removing wall - options for underlying wood

I'm thinking of removing a non-load bearing wall in our apartment (which previously created a small home office - removing the wall adds more light to the room and enlarges the living area). the problem is that the contractor says that after the wall is removed, the underlying wood (where the strip of wall used to be) will have a different stain than the existing dark wood around it. the options... [more]

I'm thinking of removing a non-load bearing wall in our apartment (which previously created a small home office - removing the wall adds more light to the room and enlarges the living area). the problem is that the contractor says that after the wall is removed, the underlying wood (where the strip of wall used to be) will have a different stain than the existing dark wood around it. the options are: 1.) try to match the stain of the existing dark wood, but may not match/look good. 2.) do a wood inlay of some kind, but hard to envision if this will look good or tacky or 3.) refinish the entire floor of the apartment and get something we really like. currently the floor is a dark matte color - i like the dark color, but the floor looks a bit dull to me. recommendations or suggestions? thanks! [less]