If you are handy at DIY, Google Annie Sloan chalk paint,looks great and is very easy,not much prep other than good cleaning and degreasing if your cabinets are in good shape to paint

Here are some pictures of Annie Sloan painted furniture,you can distress with it or not

There are many tutorials online - I think This Old House website has a few. If your cabinets are in rough shape and you have nothing to lose then paint can help you get new life out of them. However, be sure you are a competent DIY person because a poor paint job will devalue good cabinets. Also look at kitchens you like to see what other aspects there might be that you like - glass cabinet, pretty stove hood, open shelving etc. Simply painting cabinets can just replace wall of wood with wall of white if other design components are not considered.

I promise you Annie's Sloan is the easiest paint to use, leaves no brush marks and covers very well, test it on a small piece or furniture if you like...but don't just trust me trust the millions of people who use it even to retail their work and make tons of money painting old wood outdated furniture..lungless your home is a showplace not worthy of a DIY,but then again I have those clients that love it too

There are many things to consider before a DIY project on kitchen cabinets. A well done job can increase the value of your home and help with resale value. If done correctly you can achieve gorgeous, long-lasting results. Consider consulting a pro.

I painted all my wood cabinets last year white and what a difference it made. I washed all of them with soap and water and then rinsed. I took all the hardware off and then the doors off and hinges off. I sanded everything and then painted, then light sanding and then painted. I did this 5 times with sanding between each painting. When all that is done I then took a terry cloth rag and buffed the heck out of everything, witch I think gave it a very soft sheen, I used satin paint, and then put new hinges on and reused the nickel hardware I had before and not chips or peeling, just make sure you sand very well before painting.