You could try asoftwash gray

I like that idea. How do I do it? but I'm afraid it will look too much like the fireplace.

Maple tends to blotch badly when stained. Don't try to stain it at all unless you have a lot of experience. If you do stain, stay very very light, with a pre conditioner. Practice on scrap material first. Including a finish coat. The finish coat will again change how it looks, and reveal the blotches more.

Maple is very difficult to stain properly. LWO is right--use a pre-conditioner. Even then, the plywood veneer's grain is unlikely to be attractive, given the wild graining because of the way the veneer is cut.

Thank you, tatts and live_wire_oak. So now have already put one coat of cherry stain. Should have thought to ask here first. Can a conditioner be used after one coat?

How does it look with the cherry? Post a pic?

I don't have much hope that the maple plywood will take a consistent stain from board to board, but here is the space with a medium grey stain. It's likely to look like a checkerboard when complete.

Renee Texas, can you post a photo of your maple cabinets, cherry stain?

BeverlyFLADeziner, thanks for simulating the gray. I'm afraid that looks too much like concrete. Can you simulate a white wash?

What did you end up with? I have the same situation in my husband shop.....