The pictures don't show the scuff marks. Since there is no hardware we have tons of marks on the cabinets. The painter said he will have to strip them and then we decide if we want to stain or paint. Leaning towards white for longevity and ease.

I don't think black is going to be the right color for your newly painted white cabinets along side that splash and counter. The counter has a lot of attention grabbing pattern and your splash while grey has some what busy grout lines next to that counter. A pop of black is going to be another busy pop. I'd go for chrome or nickle instead. Something that sort of disappears.

I don't know how much longevity you will get from cabinets painted by a painter. It is a very different finish than factory finished painted cabinets. I hope the cost of stripping and painting is worth it. Have you already tried a stain pen to hide all of the scuff marks and dings?

Yes we've attempted a stain pen to hide the scuff marks and dings - no change.

Ideally would be nice to swap the counter with something less busy but can't right now or for a few years. Would white cabinets really look that bad?

Stripping those cabinets is a substantial size project. And costly. Merely repainting them is much less time consuming. Less labor cost. In other words, I think you should talk to more painters.

White can work. There are many whites with different tones. Your counter and BS have whites. You need to match or compliment those. carefully. Picking the right type of paint and the correct color of white will make this change an improvement. I cannot emphasize the primary importance of getting the right tone of white. Bring home a bunch of different sample cards for whites to evaluate them in your space and lighting. Until you have that, I would not proceed.

BM Advance is for cabinets. BM Advance is a product for repainting without stripping. It would likely take three coats for your dark color. Advance levels really well when brushed or rolled because of its longer 'open' time 16 hours to recoat. SW Emerald only needs 2-4 hours with fans. And 3+ coats. Find a painter with experience and references who uses Advance. Your finished cabinets will look better. Painters will push Emerald for their own time benefit. Link. Once they leave your house, they don't have to look at your cabinets ever again. Link.

If you put effort into color and painter choice, you'll get a high-end custom cabinet look. And you can diy this to really save money. Advance is 60/gal. This brush in 2.5" Gen X Angle Sash

It looks like with your countertops and current backsplash, you'll want to make sure whatever white you choose will go correctly with both under the lighting you currently have. You might consider getting pain samples and seeing how each looks with your lighting, countertops, and backsplash.

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