# Help pick my new floor **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 17, 2010, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-pick-my-new-floor/550479 "2010-08-17T00:50:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sharding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@sharding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sharding)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-pick-my-new-floor/550479/1 "2010-08-17T00:50:26Z")
As [I posted yesterday](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=574679), we’re looking at putting in a wood floor in much of our house to replace the current carpet. We’re basically down to two color choices (we’re considering some alternate brands/materials, but the colors would be as close to these as possible). They’re very similar, but there are some differences. If you have any preference, which of these do you prefer (given that you don’t have the context of our house, and color reproduction on the web is always iffy)? [![](http://cdn.sharding.org/20100816-IMG_1885-web.jpg) ](http://cdn.sharding.org/20100816-IMG_1885-web.jpg) We also considered some dramatically different looks, but this general look seems to fit best with the rest of our house. I had some assistance, [but he wasn’t very helpful](http://cdn.sharding.org/20100816-IMG_1877-web.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-pick-my-new-floor/550479/2 "2010-08-17T01:17:36Z")
To me, the difference is so slight that you wouldn’t be able to tell which one you got after it’s installed. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-pick-my-new-floor/550479/3 "2010-08-17T01:19:20Z")
Going by the photo, the one on the right looks much better. Unless you’re going for a worn in look, then go for the left. ---
**Author:** ![sharding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@sharding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sharding)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-pick-my-new-floor/550479/4 "2010-08-17T01:19:23Z")
Overthinking decisions with little or no practical consequence is my forte. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-pick-my-new-floor/550479/5 "2010-08-17T02:04:40Z")
I like the slightly lighter color (the one on the left). The darker flooring is, the more it shows dirt, and I don’t care for the high-contrast grain on the right. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-pick-my-new-floor/550479/6 "2010-08-17T02:48:48Z")
I like the Caribou. It’s richer. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-pick-my-new-floor/550479/7 "2010-08-17T03:02:59Z")
The Caribou seems redder. Will it be in your kitchen? What color are your cabinets? Both are nice. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-pick-my-new-floor/550479/8 "2010-08-17T17:51:44Z")
The one on the left looks more like an old floor. The one on the right looks more like a new floor trying to look more like an old floor. ---
**Author:** ![RainGrowsBrite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@RainGrowsBrite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RainGrowsBrite)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-pick-my-new-floor/550479/9 "2010-08-17T18:08:14Z")
The one of the left looks cheap to me. The one on the right is much prettier. ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-pick-my-new-floor/550479/10 "2010-08-17T18:17:54Z")
They look pretty similar to me. What does the room you are putting them in look like? ---
**Author:** ![sharding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@sharding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sharding)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-pick-my-new-floor/550479/11 "2010-08-17T18:25:33Z")
They are very similar. I’m not surprised to see the split opinion, since we keep going back and forth ourselves. I posted these a few other places as well. In one place, it’s 100% in favor of the right side. The rest are somewhat split, with the right side coming in a bit ahead. I don’t have pics of the rooms handy right now. It will be the entry way, living room and dining room area, butting up against a reddish (kind of terra cotta look) tile in the kitchen and carpet on the stairs (carpet color TBD). It’s basically all one room with very high (roughly 18’) ceilings, with mostly white walls and one dark green accent wall with a fireplace. It has a skylight and a wall of windows, so it gets a fair amount of light, but not constant sunlight. I do think a lighter option would make the room look bigger. Here are the four options we started with, but it’s a cell phone pics, so the color reproduction isn’t very good: [http://pica.bz/j5](http://pica.bz/j5) The problem with the lighter option is that it just doesn’t fit in with any of the wood in the rest of the house. It looks bad up against the wood doors to the bedroom, for example, and incongruous with the cabinets in the kitchen, neither of which we want to replace. Obviously it doesn’t need to **match** those things (and none of these options do), but it also needs to not look like it belongs in a completely different house. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-pick-my-new-floor/550479/12 "2010-08-17T18:45:26Z")
It looks to me like a before and after picture. the one on the left looks like a lovely wood floor which needs waxing. The one on the right looks like the same floor after proper maintenance. I vote for the darker, richer, one ont he right. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-pick-my-new-floor/550479/13 "2010-08-17T19:45:00Z")
Yeah, you want the darker one on the right - it’s just richer. I can see why the help wasn’t helpful; it’s in his nature to be enigmatic. Cute, tho. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-pick-my-new-floor/550479/14 "2010-08-18T01:32:37Z")
The help is obviously picking the flooring on the left, but I question his taste. I think the right one is richer, too, and will look very good with green and terra cotta. ---
**Author:** ![sharding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@sharding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sharding)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-pick-my-new-floor/550479/15 "2010-08-18T01:37:03Z")
The sides are actually swapped in the kitty picture, so by laying on the left, he’s picking the one on the right. Right? And who’s on first? ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-pick-my-new-floor/550479/16 "2010-08-18T01:48:38Z")
Definitely prefer the one on the right with the darker tone and the funkier grain. It will be awesome with the green. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-pick-my-new-floor/550479/17 "2010-08-18T01:52:38Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > It looks to me like a before and after picture. the one on the left looks like a lovely wood floor which needs waxing. The one on the right looks like the same floor after proper maintenance. > > I vote for the darker, richer, one ont he right. I hate “me too” posts, but me too! ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-pick-my-new-floor/550479/18 "2010-08-18T02:14:08Z")
Right. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-pick-my-new-floor/550479/19 "2010-08-18T02:20:24Z")
Oh, and is that an engineered (laminate) hardwood floor, or solid? ---
**Author:** ![Add99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/977dab/32.png) [@Add99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Add99)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-pick-my-new-floor/550479/20 "2010-08-19T22:37:11Z")
You stole my cat.