I am looking for a advice on whether to paint out my cedar deck rail posts or leave them alone. You will note by the pictures below, I have several of these posts as the deck continues all around the back of the building as well. They are 6" X 6" cedar and they looked great when initially installed. However, as we all know, wood ages over time. I have a pergola also with a hot tub which I painted out a flat black this past summer. It looks great with my sheer white curtain panels and lights in the summer. So the question is whether to paint out the cedar posts the same way, or will it be overwhelming? Another option would be paint them out white to link to the window/door trim? Or, do I sand them all down to their natural state?

Looking for your advice and recommendations.

Thank you!