Hello all,

First time post, but I have been a lurker on this site for quite sometime, and I know I'll get good advice from you guys.

Anyways I bought my house a little over a year ago, one of the main selling points for me was the house's very open floor plan, with the kitchen and living room area essentially being one giant room. The house gets tons of light, and lends itself easy to outdoor living. I am looking at completely reflooring the kitchen area (the previous owners cleaned the existing wood floor with a steam cleaner...and many of the strips have warped /sigh) along with the living room area / hallway (which is berber carpeting which I don't care for).

The problem I am running into is choosing a hardwood color that will go with my existing cabinetry and living room furniture and I am completely overwhelmed. Although I absolutely love open floor plans, it is making it very difficult to find a flooring choice that will "pull it all together".

So far I am thinking a very natural / light maple, or maybe even a wide width hickory floor (I love the contrast in hickory), but I am still unsure. Any or all comments would be greatly appreciated!