When you're doing a new hardwood floor, a big decision can be the exact colour of stain on the floors. I've done homes with dark floors and light – either choice can be beautiful. When I was working on my own place (above) I felt I wanted a light colour floor to keep the space open, airy and casual. Sometimes I find a lighter floor has a more casual feel. The floors in the image above are Nova Scotia milled maple with a clear coat of finish, it does naturally get darker over time. But here is another with dark floors. This was a custom stain, in quite a matte finish and I also loved the colour of these floors. I find each house is different so the decision can depend on a number of factors.
Here is a good example of how they can look side by side.