There was another thread on this subject not long ago. If I remember correctly the pros all said it was within acceptable range and all the lay people felt it was rotten. I don't like the photos you posted but they are close ups of the issue, I am sure if you take a photo further back it is not as noticeable. The wood looks lovely though.

not sure i'd contemplate putting in an alder top...it is soft and the issue of knots now in addition. Long term issues in my mind....I'd ask to remove it and put something else in...... But if you knew all that in advance, okay then. would they compensate at least partially the cost of a swap? I would kindly ask to go over options....what's the harm in that at least?

A good furniture person could make those look much better, but you've gotten what you've paid for.

It’s KNOTTY alder. If you didn’t want rustic with knots, you should have chosen something else.

If I understand your concern (the color of the filler, not the knots themselves), I would ask the cabinetmaker if they can remove a thin layer of the filler they used (likely a two-part epoxy with color added) and refill with a different color. A lighter color might look a lot better, although even unfilled knots are typically darker than the surrounding wood - so a more honey-tinted epoxy would probably fit the warmth of the wood better. If they do this type of "fix", they will probably have to sand the entire door and refinish.

I wonder why they filled them? Being knotty alder and all.
The cabs are really gorgeous. But then, I die for beaded inset. Add in the character of the alder? i really have cabinet envy!

I don't like what they did, either. If it could be changed, even just the filler, it would be better on my eyes. Perhaps another piece not "fixed"?

Thanks all for the additional opinions and kind comments! Dura Supreme required me to sign a paper stipulating that knotty alder construction could contain knots up to a certain size, possibly even open holes up to a pencil's width in diameter. That was fine...good communication of expectations, and we like the interesting knots in the cabinets, which are solid wood. No issues there. Wood tops had to be plywood though to prevent the warping that could occur with a solid wood top. I wish they would have told me that filler might be used on the tops, although perhaps I should have realized the possibility and asked directly. It honestly didn't occur to me. There is no filler used in the solid wood cabinetry, only the plywood tops. You've all given me good additional info on other options I might pursue...keep you posted!

If you do more cabinetry in other rooms, consider asking them to show you an example of knots (the ones larger than pencil-diameter) filled with clear epoxy. IMO, clear looks a lot better with any wood. But your cabinets are indeed lovely!

Knotty or rustic alder can look beautiful, so long as a careful selection process is used in the shop. Larger knots can look great when they're planned to end up within doors or drawer fronts made from solid wood. Veneered plywood, unfortunately, can sometimes ruin the rustic vibe and this is a clear example why.

When a knot shows up in a veneer, sometimes it can expose the ugly interior layers and therefore NEEDS some sort of filler. Often times, a carpenter in a shop will simply grab their little can of "alder" colored filler - fill, set aside to dry, sand, then move on to the next piece. What about patching the knot? Alder veneers are NOTORIOUSLY easy to ruin. Patching knots like those in the shop would come with a high chance of sanding through the top veneer layer. If the tops would have been made of solid wood, a clear epoxy or glue could have been used and would have made the knot look like a beautiful knot that's supposed to be there.

At this point, there is little to nothing you can do except replace the tops if you can't live with the product as is. I do not recommend attempting to sand through the finish to try and patch the knots in a different way.

See if they offer clear alder as well, many cabinet manufacturers offer both. Then order the new top in Clear alder. Other options are wood butcherblock, quartz, granite. Or make yourself a nice custom cushion to go on top of it! :-)

The filler is acceptable, but the color is wrong. Black, or a very dark coffee brown would have been much better choice.

Could an artist faux paint some dimension to make it a more attractive, real knot? It's 1 solid color and looks obvious it's just filler.

Here's the other post with the same problem. https://www.houzz.com/discussions/our-knotty-alder-cabinets-look-like-this-dsvw-vd~4982253