I'm probably not going to be any help, LOL. And you're probably going to get so many 'paint', and so many 'don't paint', you still will have no clear answer. ;o)

But I love wood, and most of the time cringe at someone painting over it....that being said...
on blogs I see so many 'after' photos of wood painted and I am dumbstruck at how great it looks and how much I like it.
Often its painted solid black, or solid white, and the difference is just amazing. Some are the sage green I love.
And in most all the cases of painting over wood, I love the results. I guess I never know what I like till I SEE it.
LOL.

Whatever you do, its a beautiful piece of furniture with wonderful memories.
hugs, Karen

Dream, Your Pie Safe is a wonderful piece. Why don't you put in your kitchen as is and live with it for a while. Maybe that will help you decide whether you want to paint it.
NanaKaren

I'm voting with NanaKaren, it'll be much easier to make a decision once you see how it works in the kitchen as is. I do love painted furniture, I'm thinking of painting a walnut Victorian table, but DH will not be for it.
Frou

While I am a 'grab the paint brush' person I agree with Frou and Nana on this one - live with it for a while - see how it fits in with your decorating for the different seasons. I do like the idea of putting glass in the doors. Regardless of what you do it will remain a beautiful and treasured piece with a lot of memories - that is priceless :) .....

Lynne

I agree, live with it first and see how it fits in. You might just want to then paint the inside a cream color to work with the cream cabs in the room. I would definitely get rid of the lace inserts, though, so that your dishes will be showcased.
Lynn

I am totally the opposite of the others!! The wood finish doesn't appear to be that great although I know photos are never as good as the real item! Since the rest of your kitchen is fairly neutral, I would paint it. I can see it in a Barn Red distressed finish with chicken wire (aka poultry netting) in place of the lace, and a cute wallpaper lining the back behind the shelves. It would really give a pop of color to the room. It might also look great in a distressed black, or a sage green, or a slate blue....
I would stay away from white or cream as everything else in the room appears to be those tones.
JMHO,

TTFN,
Candy

I'm a "love wood natural finish" person but I would paint this beautiful pc. I say that because after 30 yrs in your bedroom, it's going to look like your bedroom pc to you out in the kitchen. With the Hoosier cabinet beside it, I think I would try to pick up that green on the edge of the Hoosier table top. Looks like your G'ma's pc already has crystal knobs which will match the Hoosier ones. Definitely would put glass doors in it...don't know what other glass is in your kitchen but maybe even a light frosted glass would look good.

Oh boy, you're going to have fun! Good luck! Beautiful kitchen & also G'ma's pc! Jeanne S.

Your cabinet is beautiful...I love the wood color.
I'm not against painting...
I live in a Farmhouse Colonial and have many painted furniture pieces...however, once you paint it, that's it..done deal...unless you paint it again.
So, live with it awhile - BEFORE you make your color decision. Also, accessorize it, to get a better 'feel' for the color you want to LIVE with AND want it to be. I've actually changed paint color on a breakfast hutch - 3 times. Also, it originally had glass doors on it and I removed them. Now, I have the look I'm happy with and that works better for me.
Have fun and good luck. I'm looking forward to seeing the end results.

jane

I'm going to veer off on another path (and this coming from someone who usually has no problem wielding a paintbrush to something).
First, it's a beautiful and obviously very special piece to you. That's the important thing.
The next important thing is to remember, painted or not , it is still the same piece , just with newfound character.
I like the idea of for a few days, put the piece where you intend for it to "live" and look at it.
If this doesn't have the desired effect, there is always other options.
I would tend to want to keep it "seperate" from being to match-y to other pieces to keep it unique with its' history so probably would clean it well, buff any time honored knicks down, stain it in a color that you love which compliments your other decor ,change to a nice set of glass insets and put the lovely antique glass knobs back as they will compliment your Hoosier so well.
Whatever you decide, please do share. :)