lots of trouble/expense for just a few more years. have you considered heavy cleaning? leave cabinets, drill a second hole and put stylish handles on..... they are nice basic oak cabinets with excellent detail for their era. Left in their original condition...you could sell them easily on craigs list when you prepare to redo your entire kitchen.

Yes, the knobs are too high for my preferences, but I don't think I'd drill new holes and fill all the old ones. Functionally, they work fine and I'll bet that after noticing that they're too high, pretty soon you don't even notice. The little black knob kind of emphasizes the high placement and isn't beefy enough for the look of those oak cabinets IMO.

The real issue though is painting those cabinets. You say that a few years down the road you'd like to replace them altogether, so I wouldn't paint these. I'd just give them a deep clean, change the knobs/pulls (not the hinges), and save your money. New hinges, drill and fill, and painting are going to be more money than you realize. The actual cost of the hardware and paint isn't so much, but the labor is. Take this time to plan how you'd like your next kitchen to function and look in the space you have while you save up the funds.

It's not so much they're high as that they're so much smaller than the old ones. Try a knob that's closer in size to what you have.

In any case, I wouldn't drill any new holes.

I agree- bigger knob and don’t paint. They are nice cabinets.

Thanks for the feedback. I’ll beef up the knobs and leave them in the current spot. #ihateoak and I’m drowning in oak windows and trim in here :(

It looks brown though, not orange. If it’s brown, it’s nice. And you’ll see oak grain through paint, you know.

Replacing them is 4 years out. I’ve done wonders by painting some of the trim and windows though. I really dislike how my nice floors look in this room.

I suspect the added floor picture might change others’ advice....on my monitor the floor and cabs do not harmonize well together. Is that the case? If it is, I would paint but prep and picking the correct type of paint will be crucial to avoid a chipping mess. Good luck!

They don’t harmonize in real life either. The rest of the first floor is painted pale oak and looks so pretty with the floors, newly painted white trim and our furniture.

I won‘t be doing the cabinet painting myself. I’m all painted out. I am having a professional do the work.