I like both the ones on the left. The middle one seems to have a tighter grain, but I really like the bold grain of the far right.

Are they all the same wood? I like the color of the middle one the best but agree that the grain of the planks on the side are nicer looking. When you ask about durability, in my old house I had a high shine, when I sold the house people thought they were brand new 20 years later. I'm in my new house 6 years, and my floors look good, matt finish, I do have more scratches on these than in the old house, but because of enviomental restraints the old poly was discountinued. Good luck with your floors!

Thanks for your replies. Yes, they are all the same wood, just different stains. I imagine that we would get a variety of grain patterns. These aren't high sheen, but I've heard that it's easier to repair scratches with a matte finish?

Be sure that you test the oil finish well before you decide you can live with it. That means having the flooring guy make you up a 3'x3' sample that you spill Coke on and step on with shoes with little pieces of gravel embedded in the treads. Sure, it's a repairable finish, but that can be a drawback rather than a bonus if it won't hold up to the wear and tear of your normal family life.

For a floor with the best wear characteristics, look at prefinished flooring with an aluminum oxide coating. It can be available in a satin or matte finish if that's what you want. It can be screened and recoated 5-7 years down the line if you need to refresh it or desire to change the gloss level of the finish. And if you do that periodically, there is no reason that it shouldn't last you 40-50 years and never need "refinishing".