" I’m concerned about the busyness. "

How about a picture or a link to the product?

https://www.somersetfloors.com/product-collection/collection/11/product/107

It's a character grade so it's likely to look busy.

We have Somerset (solid wood) but in the Natural and not Fawn. I think the Fawn would reduce the contrast between the dark and lighter shades. Ours was laid in a flowing river pattern and that makes a big difference in the choppy busyness when the floor is laid in a random pattern. Granted, it is not for everyone but we all have our own tastes.

The one regret I have is that we were not able to get the wood in the 3" size and had to go with 4". The contractor was not good at securing supplies in advance and they were out of stock on the 3". Hickory does not seem to be as stable as other hardwoods and we do notice some seasonal changes. The finish has held up well after six years of use.

Why Hickory, since busy IS a virtual guarantee, especially in "character" grade?.

A white oak/ sand on site flooring is a forever floor. Engineered pre-finished is perfectly great, allows you know exactly what the floor will look like with no guessing a stain and many will give you two possible refinishings before you're damaging the product.

You can also buy UN finished 3/4" engineered product in oak and other species and finish to suit yourself. You'd do that if subfloor or climate dictated, and these are available in as many board widths as others.

Only you can decide, and in no case can you decide based on the home of another, or based on an online photo.

I feel compelled to disagree with the comments above. Hickory is a great wood, as long as you don't mind the variation. It's harder than White Oak and not pink like Red Oak. It stains nicely and has some surface grain to help hide scratches and wear.

It is busy. She is concerned with busy. " As long as you don't mind the variation" , the very thing that can make it busy, along with character knots and grain. Fine for a rustic cabin and just about nowhere else, but that is my opinion. There is no need for a wood to be harder than oak.......used for centuries and centuries. You aren't driving a semi over it.

@Gailan -, thank you so much for your response and photo!! Your home is beautiful. That floor to ceiling glass is amazing and I think the natural hickory looks fantastic in your space. We are drawn to hickory, because of the knots and grain, which is obviously what turns some people off. You're so right in that we all have our own tastes! I was looking for personal experience with this particular line, because it's so hard to tell in the sample what the big picture will look like. The sample looks like there could be a lot of variation in the stain from board to board which is what I don't want, and as we all know the pictures that come with the samples aren't always helpful. Thank you for sharing a photo of your Somerset floor!! I appreicate your solid response!!

@Patricia Colwell Consulting my question was about a specific product. Gailan is the only one that took the time to eloquently respond with her personal experience with the product I inquired about. I thought my question was pretty straightforward and I appreciate her response 10x more than your passive aggressive opinion. I'm not sure what kind of consulting you do, but you might consider a class in communication.

Thank you for that response HU-313924646. I posted pretty much the same thing and then deleted it as some here are not worth the response as they have to add commentary that is not relivent to the questions being asked. There are a handful of members here that are notorious for trying to promote their own perceived importance when all they are doing is distracting from the OPs question. Someone asks if a particular color green would work and "they" respond that your ceiling is too tall and they don't like sectionals. It is "these" people that inhibit particiaption here as you know they are only going to post their negative opinions. The "mean girls (and guys)" live for that.

I'm glad I could help in whatever minor way I could and hope you find the right flooring for your home.