Please give me advice on picking a hardwood floor stain!!!?

Question

I just bought this house in New Orleans. I'm from here, but I've always hated how old and antique-ish everything is. So I now have this old house, and I'm in the process of having it modernized with hardwood floors, recessed lights, granite countertop, stainless steel appliances, smooth textured walls/ceilings, etc. I'm just getting out of a really dark place in my life, and this house is supposed to be a new chapter for me. I want the place to be bright, airy, positive, etc. The problem is that I am definitely leaning towards a dark stain called "red mahogany" for the hardwood floors. I am an extremely indecisive person, and unfortunately the time has come for me to pick a stain color to give the contractor. I think the red mahogany would be beautiful, i'm just not sure how much it would darken up the place, and what effect that would have on me, compared to a lighter, sunnier, happier pine or natural stain. What do you think? Also, would the dark floor make the place seem smaller? TY

Answer 1

OMG GO DARK!!!! Stainless steal appliances, white wash cabinets, light granite (like a sand coloured rock colour) and some hip lighting is going to look amazing.

Dark floors is going to draw your attention to the floors first but then will make the rest of the house POP! The lighter contrast of things especially the stainless steal appliances will look amazing.

If you do a light colour like that hideous bamboo crap it's going to look washed out and dull and your house will loose it's hip modern vibe. Plus it won't match and you'll regret it.

Then go for an absolute amazing wall colour and some great art work in a straight line and you'll reach the modern feel. Rooms with dark floors look great with like one or two pieces of really great furniture. Like have your couch be the focal point of the room and decorate around that.

Plus if you have windows and lights in the room it's going to be bright enough... the dark floors will bring in a nice contrast and balance it out. Otherwise you're going to need sunglasses in the room! It's going to make the rooms bigger and feel more open. Plus it hides dirt!

Answer 2

Personally, I am a fan of medium to light stain for hardwood floors. I just put a light oak hardwood floor in my living room two months ago, and we just love it. What I did was purchase a georgeous wool oriental rug which picked up my color scheme which is beige/tan, cranberry and soft olive green and it just ties the room together and gives such warmth. The darker floors tend to show scratches, and they give a darker appearance to the surroundings and make the rooms look smaller. The way you describe your mood, how you came out of a dark period in your life and how you have modernized the home in New Orleans, I say go with oak, pine or natural stain. It will open up the space trememdously and your mood will be lightened. Make sure they use polyurathane to protect the floors.

Answer 3

Personally I like dark floors better and if it was my house I'd choose an ebony stain, but I don't think the dark stain will make it too drab or look smaller as long as you use light or bright colors on the walls/furniture and have plenty of artificial and natural light. Also be mindful of the size and proportion of furniture, all those things will matter more in the long run than the stain color so pick what you like.

Answer 4

My philosophy on wood stains is that the stain should be the same type as the wood itself. If it is oak, some kind of oak, if it's pine, some kind of pine.

Also, you want light and airy, so pick a light and airy stain, which would be oak, as I assume the hardwood [pine os not a hardwood] is oak. You can choose an oak stain that is darker than natural, but that is not heavy. The hardwood floors, even if stained a natural oak color, will be heavy enough and will anchor the rest of the light and airy stuff.

Answer 5

Natural maple is always nice, light and blonde and looks fabulous with granite and stone finishes. Dark floors tend to make for a "smaller" feel. Also "red" mahogany is just that...RED, this may not agree with your decor as it is more of a color than a tone. Your furniture, fabrics and paint will all have to play off your floor color so keep that in mind and take a sample of your floor with you when it's time to shop for treatments.

Answer 6

I would go for a lighter color. It will make the entire place seem lighter. of course if you are really into the red then you can always paint the walls bright white and have bright colors throughout the house.. If there are a lot of windows a dark problem shouldnt be a problem.

Answer 7

Clearer finishes - natural - tend to YELLOW over time. This is caused by a break-down in the urethane that finishes the floor. A slightly darker tint hides more of this effect.