Apr 17, 2013

hardwood stain options: votes!

it is just about time to sand and stain the hardwood floors!

we have always used minwax stains in the past, and plan on using them in our new house as well. in the last few houses that we have built and remodeled, we have used "provincial" and been VERY happy. since we almost always use red oak, we know exactly how it will look...provincial is a very neutral, medium brown stain color. (when i say "neutral" i mean a color that doesn't read red or yellow or grey.)

here are my favorite "neutral" minwax stains, in order from dark to light:


of course, when i picked out the stain colors that i wanted to test, i grabbed "provincial".
but i also wanted to test two colors that i thought would be nice, but still neutral, so i also chose "special walnut" and "dark walnut".
here they are:
(and YES, i just realized that i spelled provincial wrong here. but lets just pretend that it is spelled right. i need the time it will take to correct it to pack a few boxes.)
i was pretty surprised at how light the "special walnut" looked compared to the others! after seeing the samples, i definitely liked "provincial" and "dark walnut" the best.

**TIP for testing stain colors:
when testing stain colors, you need to sample the colors on at least two boards, since there can be so much variation from board to board. it is also a good idea to test the colors on the SAME board so you can really see the difference in each color.

here are the colors again:

at first, i thought i might also test out "jacobean", but i actually want the floors to be a slightly softer brown, and i felt that jacobean was just a tad darker than what i wanted. so, the race is between what i know works and looks great and i have used many times before:

PROVINCIAL
or...
the slightly darker, never used before
DARK WALNUT
?

which is YOUR pick?
please vote!

44 comments:

  1. Try something new! My vote is for dark walnut! Your place is looking just fabulous!!!!

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  2. Dark walnut..definitely.

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  3. I used Jacobean in a house and while it was beautiful, the very dark color made the house feel too formal for my tastes. So this comment is to add support to your decision to remove Jacobean from your choices.

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  4. If I had to choose between the two I would say, Provincial. I will say, I've had contractors mix stains and if they do a half and half, it's very easy for them to keep it consistent. What about one can of the provincial and one of the dark walnut? It would make the provincial a bit richer in tone. M.

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  5. Dark walnut,new home,new color stain.I like both but think trying something new is fun.Either way I know they will look fabulous!

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  6. Both are beautiful but I vote for trying something new- Dark Walnut!

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  7. I like Provincial. It feels a little less 'heavy' and 'notice me!' than the Dark Walnut.

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  8. I think between provencial or dark walnut you can't go wrong. I lean to dark walnut though. I so love that you are sharing this whole house building process with us!

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  9. I have dark hardwood floors that I love, but keeping them up is a nightmare. I'd go with the lighter provincial. Good luck!

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  10. I have to vote Dark Walnut! That is what I have on my Red Oak floors and I absolutely love it! It is perfect in every way. It is rich, but not too dark.

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  11. Hands down...provincial.

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  12. Provincial. I don't think you can go wrong with either! I love them both, and normally, I always lean towards more formal, darker wood, but there is something warm and maybe a little more modern that makes me want to vote for Provincial. It will be beautiful no matter what!

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  13. Provincial. When in doubt stick with what you know. If you go with Dark Walnut and end up not loving it you will be so mad at yourself. I think the Provincial will look great with the white stairs, ballisters, etc.

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  14. Love them both but I say go crazy and do something different...dark walnut!

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  15. I like how warm and classic Provincial looks. I think the Dark Walnut is nice as well, but has a more "ashy" look to it and isn't as warm.

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  16. I did Dark Walnut in my house and absolutely LOVE IT!!!! Although, my floors are a bit darker than your samples because of the different types of wood, I guess!

    Anyway, my vote is Dark Walnut! (We also used Minwax)

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  17. Provincial. Even though you have used it before, it is a new house with different finishes. It will look new yet familiar to you.

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  18. Provincial! At least on my monitor, it's warmer and you know how it will take on the red oak, whereas the Dark Walnut seems to be pulling towards green, like the old walnut finishes from the '50s and '60s.

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  19. They are both nice - but I like Dark Walnut better.

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  20. hm. those were my two favs, too. i can honestly say it's a toss up... i really like them both.

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  21. I like dark walnut but mixing the two might be nice!

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  22. Have you considered 1/2 Jacobean & 1/2 Dark Walnut equal mix!

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  23. thank you SO MUCH for all of the comments!
    i totally would have considering mixing colors as well, but my husband was against it. he has been so amazing with all of my decisions and selections, that i didn't want to push to hard to mix colors. he wanted to keep it simple, and i respect that.
    i have to say that i am pretty surprised how many of you voted for provencial! of course i love it---i have used it a TON, but i thought everyone would automatically like the darker color better.
    stay tuned! i will be posting more about the floors at the end of the week!

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    Replies
    1. did you get any results yet? I'm in same boat now, new constructure, red oak. I'm not sure if you tested them after you sanded or not? any updating will be appreciated! thank!

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    2. did you get any results yet? I'm in same boat now, new constructure, red oak. I'm not sure if you tested them after you sanded or not? any updating will be appreciated! thank!

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  24. I like the warmth of the provincial. I would love to see a picture from one of your old house with a shot of the wood. We just bought a 1936 colonial (our first house) and I love dark wood but my realtor says it makes a room smaller. I think the provincial will let me have the best of both worlds. Plus I can't worry about resale now, can I?

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  25. I am also torn between 2 colors for my house. Dark walnut or provinical. I like the darker look of the dark walnut but am concerned about the upkeep (we have 2 kids and a dog). How does provincial do as far as showing dirt and sratches? Thanks!

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  27. I mixed 2 cans of Provincial with 1 can of Dark Walnut. LOVED the color!!!

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