I agree with Gallifrey, gloss and no stain is the way to go. Our brush box floors are nearly 20 years old and survived our youngest son rollerblading and riding his trike the length of our house. Yes, it does show dust a bit more, but it is much harder wearing.

Thank you. The finishes meet in the doorway in the picture as well as at the top of the stairs which is where the Lifeproof is installed.

Pictures will only be inspiration, you’ll really need to try a sample on your floor. I’m with you on disliking redness in the floor. Can you sand back a section in a wardrobe or similar and try with a clear Matt finish and also with a white wash or similar?

Preserve the hardwood floors as is. You don’t want to devalue and down grade them in an attempt to match an inferior product. Where will the old floors meet the new? We can provide some advice on the transition. Embrace the quirks of your house, it gives them character that new builds will never have. You can get quite good engineered wood for the rest of the house (I hate carpet also) and hopefully you can find something that works.