The darker choice has the appearance of being painted. I'd go for the less dark, which shows more of the wood texture and grain.

I would say the first picture, the darker choice.

I like the lighter choice. It will show less dust and lint!

Thanks for voting! to n24708, it's a new house and those are the two builder options I like. we are going to go for our decor visit soon. our style of transitional and I use a lot of neutral colours. kitchen will be white cabinets with dark island. note we are not using hardwood in the kitchen but everywhere else on the main floor.