Grain vs. Stain
If you can’t identify a food you’ve never tasted before, the cliché answer is that it “tastes like chicken.”
That’s usually safe, because, depending on how it’s prepared, chicken can taste like anything.
Oak floors are a bit the same way (at least to my eye).
“Tastes Like Chicken”
I recently previewed a home with what appeared to be striking walnut floors.
In fact, they were oak, just stained darker to look like (more expensive) walnut.
Nice way to save some money — and I’m guessing 9 out of 10 prospective Buyers can’t tell the difference (and won’t care!).
See also, “The Case of the Too-Shiny Hardwood Floors.”