I love a light kitchen, so that's my vote :-). I've done three kitchens.... two kitchens to look like new.
What worked best for me was hiring a really good painter to take the cabinet doors and drawers to a dust-free place to sand them, apply a high quality appropriate primer, then spray them. They can also mask off the rest of the room and spray the cabinet boxes in your kitchen. in order to change from the oak finish, sanding and the right primer are key. More thin coats of paint are better than one thick. A couple of thin coats sprayed on evenly over a smooth primer will look really professional. I used a semi-gloss acrylic enamel by Coronado called Rustscat that wore really well. I'm attaching a pic of your kitchen that I doctored up to give you an idea of what white might look like. Your kitchen might look great with white cabinets and black counters for contrast. Love the wall color.