With the whirlwind of our primary bathroom renovation finally settling down, I know some of you are probably wondering: what’s going on with your other home projects? It’s a fair question – especially since we had to hit pause on everything after the plumbing leak chaos took over. When did I last share any house progress, anyway? I guess today can serve as the BIG update: our new hardwood floors are finally in!

If you’ve been following along with our project punch list, you know this floor installation has been a long time coming. This install kick-starts progress in three of the four rooms we’ve been itching to tackle: the family room, breakfast nook, and dining room. Click through to see the progress!

Goodbye, Carpet – Hello, Hardwood

Unsurprisingly, we made the decision to remove all the existing carpeting on the first floor and extend the hardwood throughout every space. Although our floor plan flows so beautifully, the mashup of carpet and hardwood made each space feel really choppy. Plus, I’m so ready to ditch that lingering “carpet smell” older homes tend to have. And with two dogs running around, hardwood is going to be much easier to keep clean.

I have been dreaming about the moment the dining room carpet would finally disappear. Carpet in a dining room just doesn’t sit right with me – it never feels clean (no matter how much you vacuum). I can’t wait to give this space a proper refresh now that we have the right foundation in place. The end of living in a construction zone is in sight!

Wall Prep & Floor Details

Before the new hardwood floors were installed, I primed the back half of the house to get the walls ready for paint. This little bit of prep work means I can whip these rooms into shape as soon as the floors are finished. I’m planning to use a soft, creamy hue for this part of the house (more on that later). You can see the three paint swatches I’ve narrowed down in the image below.

Now, what type of update would this be if I didn’t talk about the actual hardwood? The original wood floor in this house is a stunning red oak with gorgeous grain patterns. Unfortunately, the finish has yellowed over time and has taken on an orange tone that feels very 1995. Since we’re keeping with the traditional style of our home, we laced in matching red oak for the new flooring. Once everything is stained, the transition between old and new will be seamless. You won’t even be able to tell where one stops and the other begins!

Selecting A Stain

I’ve been laboring over a final stain color for days, and here’s where I’ve landed: lighter floors just don’t feel quite right for the style of our home. Even if we wanted to lean into a more transitional look, a light wood floor would feel out of place. Plus, with dark floors on trend for homes, I think a darker stain is the exact right choice for this project.

That said, while I adore the richness of dark stains, going too dark can make cleaning a nightmare (especially with pets). So, I’m leaning toward a just right medium stain. It’s the perfect balance of rich and timeless without feeling too heavy. I’ve narrowed it down to a few options..can you guess which ones?

Now that the new hardwood floors are in, we’re finally beginning to check things off our to-do list. I’ll plan to share the next update with you soon, but in the meantime I’d love to hear your thoughts! Do you lean toward lighter or darker wood toned floors? Which floor stain would you select?

Let me know in the comments and follow along for real-time updates on TikTok (@kaylaharrahdesign).