I've built 8 or 10 clear-finished strip boats (counting some canoes in that total) and 4 painted strip kayaks. I've also modified 'a bunch' of glass Mariner kayaks, which required painting the decks.

Dan said:

Some thoughts:

I agree with everything Dan said in those comments.

Remember IF you finish the interior bright (ie varnished) you WILL see the wood.

I've finished the cockpit interiors in black (tinted epoxy for laminating). because I use black seats and coamings, it's easier to keep things looking uniform that way. On one boat I finished the compartment interiors with white tinted epoxy to make them brighter (so I could see gear in the ends). It's nice to finish the inside of the compartments clear,so you can prove that your 'factory' boat is actually a wood strip core boat!

One other advantage of painting is that it makes it easier to install home-made (metal bar) deck fittings and glass hatch recesses without having to worry about making the transitions between glass and woodstrip so clean.

If you can find a (small shop) car painter who is willing to do the work, you have a huge range of auto paints to choose from. Some auto paints (Valspar LIC polyurethanes for example) can be hand (brush/roller) painted with the appropriate reducer solvent, so that's a possibility if you want to go beyond the small colour range offered by the marine paint suppliers. For spraying, you need good equipment (spray and safety) and preferably access to a spray booth, in my opinion.
Paint and primer/surfacers aren't cheap. Also,the more complex paint systems (metallics/pearls/base and clearcoat) can get expensive.