If I wanted stained cabinets, I'd upgrade because the oak takes stain better and has (to me) a more interesting grain. If I wanted painted cabinets, I'd choose maple.

that is gorgeous!

This is my inspiration- island & hood will be painted SW Retreat. The perimeter cabinets are some kind of stained maple initially (KD is bringing some door samples next week). Our flooring is a medium brown engineered hickory so I want something that's quite a bit lighter to contrast. The house is a 1970's tri-level and is our forever-ish home, at least until retirement. We've already been here 10 years. We are a family of 4 with 2 teens. The kitchen looks out to a wooded backyard. Amish made standard overlay Shaker cabinets with slab drawers.

I've been messing around with different ideas on backsplash so what you see in the image is just PS and not necessarily what we're going with. Not worried about backsplash right now.

I'd want the painted cabinets to be maple and the stained cabinets to be QS oak. I don't think that stain would play well with maple.

Your inspiration picture would be very difficult and expensive to achieve with oak. It would be far easier to achieve with maple.

I have quartersawn oak which I deliberately chose because I love it. Actually my cabinets are a combination of rift sawn and quarter sawn oak.

One opts for quarter sawn oak because one wants the grain to be a part of the design element. When I think of maple cabinets, I think of either painted maple or maple used for a very neutral design element when it is used in mid century homes (either in the original cabinetry or when someone wants to replicate the "feel" of that period.

I do think that quarter sawn stained is generally used in more traditional types of kitchens versus maple although my friend has maple cabinets that were originally the light standard maple color and then she had them refinished darker like old dark cherry and so her kitchen looks very traditional - but she had then refinished 15 years ago and probably would not make that same design choice today.

My kitchen with quarter sawn and rift sawn in a very traditional medium "honey" tone

Maria ..simply gorgeous. i love your cabinetry.

"some kind of stained maple initially"

Maple does not stain well, unless you are talking about a natural clear stain. Any other stain on maple will come out streaky and variegated, and you will be disappointed if you stain it. If you choose maple, either it should have a natural stain, or be painted. Your KD should know this, and be advising you same.

I think it depends on what look you are trying to achieve. Quartersawn oak is much more a traditional, Craftsman style cabinetry, and it's stained. Maple is either painted or left a light natural color for a more modern or Scandinavian look. Completely different choices for completely different kitchen styles.

Interesting about the stained maple. I've talked to 4 different KD and they all had beautiful samples of stained maple that I really liked and were similar to my inspiration photo. does the quality of maple make a difference maybe?

Here is a link to a thread about maple cabinets staining job gone bad. Several issues: bad contractor/stainer, bad choice of stain color, and the staining was done onsite. Even if you avoid these issues, I’d do a clear stain for that clean Danish modern look. There are some pics in the thread of even a factory finish looking blotchy. The linked thread has a happy ending - the cabinets ended up being painted and came out nicely.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5878460/staining-problem-with-maple-cabinets

Flat sawn oak grain turns black with any brown stain. It's an open grain when flat sawn. Visually this creates a 2D affect. You can pickle or cerise is with a lighter pigment to fill the grain. Quarter and rift cut white or red oak doesn't have the open grain.

If you look at current wood flooring trends European oak with light grey tone finishes are popular. That species of oak doesn't exhibit the open grain of North American red or white oak. Cabinets with that wood and finish would be an alternative.

Shelter Interiors LLC (houzz.com) Darien Beach House . . . French white oak cabinets with a custom grey stain by Crown Point Cabinetry New Hampshire. Link.