I live in a colonial style 4 bedroom two story house, the kind you find all over the midwest in Suburbia....anyhow...

I've got hardwood flooring in the living room. Kitchen cabinets are Oak, but I got a good deal on Maple flooring, so I put down maple. I don't have a formal dining room, but I do have a nice, large living room. Here is my question.

Stylewise, is it okay or just plain wrong to put down a different style, species, or color of wood in other rooms in the house? Part of me feels like its wearing one blue sock and one red sock style wise...and part of me loves wood and wants to put down a few different kinds of flooring. The rest of the trim in the house is that generic photostatic wood, with a decent profile. I'm planning on painting that all white, and then getting six panel doors that are real wood and painting them white also...and yes I know that six panel doors painted sometimes have issues as the panels expand and contract. I've just fixed up three older houses before buying this newer one, and don't like the "fake" feel of the fake woodwork...

Anyhow, opinions good bad and ugly, weldome!

And I'd have the floors seperated by carpet or other flooring, so you wouldn't see two different floors at the same time..

Multiple kinds of wood room to room is fine... just use a trim piece to separate them. however, I'd suggest a strong contrast when you do make the transition.

DONT use click lock imitation flooring next to real hardwood.

It's all going to be real hardwood...I know a couple of people that own sawmills and can buy great stuff cheaper than laminate...

It's your house so if you like it, then do it.

The next question would be, what does it do for (or to) potential resale? In that regard, I'm not sure. If buyers like or don't mind an eclectic look, then it shouldn't be a problem. However, if buyers like a consistent look throughout the house, then that would be a negative.

In earlier times, it wasn't unusual to find a more expensive wood in the public spaces where guests could see it. On the scond floor, in the private spaces you'd find a less expensive wood. I don't know that I've seen a mixture on the same floor.

I guess I'd be a fan of using the same wood in any adjoining rooms.

Makes things look more open and larger.

But if there is a carpet interupt, I don't think it's a big deal to use 2 or more types of wood.

We have some cedar paneled accent walls and in those rooms we also have a nice medium oak "mill run" hardwood. A neat idea is to see if you can get a "mill run" style of hardwood flooring where there are some imperfections and variations from one board to the next- it looks much more natural and less "Stepford".

It really just depends. My inclination is for consistency, BUT I think you can get away with it no problem by turning it into something special, either by laying it in a pattern/design, or doing something just plain fancy with it. ONCE. If you have 7 different kinds of wood floors in your house, though, it doesn't do much for resale. It's like madras for floors.

Cabinets can be and often are different. I think it'd be weird if the cabinets matched the floor, but whatever.

I agree with Camino- same styles in adjoining rooms give a perception of larger, airier spaces leading into one another... but separated by something (a carpeted hall for EX), non-adjoining rooms are fine in different woods/finishes. I have definitely seen different woods in adjoining rooms tho (in upscale houses).

And as Croc said- no more than 2 types per level.

Thanks for the responses, guys....and like vonV said, i want something a little more natural and with a little more character.