Your cabinets do not have to match your trim. In fact, it's much better if it doesn't. Contrast is good. Maybe a painted vanity or espresso? As far as painted trim, it might be a bit more work to keep tidy if you paint it white, but it's really easy to repaint and have look brand new. But, nothing says you have to paint it white. It can be painted an espresso brown, or a saddle brown and give you the effect of stained wood from 10 feet away. Plus painted is about a third of the cost of stained oak trim. Stain grade wood is darn pricy, and it hits you again in the pocketbook at finish time because it's a lot more labor to stain and finish. If you are on a tight budget, stained trim would be one of the first things to go.

To me, it boils down to the aesthetic you are going for. I like fresh, open, light interiors, and I don't care for the way stained trim "outlines" a room, especially if light colored walls are used. Of course, a wood paneled study is glorious and would use stained trim, even in a house with painted trim in all the other rooms. As far as material goes...if your builder is using quality stain grade wood, it will most certainly be more expensive. I mean, the wood is significantly more expensive than paint grade poplar, and it still has to be stained, just like the poplar has to be painted. Isn't all trim hand painted? How could you effectively spray trim?

Hello. Yes with all the different woods none will be exact in colour by any means. But the darker the colour the closer it will be as there is more room to vary and get away with it. I guess it all depends on what colour of stain you consider to be dark in colour. I would do samples with each different type of wood you have with the selected stain. Then at least you know what it looks like. What maybe be of concern (or at least in my findings and strictly my opinion here) is that with all the varying wood types and colours they have can to me bring too many colours into play which i sometimes find they fight with each other instead of blending and flowing in a space. But rather, all the different colours can make a space have no flow, sequence, or symmetry. Size and space of coarse play a part in all this and the extend of the varying colours as well as several other factors but I am sure you get the just of it. Another option you can do is match the lighter looking stains appearance on the select wood to the darkest looking one. Yes it will require purchasing several small quantity containers of maybe 2-4 different colours (these could be stains, dyes, or colourants that are comparable with the stain). Also, you could stain all the trim one colour and then "shade" the lighter coloured pieces. For that you will need an help or a cup gun and compressor. This option would definitely be achievable if you have experience with this sort of application technique. The only downfall to "shading" in my opinion is you loose grain the more you shade but your woods you are using don't really have a lot of grain. They to me have more colour contract in the pieces rather than grain. But the best piece of advice no matter what you decide for colour and application is to do samples until you are pleased with what the wood will look like with the other types. Lastly, there is no real right or wrong. People's personal dwellings and buildings are supposed to be their own, have their own taste, likes, personality to it, and to make them feel comfortable, warm, at ease, and relaxed. And whatever colours, designs, or touches the owners add, take away, or create in their space is what makes it their own place to call home. Have fun with it. Embrace making it your own. It's all yours to enjoy and best of luck with it all.

OK...here we go. First things first. I'm going to point out the issue of "just biting off a bit at a time". You can SEE in your HOME the 'bit at a time' solution. You already have this issue. The previous owner ALREADY DID THIS. And here you are trying to fix the issue with the same solution as the previous owner. As you can see that solution did NOT work. Now the whole ugly mess is now up to you to fix. Right. So. Now you know the "just biting off a bit at a time" doesn't work, you will have to come up with another solution. You need a 7 year flooring plan. You need to DECIDE the FINAL 'look' before you touch anything. The carpet is gone so that's where you think you should start...but it is bass akwards. You need to START with the FINAL PRODUCT and work backwards to find get to where you are now...without flooring in the bedroom. Personally - as a former cork flooring salesperson, I would click together a classic cork floor (either the ribbon stripes or the block cut look) in the bedroom and leave it. I would then make a plank to FINISH the rest of the upstairs in the same PATTERN cork (again...this is why I would choose a classic pattern rather than a new-age pattern that will be gone in 1 year). Right. Solution to the upstairs is finished. Good. Move on (with MY plan...this probably isn't your plan). Now I have to tackle the DOWN stairs. You have 2 different STAINS of oak. The former owner matched the cut and the size (almost) of the existing browner floor but they SAVED MONEY (ie. they cheaped out) by only refinishing the NEW wood. Wrong way to do it...but that was their decision and you have to fix their decision by using YOUR MONEY to deal with THEIR cheapness. Your older wood downstairs needs a full sand and refinish. And it needs it in the next 5 years. So that's where your 5 year plan will take you. Once both upper and lower floors are down you now get to tackle the ugliest part = the stairs. Right now the stairs are an eye sore but they are fully functional. They are dealt with last or as part of the lower level redo. You match the stairs to the stained wood on the lower level. That means ripping up what is on their and installing a product that is going to be a good match to your LOWER LEVEL floor. Stairs match the MAIN FLOORING where guests will see them. Good luck. Start at the END RESULT and work backwards. Until then, put down some area rugs in the bedroom - even hallway runners will work.