I was hesitant to suggest an entirely new color scheme, given the color of the sofa. But if you're open to slipcovering it, how about bringing in a blue color, so that the room complements the colors in your dining room? Using a mix of navy and lighter blues would complement the wood paneling, and also relate back to the other rooms. I also think blue would feel less 'heavy' than the burgundy. A new area rug would be ideal, but if there's blue in your oriental you could still use it. The french blue curtain panel linked at the end of this message has the color combination that I was thinking of. If your sofa were a medium or dark blue, you could have lighter accent pillows (or vice versa). I'd also suggest thinning out some of the books and small decorative pieces on the shelves (can you put them anywhere else in the house?), and bringing in some vases/pottery in a lighter color family (blue patterns on a white background if you want a traditional look, or even solid cream or lt blue items if you're not wedded to a pure traditionalist style). A smaller # of larger scale items on the shelves will look less busy, and may also help to lighten the room's look. Finally--and I don't know how this would look with stained wood built-ins (I've only seen it done with painted shelves)---have you considered adding a light colored background to the inside of the built in bookcases? I.e., paint or upholster a piece of foamboard that's cut to the size of the shelves, and stick that in the back, so that the back wall of the built-in looks painted (vs. wood). It would be tedious, but would not involve paint. Enjoy the process! Here is a link that might be useful: french blue & chocolate panel

You mentioned Orange County, CA in another thread and concerns over humidity. I lived in the city of Orange in my early twenties and don't recall anything excessive. Prolonged periods of high or low humidity is what can cause issues and not four or five days here and there. Looking at the past year in Orange itself doesn't ring alarm bells. Averages are in the 60’s from my glance. I didn't see 80% I did most of my work in SW Florida where humidity was much higher. The work was anywhere from beachfront, island, to twenty miles inland, but before the days of five inch wide solid planks. Then it was more three inch solid. Yes there were a few issues here and there especially with stilt homes that had no climate control underneath (open to air). That’s all changed now with nearly all homes using those areas for game rooms, guest bedrooms and the like. As far as concrete slab sub floors, which I’m guessing you probably have, engineered floors are all over the place. No issues. Be careful with the reviews you read. Many are probably a matter of installation related failures and lack of awareness, especially with DIY’ers and inexperienced installers. Think about these three M’s Moisture testing - material, subfloor Moisture awareness - in, and around the home. Before and after Moisture control - barriers

OK... the "reality" for VOC free engineered hardwood is...there aren't any. Why not you ask? Because the GLUE they used to keep the layers STUCK together contains small amounts of VOC content. The factory finishes often have small traces of VOCs (some as low as 80g/L = super low) but they are still THERE. Which means you will need to change your search to LOW VOC content wood. Even the European produced engineered hardwoods have traces of VOC content. Only the SUPER HIGH END stuff out of Switzerland (which bothers the Germans to NO END!) will get you the "Zero" you are looking for. And they start at $10/sf....and that's for the ugly stuff. The beautiful wide plank European Oak stuff hits $15/sf without blinking. If you want NO VOC wood = solid unfinished hardwood. Done. You have your No VOC wood floor. A hardwax finish can be applied on site = NO VOC (Rubio Monocoat comes to mind). So...with your low budget, you may need to modify your requirements. You can get the look you want with LOW VOC criteria....but not the width or the long length (the link indicates "short" lengths of 2ft - 4ft lengths are the MAJORITY).Or you can get the look+length you want with an INCREASE in budget. Your limited budget means you must look at altering your requirements. I think LOW VOC is the start. Then the width of the product needs to change. And you will need to accept the shorter lengths. But the easiest thing to do is to increase the budget. A 3500sf install is no small feat. This is a SIGNIFICANT amount of flooring. It is the surface that will take the MOST abuse! A budget of $28K for 3500sf is too lean. I would prefer to see $35K for 3500sf of flooring. That's a better price point. It will get you MUCH closer to where you want to be. Going "cheap" on flooring is like going cheap on roofing. It isn't worth it in the end. If the wood in the link is still available....I suggest you find contact the manufacturer/seller and get your order in. It looks to be a decent product for a decent price. But most likely made in China.

Wow, so gorgeous, Miranda! The cabinets are stunning! You did a fabulous job staining them. The hardware is perfect. What a beautiful bathroom. Flooring, whether dark or light, has its issues with showing everything. id rather see what I need to clean lol. I’m sure you’re enjoying all your fruits of labor. You did a fabulous job. Our flooring install finally starts next week...a slow process. I’m so anxious.