Somewhere between a medium and medium dark in 5 inch is the most traditional and can pair with almost any style. Hand scraped can give off a rustic style which may conflict with any future design changes you wish to make.

I don't know that anything is really timeless....i would go with what you like.....dark wood leave foot traces if you don't walk with slippers....light wood show dark hair, dust bunnies....and dark spots of dust, if you drop water....there are different widths of wood planks, i would tend to not go too skinny or too large, not a fan of rustic wood as i think that this look will age more than other looks, if you go simple and classic, it won't look on trend, but won't age too fast, would avoid cherry and orange oak look....

White Oak with a medium brown to natural finish. Hand scraping seems to be not nearly as popular a request as just a few years ago.

Fumed oak and then an oil finish

Natural tones or mid-tone. Not too orange. Not too dark. A plank that is 4" or so is timeless. You find 3 3/4" wide hardwoods all over N. America. You can always find this width. If it is easy to source more than 20 years after the floor is installed then it would rank as "timeless".

Hand scraped = trendy = here today; gone tomorrow. Super dark or super light/white/gray = trendy = here today; gone tomorrow.

Think of all the wood floors you have seen in your life. Think of the colour and the plank width. Think about museums, art galleries, town halls, etc. Anything that had a hardwood floor installed when the building was built more than 50 years ago. That's the look that ranks as "timeless". Because it defies trends or eras.

Great response Cancork Floor Inc. Thank you very much. I totally agree with everything you said. :)