Hardwood Stain Options: Votes! - Design Dump

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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! Posted by autumn at 1:00 PM Labels: construction, hardwood floors, house #6, our new house

44 comments:

  1. UnknownApril 17, 2013 at 1:33 PM

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

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  2. MissMApril 17, 2013 at 1:42 PM

    Dark walnut..definitely.

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  3. katherineApril 17, 2013 at 2:00 PM

    Provincial!

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  4. AnonymousApril 17, 2013 at 2:11 PM

    Provencial

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  5. AnonymousApril 17, 2013 at 2:21 PM

    Dark Walnut

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  6. AnonymousApril 17, 2013 at 2:49 PM

    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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  7. Interior Design MusingsApril 17, 2013 at 4:25 PM

    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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  8. AnonymousApril 17, 2013 at 4:26 PM

    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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  9. MichaelApril 17, 2013 at 5:25 PM

    Dark walnut!!!

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  10. JosephineApril 17, 2013 at 6:45 PM

    Provincial.

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  11. UnknownApril 17, 2013 at 8:23 PM

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

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  12. Jen @ RamblingRenovatorsApril 17, 2013 at 8:24 PM

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

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  13. AshlynApril 17, 2013 at 8:46 PM

    Dark Walnut

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  14. UnknownApril 17, 2013 at 9:12 PM

    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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  15. JessApril 17, 2013 at 9:28 PM

    dark walnut.

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  16. Susie2April 17, 2013 at 10:18 PM

    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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  17. AnonymousApril 17, 2013 at 10:55 PM

    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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  18. TeriApril 18, 2013 at 4:47 AM

    Dark Walnut.

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  19. AnonymousApril 18, 2013 at 5:56 AM

    Hands down...provincial.

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  20. J.C.April 18, 2013 at 6:52 AM

    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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  21. harmonyApril 18, 2013 at 8:26 AM

    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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  22. Erin April 18, 2013 at 8:55 AM

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

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  23. AnonymousApril 18, 2013 at 9:30 AM

    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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  24. CandiApril 18, 2013 at 9:33 AM

    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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  25. AlishaApril 18, 2013 at 10:14 AM

    Provincial

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  26. AlishaApril 18, 2013 at 10:15 AM

    Provincial

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  27. jkimballApril 18, 2013 at 11:42 AM

    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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  28. JulieApril 18, 2013 at 12:23 PM

    provincial

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  29. JulieApril 18, 2013 at 12:24 PM

    provincial

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  30. JulieApril 18, 2013 at 12:24 PM

    provincial

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  31. AnonymousApril 18, 2013 at 1:08 PM

    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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  32. AnonymousApril 18, 2013 at 2:21 PM

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

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  33. Julie wApril 18, 2013 at 5:57 PM

    Dark walnut.

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  34. kellyApril 19, 2013 at 7:52 PM

    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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  35. Annie Vincent InteriorsApril 20, 2013 at 1:40 PM

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

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  36. DeniseApril 21, 2013 at 6:43 AM

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

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  37. lisaroyApril 21, 2013 at 1:58 PM

    definitely provincial :)

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  38. autumnApril 21, 2013 at 6:48 PM

    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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    1. UnknownApril 25, 2013 at 9:17 AM

      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. UnknownApril 25, 2013 at 9:18 AM

      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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  39. AbbyMay 4, 2013 at 7:59 PM

    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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  40. cgodfreyMay 20, 2013 at 8:23 AM

    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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  41. UnknownMarch 3, 2014 at 10:39 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  42. UnknownMay 31, 2015 at 8:45 AM

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

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  • ▼  2013 (152)
    • ▼  April (14)
      • tile installation "notes"
      • construction progress: week 25 (big changes!)
      • keeping insurance costs to a minimum
      • design plan: my powder room
      • hardware for the kitchen + master bathroom
      • shopping for carpet
      • construction progress: week 24
      • hardwood stain options: votes!
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