In my opinion, oil based primer and latex primer, if both are high quality, should bond equally well. The real reason I suggest using BIN is because it will bond better than both, plus it will kill the water stains. I'm guessing that you have water stains because that is what usually happens when condensation from the glass leaks onto the wood. With the sun coming through the glass panes, it is like a magnifying glass on an ant, which will cook the moisture that is sitting on your wood and it will not take long for that moisture to eat through any finish that is on the wood and then eat through the stain layer. This is why it is so important to have the humidity level set so that moisture does not collect on your glass panes. BIN is actually a shellac based product, which means it is not latex or oil based. You would clean your equipment with denatured alcohol, it dries super fast and is pretty smelly...probably stinks worse than oil based. It really sounds like you have some cheap windows to me. If you can't stop the condensation issue and the windows stick when you close them, these are signs. No paint is going to stick long term if a painted surface rubs against raw wood and also painted surfaces should never touch other painted surfaces. What you want is the painted surfaces of your windows touching weatherstips when they are closed tight. I would suggest sanding the windows until you can close them without wood rubbing against wood. I realize you may not be able to do this with every window because they may be too tight because of any number of reasons, but that is where I would start. What is the brand of the windows? Are they double hung style or crankout type casement windows?

Thanks very much for taking the time to answer. Unfortunately, it's a window I bought on Craigslist and don't have any instructions for it, but maybe I should call Pella and ask them. Funny, my first inclination is always to ask here rather than the manufacturer! Trust you guys more. I didn't think it should be left as-is, but staining it probably wouldn't look good as the window looks like it's pine and my trim is oak. Figured painting it (like the rest of the kitchen's poor old trim) made the most sense. I did prime the exterior reveals (thanks for the terminology!) and left the ladder out in case I'm to go paint with the SW. That ain't a cheap paint, is it? But I've used it on other trim and it's awfully nice. Thanks again, I love the experts on GW. Very helpful.

Five votes for cherry... I appreciate hearing from neutral parties - thanks! "Hodge-podge" is a really great word to describe how I feel it looks. We had talked about trying to change the color of the window but are hesitant because it is pine and we're not sure how the stain will take and will we be making it look worse? Any suggestions on a window treatment? Here I thought all the decisions were over with at this point!

We are planning to paint honey oak trim, windows, doors, cabinets, and builtins white. Does anyone have any advice or experience on best way/materials to do this? We have 3 small children and a dog- we want to make it as durable as possible (so we can wipe it down easily and avoid chipping). Some people recommend sanding, while others do not. Any experience is highly welcomed!