Darker stains show up all the scratches in the many layers of polyurethane. This is considerably less obvious in lighter floors. If you want to go darker, consider using burnished oil rather than polyurethane. This way you just oil out minor scratches. Also assists contracting and expanding in winter ans summer.

It doesn't look that bad. I'd go with rugs inside and out to draw your attention away. If you go with a stain, you can get grey stains. Bunnings have a Hunter Grey.

Did you decide which timber to use. Carpet squares work well just make sure the over locked edge isn't too tight as it will cause the carpet to curl up, you can also use sisal the same way which you can take outside and hose down. With your table and chairs on timber it's all a bit timber and would be an idea to just keep the two carver chairs at the end of the table and introduce some other chairs to soften the setting, could also be better chairs for little ones to sit in.

Hi monicafowler96 There are pros and cons for either a solid hardwood timber flooring or a quality engineered flooring. Solid will give you a longer life span with more times it can be sanded and refinished but ususally more expensive to lay and finish in the desired finish. A roasted solid timber is a good option if you want a dark floor- also makes it harder and colour penetrates right through. Make sure the timber is acclimatised before laying to minimise movement (shrinkage and expansion) or cupping can occur. A quality engineered flooring with a thick wear layer is often chosen because it still gives you 2-3 sands. It comes prefinished so it's cost effective. Some are smoked so any scratches are minimal in appearance. Check out the Venture plank range from Havwoods for a product with a thick wear layer. https://www.havwoods.com.au/flooringsearch/engineered-timber-flooring/venture-plank Stay away from any of the thin or mdf backed products. Arena Venture plank pictured above Just a further thought- make sure you have alot of natural light if you want a very dark floor and they do require more cleaning as they show the dust. Best wishes