Hardwood Issue

So Ricky (hardwood installer) calls today and says he really wants us to SEE the wood in the space to ENSURE we like it becauase, at the end of the day, it may not match perfect and his version of matching and mine may be different (i.e. he may think it's dang close while I may think it's not at all).

So... he says it will be $100 for a box of wood (a risk we would take) and he would bring it over tomorrow for us to see. While we're chatting about it he reminds me: the wood that is currently down (that we're trying to match to) is 2.25" - this is TOUGH to find because now most wood made is 3". Because it's tough to find, he says it's pricy. So... we have another option...

We could have them do the WHOLE bottom floor in a bigger (3") wood that's less expensive (he said about $1.50 less per square foot) - this way it's seamless, definitely matches and we can get the color we want (if we have a preference, which of course we do).

So now Austin is talking to him because at the end of the day we'd rather pay $6,000 for EXACTLY what we want, in our color, totally seamless, than pay $4,500 for a mix-match job in a color that we didn't choose to begin with. However - if it's going to be A LOT more than that... that's another story.

We're thinking of having him come over tomorrow and measure the rest of the space (entryway, kitchen, hallway between dining room and kitchen)... and just SEE what he can come up with. I just want it to look good and don't want to spend $4,500 for it to not look good. Boo.

UPDATED 5:10 P.M.: This whole 'pay $100+ for a box of wood you can't return/we may not use' just wasn't sitting with me. I called Lowe's, who carries the wood, and they'll give me two planks (two different colors) of the wood for a $25 deposit so long as I return within 48 hours. So we're going to Lowe's, getting the wood, going to Home Depot Expo in Alpharetta, then going by the house to test the wood. We'll know TONIGHT what we think about it...