Next time on Dear Alice.

The first question comes from

Carleen McCarthy.

She asks, my husband and I are planning to renovate our

1915 Dutch colonial.

It's a small charming house that we are quickly outgrowing with

three kids. We're hoping to renovate the kitchen and add a living room, mud room,

and primary on the first floor. The house currently has the original wood floors

with two inch strips and an orange

stain throughout. We're not planning to touch the stairs which has a newish

runner up the stairs during the renovation. Do I refinished the floors on the first floor but keep the

orange upstairs or should I focus on keeping the entire house feeling cohesive? Any

tips to downplay the orangeish hues?

I would say yes.

You should ref finish the floors on the main level.

Here's why. Not tear out, but sand and refinished, right?

Either or.

You're going to, these floors are not going to look the same

when you're done. So whatever's in your price point, you can keep it. I think the two inch is really

charming and that continues to be the part of your home. You're just going to do a lot of

sampling on the floors, maybe in a closet area that's less

That nobody's gonna see but you're gonna send those suckers down and you're gonna find a stain that is to really tone that wood to get you a really beautiful

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