I got dark Chocolate hardwood floors, despite all the people telling me no don't do. I'm so glad I did I wanted them and now we Love them!

It's a personal choice.  Doesn't matter if your floors are light or dark, as long as you like it.

I always loved the look of dark hardwood so finding a rental suite that boasted dark floors seemed like a bonus, but after I moved into that rental suite, I was constantly cleaning them.  They show every speck of dust, footprints and water spots. They also scratch easily and those scratches show big time.  Also, we were lucky enough to have big windows, but if it wasn't a bright day, the floors seemed to suck in all the light making our home feel dark.  I now know that I will never purchase dark floors for myself.  Hope this helps others.

I am contemplating the installation of engineered hardwood throughout my home, and know by personal experience 'dark' flooring of any type  is far more difficult to maintain and keep looking clean.    However, if one is prepared and accept the drawbacks of 'it' (in this case 'dark hardwood flooring) then the beauty of 'it' is the reward.

I love dark floors.  I have had oak stained ebony, and it is true that it really shows up the dirt.  Having a satin finish instead of a gloss helps, but recently i went a shade lighter with jacobean stain, and it is perfect, doesn't show the dirt,and it lets the wood grain show.

I have very dark hardwood floors. They are a mistake. While I still think they look incredible for five minutes after my cleaning lady has been there, or at night with the lights turned down low, for me the maintenance is just too much. I basically use my Swiffer as a third arm and I'm not kidding you I get down on my hands and knees and wash them by hand every day. I'll be moving soon and I'll not miss my pretty dark hardwood at all.

This is SOOO helpful!! We are going to be getting new hardwood floors in the next year or so. Right now we have the very light, narrow strip oak. Our house seems very bright. I looked into the "hand-scraped" engineered floors but they say not kid or pet friendly. Now I am leaning toward a traditional finish in more of a honey/antique colour. Thanks so much for all the great feedback on dark floors!!

This is very timely, as my husband and I just bought a house, and we're thinking of putting in dark floors. I still love the look of them, but we'll have to think about whether the pros outweigh the cons.

We are empty nesters and a few years ago built a new home with dark floors. Looked wonderful when clean but we had to dust them everyday and they showed footprints from bare feet. Previously enjoyed light hardwood and have returned to that look in our present home.

There's a lot more to consider than just dark vs light.  When we were choosing our pre-finished hardwood, we brought a lot of samples home to see how they would look in our house.  We had dark oak spiral stairs and most of our furniture was on the dark side so we ended up choosing oak in a dark 'mocha' stain to match.  It was definitely the right choise and is absolutely gorgeous.  Sure, the dust shows but get over it.  There's more to life!

I have dark floors and do not regret installing them in my smaller home.They look beautiful and add interest and drama to the rooms.

Thank you everyone for your advice, I've wanted to re-do my hardwood and was contemplating a dark stain but finding out that it shows dirt easily and not ideal for a house with pets or children, which we have both, makes my decision much easier~ light is is!

Dark hardwood is not for anyone with large dogs. They scratch them up so much, I now have to block my rooms that have the dark hardwood from the dogs. Something to consider before installing.

NO WAY i have dark floors shows everything i am constantly swifting, vacuming, mopping they are so hard to keep up with 3 cats a dog and 3 kids no way i am thinking of changing them, they do look great when they are clean (for like 5 minutes) nevver again.

I have dark wood floors and 2 dogs.  They always look dirty and they show everything.  I think they are beautiful if you do not have pets but I would re think them in my next house.

The darker and glossier the finish, the more dust you can see and the greater chance of noticing dings and scratches--especially maple floors.

A deeper stained grainy oak or knotty pine is very rich and comforting if it's not glossed up.  

I think of it this way...I'd rather spend an extra few minutes cleaning something I absolutely love rather than dream about having it because I settled for something else.  (dark floors, white kitchens, white tablecloths during regular meals, etc, etc,...and I love using the "fancy towels" everyday--life is too short to worry about the inevitable dirt of daily living)

I agree with Val...they look sophisticated, minimalistic and elegant.  I recently installed a birch floor with a dark santos red finish - low gloss.  Light cabinets, dark granite.  The floors are gorgeous - with only a quick round of the swiffer each day.  Looks almost black and shiny at night, and shows lovely varied coloration in sunlight.  Definitely not for kids and dogs - I love the look!