If you are going to drop stuff on a wood floor and expect it not to dent, you should either get a harder wood, a textured wood that doesn't show dents as readily, or get something that's not wood. If you're getting a wood floor and expect it not to scratch, get something else. I've been doing Mirage for maybe 15 years and have no problems with the quality of their products. My major complaints would be that long ago they had quite a lot of short boards and their smooth products are so smooth that the look a bit fake and show dents and scratches more readily.

I would go with oak in a natural or light stain. It's been timeless for years with a relatively narrow plank. My designer also seconded that choice since I am going for a somewhat Craftsman feel although not a literal recreation and the flooring will go with other design choices I am making. I opted for red oak versus brown oak because I will have a lot of brown oak cabinets in my open floor plan and I wanted something light and less brown to contrast with them. I I am replacing my old red oak natural floors with the same as I liked them for many years and they were innocuous so they weren't much of a design consideration i.e. I never had to factor them into anything colors or other furniture I brought in. I also found them easy to maintain as they hid a multitude of sins - they don't show dust as much and they don't show scratches or other wear and tear. I had considered Mohawk but ultimately decided on Mirage engineered floors. They were somewhat more expensive - especially since I opted for the Select and Better - but I wanted the best finish possible. If it is in your budget, check out Mirage as it is Canadian made and a green product. I believe Mirage is made in China. I am not anti-China per se as some are on this forum but less expensive engineered wood floors imported from China are more likely to have formaldehyde and other potentially noxious substances. I was also impressed by the durability of the finish since I am most concerned with that aspect of the flooring. As for refinishing on site, my original floors were finished on site and I could never imagine going through that again so I personally don't care if my wood floors are going to last for 70 years - if I am still living in my condo when the floors are at the end of their life, I will replace them just as all of my neighbors do :-). Aside from the mess, every piece of furniture has to be moved out of all the rooms as opposed to installing flooring that is factory finished where the installers can just keep moving furniture around. :-)

We just finished our basement with a water resistant wood-based laminate. We love it. We don't have a ton of windows and we used a medium gray color. We like the cozy feeling it provides. The colors you are selecting from are much lighter than what we used so I think you will be safe in not having it feel smaller and darker. I think it depends on how much variation you want. I think the White Oak Isla and the White Oak Mist Character are nice. They seem to be a bit on the warmer side. My least favorite out of your selection is the Papyrus. Try and get samples if you can. It's amazing how different they can feel when in your own space.

Made in St-Georges, Qc, Canada. Maple Havana Exclusive Smooth | Admiration | Mirage Floors (US) . Red Oak Havana Exclusive Smooth | Admiration | Mirage Floors (US) Those are dark and will show lots. My sister has dark floors and uses a robotic cleaner to keep them somewhat clean.