I love red elm, but you'll have a difficult time finding that. However, site finished quartered and rift sawn white oak makes for a timeless and great looking floor.

You will never go wrong with oak. It's durable and classic.

I have been considering white oak as well but have mixed feelings on it. In one way it s so busy- in another way it is classic.
I love the look of the classic English home and wonder if white oak is a common floor choice for those. Anyway--- it feels really overwhelming to choose the flooring and we have to decide soon. I have been thinking aobut it for mnths! I was almost sure of the yellow birch, but now I am thinking white oka or birch or maple---- the white oak samples I have look really brown and I prefer beige. I need to get some more samples to compare. At one point I said I don't like oak! I even ordered mt stair treads in maple to avoid oak . . . but now I am considering oak flooring. ugh I am confused.

Hire a designer to help you. There are only about 3000 decisions that you will face when building and if you don't have a clear overall vision statement to guide you, you'll be lost.

I hear you on the designer thing-- but however we are at the tail end of the decisions and at this point I just need to figure out my bedroom lighting and the flooring ( and the fixtures) so there is no time to find a designer.

right now I am considering bleached oak floors--- I saw a photo of them. I will put a new post up about this