The cabinets look well made and in good condition but your kitchen looks very woody. Have cabinets painted. They can be removed from wall and sprayed inside and out with three coats that will last.
My son's were sprayed outside in his garage after draping area with plastic sheets. They will look great on your space.

I agree with the suggestions to paint the cabinets.

The current cabinets appear to be in good condition but are outdated.

Replace the cabinet hardware also with something more contemporary.

I think new countertops would also help. Quartz in a nice white/gray blend would do nicely, especially if you go with white on the cabinets.

Paint the cabinets and up date the hardware

and get new stools if possible :)

I love the cabinet doors especially the lovely grain in them - it would seem a shame to cover them up with paint. Introducing white into you kitchen would certainly help immensely. I totally agree with the suggestion of white benchtops but would extend this to the backsplash. A lighter wall colour would be better and perhaps changing the floor from woodlook to a light tile or even whitewashed cork. More modern handles of the doors and definately lose those stools - Genevieve's suggestion is brilliant.

Or if you want to keep the colour of the cabinets,replace a few upper door with glass inserts ,or remove a few just to stop the continuance and yes a totally different colour for the walls

Your cabinets have A LOT of wood grain. This grain is dominant in your kitchen and is the first thing I noticed. If you glaze them, the grain will still be there. Paint is the best option. If you went white it would brighten the room immensely, and also bring contrast against the floor. Your current counter top, back splash and paint would work with white cabinets. New hardware would move your kitchen into the 21st century. The size is great and you have a real good layout.

I understand why you want to paint your cabinets. Oak is not a paint grade wood because the texture of the grain shows through. However, many people do paint it and are happy with the results. If you are not an accomplished and patient DIY person then you should get the cabinets professionally painted. I see far too many badly painted cabinets. You could also consider getting new doors.

If you want to work with the wood, consider decreasing the amount of cabinetry you have and possibly replacing with some shelving. To do this you need to think about how much cabinet space you really need and if you can manage open shelving - keeping it orderly.

The above cabinets also have light countertops, backsplash and wall color.

Consider removing the microwave vent and replacing with a stainless vent. This will break up the wood.

My cabinets are oak, but a little different then yours and possibly a different style of kitchen - vintage / cottage. I decided to keep them oak.

https://www.houzz.com/photos/my-pics-work-in-progress-phvw-vp~54988842

If you can afford it, probably best to remove cabs and start with new. I know everyone "thinks" it's best and easiest to paint, but sometimes the labor cost is high enough that affordable "new" cabinets are a better value. Plus the new cabinets have slow close hinges, you can get features like tray storage and pull out shelves, raising the height to meet ceiling which adds more storage. Plus they look - SO MUCH BETTER. I've had great luck with Kemper Cabinets (they are also sold under the name Diamond). Sometimes we paint, but sometimes we put in new. See before/after pics. Hope this helps. Caryl H.