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Go for wide planks if they're in budget. Dark brown or black will be more dramatic. Medium oak will be the most re-salable.

If your furniture is dark, you might want to consider a lighter floor for contrast. I'd think you want your furniture to stand out from the floor rather than blend into it. You might look into bamboo flooring. It's very popular and harder than oak in addition to being very environmentally friendly. Don't go for the darker carmelized bamboo, as the carmelization process makes it softer. I've seen contractors selling good bamboo flooring (8 layers of finish, 25 year warranty) for as little as $2 per square foot.

Good luck!

Your furniture will change before your floor ever does.... I think that is more important.

Bamboo is hot, but expensive.

Very dark floors can look dusty within hours of dusting.

I posted a comment to this question this morning, but for some reason my post was removed?

I stated that if you have dark furniture, and dark floors everything will blend together.

You had asked about a medium brown with red tones, and I suggested something like a Brazilian cherry or other cherry.

We have Oak floors, and that is another option as it provides contrast with our dark wood furniture.

Bamboo can look really nice, but be careful as not all bamboo flooring is the same quality.

i've seen some nice mixed dark and light wood hardwood floors. not sure of the wood, thought it was bamboo though. very thin strips placed on a bias really ad some dimension to a room. the colors would both complement and contrast your furnishings as well.

Bamboo isn't necessarily expensive.

I always see high grade bamboo advertised on Craigslist. Home Depot has it for $3 something a square foot. I got an estimate from Home Depot of roughly 9 grand for material and labor, including two flights of stairs for a 1000 Sq Ft installation. That was less than some oak flooring I'd looked at.

Re: Bamboo Flooring
This is purely anecdotal, but I have heard many horror stories about inexpensive bamboo flooring cupping and cracking.

Re: Brazilian Cherry
Before you buy a product that is harvested or manufactured overseas (or at home), you might want to give some thought to sustainability and ethics and decide how this should factor into your decision. I believe the Forest Stewardship Council has list of sustainably produced flooring products.

A lot depends on wether you are installing a solid wood or some sort or laminate or engineered floor.

A solid wood floor can serve the building much of it life 50+ at least. Get classic styles that will last through fashion changes.

Laminates and engineered flooring 'systems' can be thought of as building accessories life span
On the plus side these floors are easy in and easy out so changing them is not as daunting as it sounds.

Oh and one last thing. If you want to be on the leading edge of a trend get cork flooring. Good cork is warm and has just a whisper of give. It's a very comfortable surface and the tiles are easy to replace if a spot gets damaged.

I have very light floors with very dark wood furniture [mostly walnut]the contrast is beautiful.Another bonus which someone else mentioned is that they stay cleaner looking longer.Your rooms will also appear larger and if you scratch them it will not be so obvious.Good wishes.

Floors are a fairly permanant design element in your home, so anything you install, you'll need to plan on it's durability as well as it's ability to transition into other styles (and styles do change!). You will also need to consider the amount of light that is in the space as well, since reflective light accounts for much of how the final product will look. Dark floors absorb light and may require more artificial lighting on dim days. Although, a way to counter this could be with large area rugs, maybe in bamboo, to increase lightness where needed.

I would go with a hardwood such as maple, oak, or cherry, tinted/stained in a medium tone, so that it will not only compliment your current furniture, but will allow the flexibility of changing to a lighter finish of furniture in the future. And depending on the size of the space, wide planks would be fantastic, adding a nice texture and mass to the room.

I think very dark floors, while striking, are a trend that is going to look very dated in a few years. I would go for a medium tone.

As you can see there's alot to consider. do your homework. tear-sheets from as many shelter mags or books as possible to help visualize your ultimate design goal. Find your style. Classic, modern, transitional? Look at what you have and what you will need to discard to make it happen.
rlm

Your new home is a significantly greater investment than your existing furniture. You mention that you're new to design so I'd like to point out that many people find that their current furniture isn't quite what they thought when they move in to a new space (especially if it's new construction).

Because of this, I would encourage you to pick out what you love with regards to the flooring. A beautiful floor will be a wonderful canvas for your life to be lived upon. You can find the right furniture for this as your life goes on.

Enjoy and congratulations!

Question: Has anyone put different color hardwoods in adjacent rooms. I currently have Oak in most of the lower level but would like to change the den carpeting with Dark hardwood.

Is it visually appealing?
thanks

I have just installed hardwood floors (red oak in natural finish )in my living and dining room. Currently I have walls painted in Bejamin Moores Wilmington tan, have white trim. Any ideas on colors to use to decorate ??

Bamboo Flooring is certainly one of the upcoming materials in today's floor market. With many many advantages over traditional hardwood flooring it has certainly been a kind of shooting star amongst the different new floor types used. Amongst many its durability and hardness make bamboo very resistant.