Although I didn't want really dark wood, my husband didn't want oak, and the others were too red for my tastes. I still plan on having a couple of area rugs in the living room of a light color, so if the wood ends up too dark (for my tastes) the area rugs should lighten things up.
I don't think you'll go wrong from the medium shade in your pic, to the darker end of what I've seen. It's a beautiful wood in all tones, plus, like you mentioned, your area rugs will add significantly to the feel of things.