Floor Stains for Red Oak - Fall 2025 One Room Challenge - Hausmatter Interiors Week 2

It’s week 2 of the One Room Challenge and I have a beautiful update to share. In case you missed week 1, find it here

Hot tip I learned this week: It’s a good idea to put drop cloths down before ceilings are scraped. We were planning to sand the floors so I wasn’t knew those would be fine, but what I didn’t think about was globs of mud on plumbing fixtures and kitchen counters! You only need to learn this lesson once, trust me. I’ve been cleaning dry wall clumps off every single surface, but did take a break to test some floor stains for our original red oak floors. I wanted something mid-tone that felt warm.

I tested (from bottom) Provincial , Early American, English Chestnut and finally, a 50/50 mix of English Chestnut and Early American.

But first, a little practicality about choosing a floor stain:

What stain is best for hiding dirt on floors?

It’s counter-intuitive, but the lighter floor stains are going to make dirt less obvious (if that is what you are after). Some people want to see the dirt so they know where to clean. This is valid, but it’s not just dirt you notice on floors, even bare-feet can leave behind prints on the floors and drive homeowners crazy. The darker the stain, the more you will notice foot-prints from shoes, dust and pet dander. So something like an ebony would be very difficult to keep clean, whereas a more natural stain will be much easier. Of course, the type of dirt outside of your home, and the color of fur on your dog are all factors that come in to play here. In terms of the sealant, a high gloss is also going to make dirt and prints from pets and shoes more obvious. A matte finish on your floor stain will be the most forgiving between floor cleanings. So with all this said, there isn’t a chance in this lifetime that I am ever going to install a high gloss, ebony-stained floor in my home with kids and dogs.

floor stains on red oak with matte finish

The difference between the bottom three was pretty marginal but I would say the English Chestnut appeared slightly, darker and more red. The top felt a little too light to me, but still beautiful. There really wasn’t a bad option on the table. I ended up going with Early American in a matte finish, which you can see turned out beautifully. It feels historic, timeless and is pretty decent at minimizing floor dander. I’m sharing these photos unedited, in natural light so you can get an accurate assessment of the color. I’m thrilled. It’s just warm enough, without being too red. Theres contrast in the grain without it looking too busy. Perfect.

And look at those ceilings, folks! What a difference, right?