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Provincial Stain is a traditional, medium-toned brown that will work in any home. We applied it to our white oak floors after water popping them, to get a rich uniform finish.
Why We Chose the Provincial over Other Popular Wood Stains
The first thing that happened once we closed on our new house was to get the dingy ambered oak floors refinished and stained.
After deliberating between Jacobean, Dark Walnut, Special Walnut and Provincial, we finally settled on Provincial as our favorite color stain.
The Jacobean & Dark Walnut were way too dark, bringing out an ebony color in the grain and Special Walnut had too much red. So Provincial it was
Provincial is a warm, medium toned brown. If you’re worried about your floors turning out too dark, then provincial is a really great choice. It adds wonderful warmth and feels very natural and timeless.
RELATED: The Best Wall Colors for Dark Wood Floors
The Staining Process
Now let me tell you, the guy we worked with was really great and had the patience of a saint to boot (If you’re in Mass or NH and want his name, drop me an email!).
Originally I was planning on sanding the floors and staining them a rich brown. Then I changed my mind and wanted to just sand and finish with a water based poly to keep them looking natural.
Oak floors get an amber effect that happens with oil based polyurethane. The poly darkens them initially, and they get darker and more orange as the years progress. That’s why I thought a water based product like Bona Naturale, that is completely tint free and matte, would be a good option.
THEN, realizing that the floors would probably never really be as light as I wanted, I reverted to my original plan of staining them.
(Now that I know more about hardwood floors and stains, a light color could have been achieved. But it wasn’t as popular in 2015 as it is now, so the flooring guy wasn’t as familiar with the colors that would have worked to get my desired effect)
By the way, our floors are white oak and they were dull, worn and very ambered.
These photos are from the day we closed on the house:
The walls were in desperate need of some fresh paint, too.
This navy blue carpet was up the stairs and throughout the entire hallway. The living room and dining room originally had matching area rugs, too.
All the carpeting was ripped up. The floors were sanded down to beautiful fresh wood and stained with 2 coats of Bona DriFast stain in Provincial.
The floors were also “water popped” which means a light coat of water was added to the bare floors. This makes the grain swell and allows the stain to soak in deeper, giving a richer end color.
Finally, 3 coats of Polyurethane in a satin finish were applied.
The new stain brings such warm and coziness to the space. I was worried that a darker color would make the house feel darker, but it has actually had the opposite effect.
We only stained the stair treads and not the banisters. The extra $800 didn’t seem worth it!
We really love how the floors turned out. They look brand new and the color is exactly what I wanted.
If you’re looking to stain your floors, I really love how Provincial turned out. But if you want something a little darker, don’t be afraid to make a custom blend. Sometimes a 50/50 mix of one stain plus a darker one will get you the exact color you’ve been wanting!
Hi- i LOVE the color that you ended up with! We also have white oak – but what brand is it? I’m confused because Bona, Duraseal and Minwax all have a color color called Provincial? Also, did you do a satin or matte finish?
Thank you!
Hi! We used Bona and did a satin finish. If I did it again I would go with the matte, as my kids have scratched it in a few places!
Hi Jena I finally had my hardwood floors sanded & stained with Provincial! I had several dog accident stains and was recommended going with the stain. I absolutely love it..looks rich classy and inviting!! I’m horrible with matching colors because I love contrast so I get lost when trying to compliment the colors. My home is a 1200 sq feet and my question to you is the paint color Canyon Dusk by Behr be too dark or even yet not match the flooring?
Hi Melissa, I’m so happy you like your floors! I don’t really take floors into
Consideration too much when choosing wall colors. Our eyes don’t look at them the same as objects directly in our line of view.
I’m not familiar with this paint color but if it’s for a bedroom or living room you will most likely have a rug that breaks up the color of the floors anyway.
Hi Jenna!
I absolutely love the colors in your house. Did you use SW Repose Gray on the wall by the front door? What color did you use for the door and what white for the trim? It is the exact look I am trying to achieve!
I can’t wait to try this stain on my floors too! We just closed on our house today and are going to start refinishing the floor tomorrow! Thanks for the tips!
Hi Kat! Yes, the hallway is Repose Gray and our original front door was Sherwin Williams Serious Gray with Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White Trim (SW Pure White is a very close match). Good luck with your floors! Provincial is a great color!
Jenna,
Beautiful floors! Do you know how wide your planks are? We have provincial on our stairs already and are thinking of replacing and staining our living room and dining room to match. Just curious how big the planks are!
Thanks, Joanne
Hi Joanne, they are the original 2 inch planks.
I live in Mass and I am building a new house. I will be using select white oak and would like a light/medium stain. I love provincial but might want to go a shade lighter. Any suggestions?
Also can you share the contact info of the gentleman that did your floors please?
Hi I don’t have a suggestion for a shade lighter unfortunately. I used Ron Wilson and sons out of NH
Hi, is there a reason you didn’t go with a Bona water-base to prevent the amber coloring over time? I have 900 sq ft of newly unfinished floors installed and need to make a decision. Floors are red oak to match rest of my house. I love provincial on white oak; just not sure about the grain in red oak.
I have no experience with it on red oak, sorry!
Would provincial be to ambery on RED oak? We were ready to pick that and I’m hesitant now.
I haven’t seen it in person, but I’m sure it would look a little redder. Just like paint, it’s really important to test floor stains before committing! We tried a sample of 5 or 6 different colors before settling on Provincial. You can also go 50/50 on colors for a custom mix to tone down the red if that’s what you want!
Hi~ Your floors look great. I’m currently refinishing 93 year old white oak floors. I would like to leave them natural, but I may not be able to, because of old stains not successfully coming out. I like the neutral color of Provencial— not too red or yellow, but i would like something lighter. You mentioned lighter color options. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks!
Hi Jennifer, you can have your flooring contractor do custom mixes for you or you could try something like Early American.