I think it depends on how the filler takes the stain. IF you look long enough you will see them. How about painting the face panel?

Yes, I think the filled holes would be noticeable; unless you decided to paint them.

Oh my. I wonder who thought that would be a good idea?

I don’t have any advice about wood filler other than it might be easier to conceal with paint rather than stain. And replace with smaller, understated hardware (with hidden hinges) like this.

While you’re at it, remove the scrolled piece above the sink.

Those cabinets scream dated and I would not waste one penny on replacing those centered pulls . If you are planning on painting the cabinets then you could fill those holes and do a proper pull but honestly even painting to me is a waste of money and time

I don’t know if the filled holes would jump out or not with a slightly darker stain. My guess is they would not be perfectly hidden. If I knew exactly where the holes used to be, and I could see any signs of a patch, it would bother me everyday.

I am pretty sure you will always see the holes. If you do decide to stain the cabinets, be aware that to stain them darker, you need to strip them and sand completely, because stain needs to go into the wood itself. You could easily fill the holes and paint them if you wanted to, and they should look very nice, once they are done.

Budget wise......

I would look for cabinet hardware plates that work for the holes that are in the center of the cabinet door.

Use your imagination :-)

Some inspiration for center holes.

https://www.myknobs.com/toptk925hb.html

Then drill holes for new hardware on the door else where that match the above.

Before diving into the whole job, remove a door, sand the back side thoroughly, now experiment with stain colors. Here's a suggestion which will depend on your individual style. Matching the new metal hinges & pulls, insert a flathead bolt through the (old center) holes, adding a third hole if desired. Might look chic in brass or chrome. You're going to have to be very diligent in sanding because the wood under the current hardware faceplates will not have the "soaked in" smoke / grease. Not everyone can afford new cabinets, I applaud you in your willingness to "make do".

Thanks all for the feedback. I’ll try it out on the backside first and try to go with a slightly darker stain. I may end up replacing the doors, and painting as a last resort. I considered replacing the cabinets but as someone mentioned, these are very dated — yes, indeed — dated to the period of my home, custom built by a local trades/crafts person, and extremely well built. Before I grabbed a paint brush I was inspired by this designers and hoping to preserve the wood look.

I don't know how this would look, but maybe you could find small handles in a color that more closely matches the wood. Whether that would mean replacing all the black hardware, I don't know.

You have nothing to lose by trying to fill and match the best you can if you are putting on a darker finish, except the time you spend.

If it looks worse with the the holes filled on your trial door you can always put the old hardware back, but I don't know why you would not be able to do this. Older millwork was often installed with larger finish nails than the tiny pins they use now and those holes were filled with putty and stained and nobody thought anything of it.

As for the cabinet style, there is nothing the matter with it, and they are probably built like a battleship

There are available stained wood fillers that might make it easier to fill then stain. I love your inspiration photo if you have a nice ace hardware or paint store (not big box store) you can explain what you are trying to accomplish and get some great advice for the best results.

I think it’s great you’re embracing the original cabinets. One thing to consider if you’re super handy or able to pay someone— you could get wood veneer applied to the door faces and stained to match the frames.

Along the lined of Beeboo's suggestion: lumberyards generally have a section of pre-made doodads for fancying up wood surfaces; in a big box store they might be in a "craft woods" section. Or perhaps you have a wood working neighbor who would make some. If you can find something on the plain side, perhaps a diamond shape, that would look like it was part of the original design, you could fasten it over the holes to hide them.

Wood filler, gel stain, experiment on the back. Worth a shot.

what did you end up doing?