I have had kitchens both stained and white...I think that one of your prime considerations is how much natural light you get into the kitchen...and of course the pricing of good stained cabinets vs white cabinets of equal quality.

I've had both with the newest being white. I don't think I will ever do white again. White shoes every bit of dust and dirt. I keep a clean paintbrush just to brush the dirt and dust from the Shaker doors.

My cherry cabinets would get a good cleaning and shining about once or twice a year and they were good to go, the everyday dirt didn't show.

The lighting and other elements in the room should influence the decision. White is probably the most universally appealing. Wood cabinets are timeless too, but stain colors come and go in style. Super dark espresso stains were all the rage in the 2000s but now it's about natural honey oak. A good compromise might be doing wood lowers and white uppers.

Both are popular and both can be pretty. Consider your geographical weather, especially if you plan on combining the white with gray. That combo feels cool and refreshing in a hot state like Texas or Florida, but can be dreary or require extra good lighting in a rainy state or one that has a long winter. I love my stained cabinets and warm kitchen on a cold winter day.

Not all white or stained cabinets are well made. I have solid wood raised panel doors and like solid wood floors, they can be touched up by a refinisher when necessary. They are over 20 years old and still look good, though of course not "in style" - this forum frequently has questions on how to refresh older wood cabinets because of their style, not because they are broken. Many very old homes have solid wood built-ins that people admire. There are also a number of cheaply made wood cabinets with a plywood center panel and they will wear out and not be salvageable.

White cabinets have been very popular and It will be interesting to see if they hold up as well. I've seen some that seem very sturdy and some that appear to be a bit flimsy. Most white / painted cabinets are made of MDF or MDF combined with wood parts. There are different types of MDF, some stronger than others. My grandmother's kitchen had solid wood painted cabinets in her 1920 craftsman - not many, but they were very sturdy though needed a new coat of paint now and then.

At our local parade homes last year I saw a number of wood lowers combined with white uppers. This might be a good compromise. Some say the two tones kitchen is a passing fancy, but I can see its practical side,and if practical, it will last.

Here are some of the newer style wood stained kitchens:

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This is one of my favorite two tone kitchens:

If you pick stained wood, pick an interesting one. Cherry, alder or walnut all have color and grain that are visually interesting and, of course, unique. Stained maple is fine but gets boring after a while.

For natural wood I prefer to work with rift sawn oak

I prefer white, as it can go with ANYTHING. Stain colors come and go, but white is white. It won't appear as outdated.

This floor is timeless. Really like the movement and the fun, whimsical touch it offers this design. Here's another option from the same era.

Oak is back - but primarily white oak like I posted above - 1st pic. The third might be white oak but I'm not sure. White oak is warm toned though without as much red undertone as older red oak cabinets. Here is maybe another one - I couldn't verify the wood:

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Obviously these are not like the older oak kitchens - I have one of those myself. But if refreshing an older kitchen, one can get ideas because of the warm toned cabinetry. I have seen a lot of white oak and white painted combos.

White oak is not the only natural wood being used right now, but it is popular.

Oak is a strong wood that takes stain well - it never deserved the bad rap is had gotten over the past few years.

The only kitchens I have had so far I have not found myself "bored of" were white kitchens (I have had some mystery wood, oak, cherry, stained maple, green (paint), and four white kitchens - hey, I have moved a lot).

I just find white kitchens light and refreshing and I don't tire of them. My new home that is under construction will have a white kitchen (shaker cabinets). For my husband and me it was a no-brainer to go with white; we have most recently had a white kitchen for the last 6-7 years and have no doubts about continuing that on in the new house.

I don't find white cabinets get particularly dusty or dirty. They likely just show dirt more, but, that does not mean they are any less clean than the wood ones that are hiding the dirt better. But yes, maybe I don't use my kitchen enough, or don't have enough people with grimy hands in there (or if they are, maybe they use the pulls), as I definitely do not need to wipe my cabinets down everyday or anything.

The style matters though, as I prefer white kitchens that are more modern, contemporary, or of a Scandinavian style (which is frequently mixed with wood.)

I live in a cold, Northern climate and find white works just fine here, even in long cold winters with little sunlight. I mean, if white works and is a popular option in Scandinavian kitchens, don't see why not in Canadian prairie ones either! In climates where you may go a long time without seeing much daylight, good interior lighting is important no matter what colour your kitchen. Your experience may vary.

I have had both white painted wood cabinets, white melamine, white acrylic, and white painted MDF (not in that order). We are choosing white painted MDF for the new house. I just like how MDF paints up, and not interested in spending more for what I can't see.

White shaker are great, but they collect dust and require a lot of TLC. The light oak shakers do not compress the space and they require so much less effort. In conclusion, for families who eat to live' and do not really cook, but rather warm their take-aways, chose white, for those who cook on a daily basis - 'live to eat', like myself, go for a light natural oak colour.