I have painted all the oak doors and cabinets in the house. We used different products, depending on the room. Benjamin Moore enamel, CabinetKote in bathrooms, and even some Pratt and Lambert latex in low traffic areas. The results in each case have been fantastic. Don't be afraid - ditch the oak!!

I have the exact oak cabs as yours, even the hardware. We are painting ours black, starting with the island this weekend and I can't wait to ditch the oak..We're using Behr paint, used it on the powder room cabinet and it worked great. Go for it!

I haven't used it myself, but it has been the topic of several discussions on Houzz and I believe with mostly positive remarks. http://www.houzz.com/discussions/query/rustoleum

Thank you everyone! Great responses and I can't wait to get started. BTW - going to replace the light fixtures, paint and countertops. Suggestions welcome!

A good friend of mine recently painted her kitchen cabinets black with a product from Lowe's. She's very happy with them and they look fabulous and are holding up well.

Hubby is totally against painting over the solid oak cabinets, but I'm wondering if I use the new Rustoleum kitchen cabinet paint that's out, if it would be hard to get it off after and bring the red oak back. Anyone know? Tks so much for the help

I bet you are so excited...you will have a transformed kitchen! A suggestion for countertops..we went with quartz and love it..I believe it's indestructible and absolutely no upkeep.

Benjamin Moore, satin finish is great! Has a sheen, not a shine. Its worth having done by a pro. Did mine in off white with edges sanded for old world look

have you thought about 2 different styles/colours? check out my latest entry in my blog:
theoflamenbaum.blogspot.ca

I used the Valspor with primer from Lowes. Painted mine black & new satin nickel hardware. I have some pictures of my kitchen on my profile, if you want to how it can make a change.

Home depot also will take your doors and stain them any colour you like, you might want to look into that.

Hello from Montreal,

Paint upper cabinets frames and doors in a warm vanilla or ivory white - bottom cabinet frames and doors in a dove gray or any soft muted colour (check Benjamin Historical colours). Change hardware to pewter or satin stainless (not too modern though). Countertop in quartz is great - although a little cold to the touch in wintertime). You could choose a neutral colour for perimeter counter and a punchier one for the island (ie. one with larger speckles or movement) unless you want to give the wow factor to the backsplash. In that case keep same colour for all countertop. If possible remove dishwasher black panel and replace by either stainless or same color as bottom cabinet doors. If you're changing all appliances go for the no-fingerprint stainless.
Whatever you do, please post after photos. Evy

I have the those cupboards and was wondering the same thing! Please link photos of the completed cupboards. I am looking for ideas but need a "visual". Cheers!

This is a propular cupboard as I have it as well and tired of looking at it. I also have had an island of the same oak and only 2 weeks ago put white wainscoting on it and around the lower part of my kitchen. IT LOOKS AWESOME !!!! I'm not at home now but will post pictures of before and after. Now for the cupboards, backsplash and counter tops - but the oak has to go. Please post pictures of painted cupboards before and after...would love to see this.

I have a 50s house and routinely check out the Retro Renovation blog. Many people have commented positively on the Rustoleum product. There are a few different posts with pictures. The link here is a video and information from Rustoleum so you might want to check it out.
http://retrorenovation.com/2012/01/06/rust-oleum-wood-refinishing-system-revive-your-wood-kitchen-cabinets-without-sanding-or-stripping/

I had 80's laminate cabinets and yes....I painted them. The trick is to make sure you clean good w/degreaser, sand lightly and use the correct primer for the material you are painting. Also, you want to use a paint w/semi gloss or high gloss...depending on the look you are going for. Much easier to clean. Go for it. We saved a couple thousand dollars by painting our cabinets. In this housing market, you don't won't to put too much money in a house that may be under water but still update your look.

FYI...I also painted my laminate counter tops w/a product called Giani Granite. Turned out great! Couldn' be happier.

Regarding oak, keep in mind that the grain is pronounced and raised and you likely can't get rid of that pattern that will show through.

For those of you who painted oak cabinets. How bad does the grain make it look? So many say their cabinets look great afterward. I have heard many conflicting reports

I have a 1990 house with upscale very nice looking golden oak custom cabinets. They are still in great shape. Everyone says paint or replace oak cabinets. My husband thinks it is a sin to paint beautiful wood. Mine are nothing like the above picture. OPINIONS PLEASE! Are beautiful oak cabinet out no matter how nice? Planning on painting and adding furniture properties the Island. Will sell this house to build final home when market adjusts. Would it be better to leave most of these nice oak cabinets with pull outs etc.. for a house sale and just update other parts of kitchen, or should I paint the cabinets for resale. Poll Please!

This might help the inherent oak "grain" problem. What ever primer you use, after you brush on a section (be sure to brush back and forth some to fill the little pores) you scrape off across the flat portions with something flat. I like to us the spreaders that are used for "bondo" patching. They come in a 3 pack and you can ask for them at the big box stores. Wipe off the spreader every pass. When dry, sand. If you do that for each primer coat, then it will really minimize the oak relief and you will have a better finish.
My company does this professionally and then follows it up with sprayed finishes. Good luck.

I have seen dark oak cabinets like the above stained dark and they look great with the grain showing through (you can see that it is truly real wood). I have mixed feelings about painting wood. In my old house I have original amber knotty pine wainscotting and paneling; mahogany doors, trim and fireplace. I've painted some, but can't bring myself to do the rest to lose the retro feel and honor this home.

It will be very difficult to remove the paint; Oak grain will show through paint but not in a good way. I agree with npeben that stained oak looks great revealing the grain as it should look. You can achieve the look with a stain or by diluting the paint, applying it, and then rubbing it off with a wet cloth....test the inside in a hidden area first to see how much dilution you will need.. This may satisfy both you and your husband. Check out the gardenweb.com to read stories of people who painted oak and regretted it..

I disagree. The oak grain texture under the paint can be a fantastic look if you use a low sheen product. The grain provides an almost moire, texture-y effect which is stunning. But that's just my humble opinion. To each his own.

Bcason, I totally agree and I do love using the texture as a plus instead of a negative by changing up the color scheme. Most of my customers just want it to disappear though.