A click together floor - especially vinyl because it is thin and the click systems are vulnerable to damage - can be VERY difficult to lay in the "wrong" direction. It can double or triple the time to install when working backwards.....and be prepared for TWICE the "waste" when working backwards. If you want 2400sf of transitionless flooring then you REALLY need to pay the piper and GLUE IT DOWN. Yep. Glue down gets you want you want - cost will double for install....but you get away from transitions and you don't worry about working backwards. Glue down vinyl planks are WITHOUT the click edge....so there's no worry about which direction you need to work. Cost will be a factor. Some click together vinyl can have issues with "transitionless" spaces...while others do not. Some will advertise they have no problems when in fact they do. Large installs with vinyl on multiple levels/etc this gets very tricky to do it without transitions. And to be clear, transition strips are fairly cheap compared to a full glue down install. And it might be cheaper to use transitions than paying for MORE flooring (because of the waste/damage when installing backwards) and longer installation times (labor costs go up when you work "slowly"). There are some professionals who might not even attempt the "backward" install because they don't want the hassle, nor do they want to be blamed for damaging ALL THOSE PLANKS. Just a little FYI. If you REALLY MUST HAVE the "transitionless" floor - pay the piper and have it glued into place.

Which Cairo Oak is a much different color than these two provenzas but after lots of research we decide this color was perfect for our modern farmhouse look! We are doing all white cabinets now with also a White Island.. white oak pantry door and vent hood (stained to match Cairo oak) and Calacutta Laza by MSI counter tops 😃

the identical knot in 3 adjacent steps would drive me crazy. Otherwise it could be worse. I’d prefer white.

how far is this from the edge? if it's somewhat close you might be able to take the trim off, get a pull bar in at the edge, and tap the whole thing back into place. Otherwise, try actually pulling the pieces together with your hands and giving it a good smack with a rubber mallet.