Stop with the paint and get off Pinterest!

Think of it as a protective coating for the day someone refinishes it. Sorta like the carpet over hardwood floors of today.

I actually think white is easier than dark woods because it doesn’t show the dust and fingerprints. I battle the super dark wood cabinets fingerprints everyday in my bathrooms. My white doesn’t show any of this. The natural cherry cabinets I had were the best and I miss them. I am trying to convince my mom to not paint hers in the bathrooms. 
Someone was discussing this debate about the positives of seeing the dirt and dust makes them aware to clean vs it being there but not seeing it. Microscopic view was the term used. 

I agree with this. I have hardwood floors too.

The few that I have seen in kitchens have just yellowed over age.  The crisp white doesn't seem to hold its color. My friend says it is the grease.  I have hickory and it is the perfect mix of wood coloring.  I am sure they aren't super clean either, but it doesn't show.  

It would be interesting to have a realtor reply to your post so we could know how painting solid cherry cabinets would affect the resale price. I was always under the impression that solid cherry was very desirable.

We painted cherry cabinets at our last house and I was nervous to mention it to our realtor (who had sold us the house 18 months earlier) but she said “Good, the kitchen looks more updated now”. White kitchens are very on trend right now.

I actually enjoy both! I love vintage wood pieces, but I also love color. I just had my solid oak, double front doors painted a beautiful shade of burgundy. We needed the paint on the front of the house refreshed and I love the look of shutters and front doors matching with a bold pop of color. My oak doors were badly sun and weather damaged and I fretted over it for so long on what to do with them because I LOVE them so much. When the painter came and said they could be repaired and refinished, but it would take much longer (almost a full 5 days) and cost 3 times as much as just painting them, I decided to go for the paint. We needed so much other work done around here, it was hard to justify the cost. We are planning to sell very soon, so I also worried about how old fashioned the oak doors were for curb appeal, especially to younger buyers.

I am so happy with them repainted to match my outdoor shutters! The rest of the house is tans with touches of cream and then the burgundy shutters and double front doors just pop right out. The inside is still the original oak color, so I feel like I have the best of both worlds. If we were staying here, I probably would of had them refinished in a darker shade like espresso since I really do love wood front doors. Also, if we were planning to stay, I would be spending the money to have my oak kitchen cabinets repainted white too. I am over the oak in my kitchen since I've been living with it for 17 years, but will let the (hopefully) new buyers change it to their taste.

I like painted better than wood generally.

There is so little value in wood furniture these days. When we moved 2 years ago, I wanted to sell two sets of solid wood bedroom furniture. One set was oak and the other mahogany. Six months of effort netted me basically nothing.

I ended up selling the oak set for.... $25. Yup. Solid oak, Amish crafted and the most I could get for it was $25. The only reason I did not donate it was no place would do a pick up and it would have cost me to rent a truck to get it to the donation locations.

The mahogany set was our bedroom set and I could not sell it at all. In fact, I even tried giving it away and no one took it. So I ended up painting it gray. Looks fantastic! My kids did not even recognize it when they came to visit for the first time after I had done it. They thought I had gotten new furniture, but it was just the old set painted gray.

So nope, I have no issues with painting solid wood furniture. Don't like it, then don't do it. Like it, then do it. That simple.