To avoid your bad look, wood species selection will be paramount, followed by how it's sawn. So to avoid your "bad" you can cross maple (alway looks blotchy stained and lightly stained or natural maple takes on a yellow hue as it ages) and plain sawn red oak (the darling of 1990's builders - now consider undesirable and ugly) off your list. Cherry is off your list because it will darken significantly over time. Walnut is too dark for the look you want but is a lovely wood. Hickory is too rustic and dimensionally, prone to lots of seasonal movement. Pine, no just no. Others like sapele, mahogany or curly maple are expensive and won't give you the look you want either.
Your first two inspiration photos look to be quartersawn white oak. And I'm not sure but I think your third inspiration might be a lightly stained Alder. It could also be Red Birch, but I'm thinking Alder. Alder is sometimes referred to as the poor man's cherry because it has a similar grain pattern. Unlike cherry, though it's not photochemically reactive so it won't darken and change color over time. Alder is, however, a relatively soft wood so it's more likely to dent than oak or cherry.
Having said all that, the wood you're looking for to achieve your look is quartersawn white oak. It's a beautiful wood and make a wonderful cabinet. It's a hardwood, takes stain well - especially the white, gray and dark colors.
I hope this helps. So step one to avoiding a "bad" look is wood species.
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