices, because expansion and contraction is along the thickness of the wood. You will need climate control all year round. 70 degrees at 40 % relative humidity is where you want to be throughout the year. The use of a humidifier/dehumidifier will be needed year round. Although, engineered flooring is more stable than solid. Using the wrong wood specie in your living condition can run the risk of de-laminating with engineered wood. If, the top veneer is more or less stable than it's core and backing. You will experience de-laminating in extreme humidity swings. Take in account of what the engineered flooring is constructed of: mdf or plywood. The width of the flooring will account for how much expansion and contracting also. 2 1/4" strips are the most stable. As you go wider, expect to see more wider seasonal gaps. Proper acclimating is critical, should be performed with a moisture meter. For 2 1/4" strip flooring , sub-floor and flooring moisture should be within 4%. For all other widths 2% moisture differentiation is allowed or should not be exceeded. Don't forget proper expansion gaps, which is the thickness of your flooring, example: 3/4" thick = 3/4" gap. Sub-floor type and condition will affect the performance of wood floors. All this needs to be considered for the proper and successful performance of your wood floors.

What's your counter top? As much as I love the look of blue slate up against a wood floor, it would look weird if it is the ONLY punch of blue/gray in the entire kitchen. If in doubt, look to your counter tops to help pick your floor. It is a very simple (yet elegant) form of DIY Design which helps homeowners complete the look without having all the stress of picking 'another colour' for the floors.

The wood is factory finished maple. And they are poorly installed OR the house just doesn't have the ability to keep wood happy....or both. Can you get more of the LVP? If you can, then this is your best possible solution. Maple is STUPID-DIFFICULT to stain. As in 'hair-pulling-crying-screaming' type of difficult. It can be stained VERY dark (harder to see the bad stain job) than it is to get a medium tone on it. It is apparent that you DO NOT like the wood. I don't blame you. That's a nasty install! So your best bet is to gear up for a full replacement. If you cannot afford the a full replacement (assuming you can get more of the LVP or something in the same colour range) then I would simply pull the carpet and get more LVP in there. Leave the wood alone until you can afford the FULL FLOORING replacement (ie. get all the floors the same). I know this is a starter house. I get that. That's why you want to deal with this as best as you can without killing your bank balance. First things first: is the SAME LVP available? If so...purchase it for the bedrooms. The wood can always be dealt with later. The hardwood looks to be in the kitchen. That's when you a STONE OR TILE looking LVP can be installed later...without looking weird. More about the flooring availability please. And more about where the wood IS in the home.