I would look at a Scandinavian colour like a very pale silvery tone. Bona Nordic Seal will offer that look. It will pair nicely with white counters. It has a very modern look. Or natural - water based product (does NOT turn orange/yellow). It is called a clear coat. White Oak needs a sealant if you work with a clear coat water based product. That stops the tannin bleed that white oak is known for.

The floors look to be an oak (probably red oak) stained to look like Black Walnut. I would hazard a guess the 'cut' or grade of the floor is a lower grade. That accounts for the plank-plank variations and the heavy grain pattern. I think it's lovely but then again I love a LOT of movement. Most people cannot handle the variation of lower grade floors. They want the top grade but purchase a lower grade thinking they are saving money ... just a little FYI there. The Jacobean mixed with one of the deep browns (no reds) is probably what is on the floors in the photos. Jacobean has a green base to it. Greens counter act reds/oranges which is why Jacobean is often mixed in when covering up red oak flooring. The green tinge takes away the red salmon colours of red oak. And the floors were water popped (an extra step that has an extra expense) before the stain was put down. I would say there is a water based finish over top (no ambering = no oil based poly) in a Satin finish...possibly semi-gloss (personal preference = you need to choose the sheen yourself). Remember: never EVER choose a stain without a coat of FINISH put down over top of the samples. The sample colours in your pic are raw wood with stain. There is NO finish on them. That is an absolute no-no.

Wow! You have PERFECTLY COMPLIMENTED the wall colour! Excellent work! Kudos for moving ahead with this colour. Do NOT change the hand rails. You have a bold sense of style (I can tell by the wall colours and features in the home) and the railing/spindle selection KEEPS the boldness that you obviously like. What you are seeing is the WOOD for the first time in (how long have they been dark???) a long time. Be OK with this little bit of shock. The BROWN is a COLD brown. Excellent! So are your gray walls. The gray veining in the wood is a PERFECT match to the deep gray on your walls. And the black railing just sets this off beautifully. It pulls the black/white checker pattern of the entrance into line as well. You have continuity of concept (design talk for "Nice Work!") with the lighter floor. That's hard to do...even with the best designers on board. I suggest you sit back and enjoy discovering the subtle colours in your floor. You will see them again for the first time - each day of the year. Just wait until summer light hits your home! Those floors will show a whole new side of themselves. And please give your floor refinisher a MASSIVE HIGH FIVE for the work s/he did. It is a great example of what can be done when one has the skills to pull it off. Congratulations! You are one lucky Home Owner!

I'm leaning towards water based poly, we're just a little concerned because we know it's not quite as durable as oil based. Our kids are grown so there's not a lot of traffic (though we do have a couple of dogs who tend to scratch the floors a bit). Thank you!