DIY - Preparing for the Move

I have these two pieces that I want to paint before I move. They take priority over the desk right now so it's time to get started! I have had these since I was a little girl. They have been painted many colors, stripped, stained, etc. I don't love them but they work just fine and I think they could look SO much better with just some new paint and drawer pulls!

First things first - picking out a paint color. I want to paint them white but wanted some advice - does anyone know what a good "white" color is for bedroom furniture? An offwhite color, something with a little tint? I can do the sanding and painting, it's the color that stresses me out. Also, do I put a primer on it b/c of the dark color? Best practices for putting poly on it afterwards? As you might be able to tell in the pictures, I didn't put enough on after staining it last so there are lots of scratches. Any ideas?

Also on the to do list is the drawer pulls. I hate these! I don't think it will be hard to find something to replace the pulls on the first piece but the other might be a little difficult.

Also -the bench - maybe add a cushion of some sort?

Oh yeah - and I fired Morgan b/c this never ended up in my room...