Our hardwoods and handrails don't match (floor is "gunstock" and rail is natural oak) and I don't really care for it. There is a local company that can stain the rail to match. It's not been a priority to do this yet, but eventually we will. I'll change the hardware on it as well. Everything was brass and we've switched it all to oil rubbed bronze. It's not hideous, but it's noticeable.

Personally, I don't think it's necessary for you handrails to match your floor. Nice wood floors are sort of like bluejeans, in that they usually work well with other things. My handrails are a beautiful decorative blond wood, and they have never matched my floor. However, if your handrails/stairs are a major focal point of your room, you may feel that they should match to unify the space. In any case, it's your house and you should do whatever you think you'd like best!

We put Brazilian cherry flooring in our foyer, dining room and living room. Our stair treads and railing were light oak. After we put the floor in we realized how awful the stairs and railing looked with the BC floor. We eventually replaced the stair treads and railing system with BC also. It was quite an expensive decision but I love how it turned out.

It's all a matter of taste. Here is a staircase, handrail and oak floor in a recent remodel we did. The floors are natural with three coats of oil based Varethane,
the stair treads are natural red oak, and the maple handrail is fruitwood. The wall color is butter cream eggshell, and the trim is semi-gloss sand dollar by Ben Moore.
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