I would use chalk paint. There are several different brands.

They look like they are in really good shape and could use some new hardware.

Have you considered refacing the cabinets? It is less expensive than what you would think and it would allow you to change the style (if that is what you want) with a fraction of the expense. The actual "boxes" are fine, what you are wanting to change is the look of the doors. Houzz has many great cabinet refacing pros listed.

I really like the cabinets. To me the flooring, counter tops and hardware look more dated.

forget the gel stain. those look like a maple. getting them to take a darker stain is not going to work.

try changing out the hardware to a nice thinner softer brushed gold like this one.

this soft color will blend w/the wood better. you could spray the hinges to match w/a metallic spray paint

I'd do a different color on the backsplash and wall above cabs. maybe something a bit darker for some contrast. clearing off some of the clutter on the counters will also 'open' it up a bit.

Try these fixes first. if you still want to paint, come back for pointers.

(General Finishes Milk paint in Linen would be the perfect color. and I'd still do the soft gold pulls. these are oak cabs my friend did herself w/that paint. She also changed out a few of the upper doors to glass inserts and did the crystal knobs)

The cabinets look good , just changing the hardware should make a difference.

Hello. I would paint cream color

Your cabinets are lovely. I would update them with some simple wood color hardware but I would look to replace the countertops and the backsplash. Marble subway tiles can really add a touch of glamour to the space and I would replace these countertops with white or cream granite. These will open up the kitchen so you won't have to change the look of the cabinets.

Beth H., that picture (over the oak) looks great!

Would you comment more on the GF Milk Paint and techniques for that in a kitchen? Does it require a clear coat?

(Our local Rockler store says that it can NOT be sprayed with an HVLP.)

Thanks! Appreciate your expertise!

I think your cabinets are fine as is, however, if you do paint them have it done by a competent professional experienced in cabinet / woodwork painting. I've yet to see a DIY job done to my satisfaction... just my two cents:).

I used Rustoleums cabinet paint solution. It was so easy, not a lot of work and you could ha e of done in a weekend. They tint it to the color you want. I used linen over honey oak cabinets. Went on like a dream. You have a choice of clear or anti quint blaze in the kit. One kit covered my cabinet. $69.99. Tons of videos on you tube of how to tips and tricks

MaryEliz,,,,that GF Milk Paint is really an acrylic paint. I've used it on many wood furniture pieces. Prepping the cabs for paint is really the most important and most time consuming part. sorry, but these 'paint solutions' that say it's quick and easy, I don't believe they will hold up. gneeg23,,,how long has it been for your cabinets? over a year? just curious. they look good from afar. I don't care what paint you use, you still have to properly prep the wood or the finish is not going to last. Proper prep involves:

degreasing, cleaning, sanding off the gloss or previous finish, and using a proper primer. these steps are the only way the paint will adhere properly AND last for years to come.

In that pic my friend did, she did all of that. gave it a few coats of the GF paint (or you could use Advance by BM or SW Pro Classic) . it dries to a satin finish. she did give it a clear coat w/one of their products for extra protection. that you can spray or wipe or brush.

BTW, I spoke to my friend and she said you can absolute spray the GF milk paint. that's how she did these. you will need to use a good top coat though. GF has a lot to choose from. If you use the other glossy paint like Advance, no top coat needed.

Beth H, she did a great job! Do you know what type of sprayer she used? I do know that the GF Milk Paint is quite thick, so not sure how much thinning would be required for an HVLP.

gneeg23, could you comment further on the Rustoleum product and your experience with it? How long ago did you do it? How well does it cover the oak grain? I have read that there is a "deglosser" step included. Is there a strong odor with that?

(One of our son's and his wife have an oak kitchen they would like to do, so wondering if this is a possibility.)

https://circadee.com/2015/05/18/how-to-milk-paint-oak-cabinets/

Design Intervention....thanks,but it's not that milk paint. it's Gen Finishes. which isn't a true milk paint. I really wish they would change the name to reflect that's it's an actual acrylic and not the casein product.

MaryElizabeth She said they did thin. you can safely thin to within 10% or 3 oz per quart. you can test it w/your sprayer by timing the drops from the funnel.

This is a video from their website on how they sprayed and used the Earlex5000 (same one I have).

https://generalfinishes.com/videos/how-to-spray-milk-paint#.WeGOczOZNT4

here's the color chart. I've used at least 10 of these colors. They also mix to make your own custom shades. if you go to their website you can visit the gallery for further pics.

You can also use the High Performance top coat when finished.

some other 'how-to's'

http://farmfreshvintagefinds.com/paintingkitchencabinets/

In response to your questions. I completed the cabinet transformation 6 months ago. The deglosser is definitely not smelly. I have a sensitivety to chemicals and it wasn’t a problem for me. Here’s a close up of an original door and another of the kitchen pre-painting. A few tips... i used paintable caulk to fill in the gaps on the panels and a razor blade to get crisp edges on those seams after applying it. Most of the cabinets are over 20 years old and I’ll get another 20 out of them! The small decorative uppers and right upper cabinet are new. Those I primed, gave a very light sand by hand(the moisture will pop the grain causing it to be rough to the touch). Day one was clean, degloss, wash, dry, and caulk. I waited 4 hours for the caulk to dry. Then primed and/or applied the base coat. Day two was paint those primed with the base coat and clear coat those painted the day before. Then day three clear coat the remaining doors. You do need to wait 24 hours between the base coat and clear coat for proper adhesion. Tips on tools I used a brush for painting mainly but a small foam roller to get an even coat of the clear coat on the flat surfaces. The base coat does self level. Don’t over apply any of the product- it’s not necessary. Hope this helps,

Following. Would love to see the finished product if you decide to paint.

Beth H, thanks for correction. We did an entire project with the actual milk paint and it was incredibly labor intensive, glad that is not the product being discussed.

Danielle, you might want to consider using a more traditional semi-gloss paint (BM Advance or SW Pro Classic) instead of milk paint or chalk paint. It is my opinion that milk paint and chalk paint are decorating trends that are likely to become dated after a few years. Also, If you are not going to replace your white range or other white appliances, you might want to paint everything pure white so that you don’t have multiple shades of white clashing.

Beth H. is absolutely right about the importance of proper surface preparation before painting. A properly prepared surface will result in a finish that is durable and looks good for a long time. A poorly prepared surface will result in chipping, and show through of the old finish beneath. A poor finish would result in having to replace the cabinets sooner.

It’s been years since I painted cabinets, but this is how I did it: I removed the doors and hinges. I cleaned to remove the grease, then sanded to degloss the surface and enable adhesion between coats, then primed, then painted. I painted the cabinet frames in place, since there was no choice. For the doors and drawer fronts, I had them laid out horizontally. Many paints are self leveling and will give a better finish if they lay horizontally. Also, I applied the paint with a brush, then went over it with a 4” wide very short nap roller. This eliminated the brush strokes, and gave it more of an orange peel finish: it looked more like it had been sprayed. When I reinstalled the doors, I installed new hinges and handles for a fresh look.

If all of this sounds scary, and has you questioning whether you want to take this risk, you are right to feel that way. Painting cabinets can be a big job, and runs the risk of making your cabinets look worse. The low risk approach would be to: get a wood look vinyl floor that would install over your existing floor. I would select something a rich brown with colors similar to your countertops. To help you decide, buy or borrow a few samples and see how it looks against your cabinets.

armchair,,,read comments above. it's not actual milk paint. It's General Finishes paint that I was talking about. it's an acrylic, like the other paints. dries to a satin finish.BTW, these are my bathroom sliding doors I did in 4 different color milk paints on raw wood. I didn't have to distress but I wanted the wood to show.

milk paint on raw wood is almost impossible to chip or scrape. it actually can penetrate almost like a stain. you could do cabinets in this paint, no distressing, and it would actually look like regular paint, but letting the wood texture come through, similar to a stain (it doesn't cover thick like an enamel). it would hold up very well on cabinets when clear coated.

gneeg-you did a very nice job. you also did all of the correct prep. The only difference is you're using Rustoleum paint. You could have done all of that and bought any other paint and had the same results. Rustoleum Cabinet Coat is nice, but it's not the best on the market. What made your cabinets look good was all the prep work you did correctly. Honestly, any quality acrylic enamel paint will work, IF your prep work is done correctly.

There are at least 8 other quality paints that can be used for cabinets. Some you spray, some you can brush. I've used Advance, Rustoleum (oil base), SW Pro Classic, GF Milk Paint, Real Milk Paint, chalk paint, Valspar, Fine Paints of Europe Eurolux and Eco, of course Behr and all the others,,,

Advance and Eurolux are tops as far as finish and nothing beats FPofE for color. their tints are like no other on the market. if you want a rich color, pick FPoE (say for a front door or cabinets) Advance is a close second.

Again, prep is the key here. you can' 'over prep'. if you base wood is in A-one painting condition, you could probably use Walmart paint and still get a decent finish.

Thanks for the recommendations everyone! For now I think I am going to replace the hardware, get a backsplash and paint the walls. If that doesn't help then I'll paint the cabinets. The cabinets are in really good condition so hopefully these small changes will help. We plan on replacing the flooring and getting new appliances next year.

Just for the information - if you have any plans to change out the countertop, wait on the backsplash. Backsplash comes last because it can get damaged when changing out a countertop or leave a gap, especially since you have the short 4" splash as part of your countertop. You do not need to change your countertop - I just want you to have the order of operations right so you don't have to redo something and spend money twice.

You can do a easily removed or temporary type backsplash or just paint the area if you think new countertops are in the long range plan. I don't usually like "faux" products, but I do like the textured paintable beadboard wallpaper. I used it as a backsplash in my basement kitchenette. It is very easy to put up and to remove and can be painted any color you like. Here it is in a pic from Pinterest:

If you do go with a tile, wood cabinets usually look best with a simple backsplash. Here is mine:

https://www.houzz.com/photos/my-pics-work-in-progress-phvw-vp~57088087

My cabinets are oak, but some similarities to your kitchen. It is refreshed - but not "updated" in that I went with a more vintage look:

https://www.houzz.com/photos/my-pics-work-in-progress-phvw-vp~93784356