The key to painting cabinets is to properly prep them from the start. Otherwise, you will have chips and scratches showing through all the time...Sand really well to be sure all the slick finish is removed. Then, prime, sand, prime, sand prime, sand, paint, sand, paint, sand, paint. It's a lot of work to do it properly but this is the only way to get a lasting paint job. Also, spraying the cabinets with the proper paint sprayer is faster, and will look better when done.

also, you may neeed to clean with TPS before you start the sanding and priming cycle. and all the doors need to be off the cupboards, and hardware removed.

Without a ton of knowledge it's tough to paint kitchen cabinets. If you want them to lean darker you could go with General Finishes Java Gel or Gel stain. Java as not in the color, but the name. You still need to prep and be educated on the use and so on otherwise failure. Having them professionally painted would cost a small fortune. Prep is major key... there are many You Tube videos on the products. General Finishes is a wonderful brand, but you still need knowledge, prep know how and so on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgX5yE5rUbo

Professionally prepped and coated with a conversion finish, they can be extremely durable. That usually costs 7-9K. It's very labor intensive, and the products aren't available to homeowners. Homeowner grade labor and materials, well, not so much.

Your cabinets are much too nice to not do professional grade work on them. It would be different if they were 70's ugly and you were trying to brighten them up for a year or so. You wouldn't care about having something like that not wear well.

Yes, true Live wire oak... you could get all new mid grade cabinets for the price of a professional paint and what you ultimately seek. So something to consider.

General Finishes does offer a great brand and it's very durable ( my kitchen island in my last home was done with GF in order to go from light to espresso tone) it held up VERY well. Yet, there was experience and knowledge in the prep which is key.