If you have the cabinets professionally painted with a conversion varnish, they are less likely to chip, but the finish will never be the same as the original.

Ww used Fine Paints of Europe paint to paint our own cabinets, knowing they would chip over time. But we are fine with that, as we don’t have the budget to replace them. The key to painting them yourself is in the prep. It must be meticulous.

suseyb

Can I ask how long ago your cabinets were painted? I'm just curious if chips are an early occurrence or say like 5 years down the road

We painted ours this summer. Without proper prep, it can happen right away, or it could take a while. Maple cabinets are beautiful. I had them before we moved to this house. Do you have a picture of your kitchen?

The second pic that I posted is my kitchen.

Are you planning on replacing the cabinets in the future?

Bri Bosh

I have not really given that much thought. I didn't want to replace them because they are solid wood cabinets and are in very nice shape. Also it would be quite an expense to replace them.

They are lovely cabinets. You may want to consider lighting, wall paint, and counters before paint. You may also want to reconsider grey, especially if you have more warm tones in your home.

Echoing suseyb.

As for painting cabinets.

Unless it's done by an established Pro refinishing company with a guarantee & warranty, I would not.

There are just too many factors that can mess them up. It is not easy to do it correctly. I refinish wood furniture regularly. Furnitureis ok, but I would not do cabinets. Because all those daily moving parts, will wear, scratch with daily use.

The only time I would paint cabinets is to resale a flip home, fixer upper.

Something that would really make a difference in the kitchen, is paint all the walls a bright color.

A new countertop.

More photos, please ;)

I ask if you’re planning to replace because the arched doors are a bit dated and it looks like the layout could better optimize storage. Hard to tell from the photos but the point is, I wouldn’t put new quartz counters in a kitchen where the layout isn’t good or the cabinets aren’t as functional as they could be. Painting is an expense too; to have them sprayed with a conversion varnish (this is what you want if you’re concerned about any chipping, as it’s only a matter of time before DIY painted cabinets chip) is quite costly. Agree with above poster, we need to see more photos.

Your cabinets are beautiful and wood is coming back in. Arch doors are much better than cathedral. The backsplash and wall color are the real villains here, and although I love the counter (is that corona?) and it works fine with your cabinets, it’s not so great with the floor.

Yes, more pictures please

Here’s a beautiful modern kitchen with natural maple cabinets and cherry floors. Light colors everywhere else and a lot more light than you appear to have can give a drastically different feel.

The gray trend is on its way out. If you’re mostly looking to update, consider other options.

Thank you all for the advise!! I'm posting more pics. If I do not paint the cabinets I will be changing the backsplash, the counter and would also like to do the floor. My possibilities include....quartz counter, subway tile backsplash. Either refinish the floor a darker stain or vinyl wood floor look, and obviously a new wall color. An fyi...the counter stool area hides a radiator. The current counter is a type of corian.

I wanted to comment- love seeing the vintage ball jars (and those old zinc like tops??). I have hesitated to put items in my old ones - did you put a seal or are they fine? As for your question I would skip painting them as it is costly to do it right. I would change the counter, backsplash, paint.

Mid America Mom

No seals in the Mason jars, just the zinc lids. Thanks for your input!

Omg I forgot to post the pics....sorry!

With new counters and back splash and paint your kitchen will look really nice. I wouldnt paint the cabinets, they look to be in very nice condition. Painted cabinets will never last as long as what you have. I notice the floor is wood, and looks a bit like it needs refinishing it. I would refinish what you have, rather than replace it. Your purple?? paint, is not doing anything for your kitchen. Your kitchen needs a lighter, brighter color in it. Decide on your countertops and backsplash, before painting.

If your wood floors run into other room of the house, do not use "wood look" products. Refinish your current floors.

I have painted wood cabinets. We sanded them first, used a de-glosser on them, and then primed and did two finish coats. We used an oil-based enamel. It's a far harder paint than acrylic, and the enamel is harder still. I never had a problem with chips, and they were painted for nearly 32 years - twice due to color change.

But painted or not, your cabinets are a "dated" style and unless you are up to this work yourself, I would not spend money on doing them. I would also not spend money on a new countertop/backsplash. Start saving now for a new kitchen.

Suseyb, would you mind giving more detail about your work and experience with the FPE?

Which product did you use?

Their site talks about the training that "professionals" are required to take before using FPE. That scared me away from using it.

Thanks for your time!

Hello Rose!

Kitchen decisions pertaining to your cabinets is no easy task. You want to make sure you are making the right decision for your home. Not only in regards to appearance but also fitting your budget! Kitchen cabinet refacing is a great option to look into with regards to comparing to painting or staining. Your cabinet boxes stay where they are, all of your old doors and drawer boxes are taken out and replaced with brand new doors and drawer boxes. The cabinets are resurfaced with laminates or veneers to match the new doors and can dramatically update the look and feel of your kitchen! Check out our website yourremodelingguys.com and try out our kitchen visualizer for free to at the very least get you started on some color choices!

Good Luck with your project!

@MaryElizabeth - Sure! I called and talked to the gentleman at FPE and he guided me with what I needed. I also went to the local paint store, and the manufacturer rep was there. He, indeed, was not super positive about a DIY'er painting with the Fine Paints of Europe paint. I don't think it was any more difficult than painting with any other alkyd paint.

The process I used to paint was to clean with powdered Dirtex. I used the powdered because it works well, and I didn't have to wash it off like I would have with TSP or a TSP substitute. I did not use a deglosser, though I suppose I could have.

I sanded after washing, then wiped off any residue from the sanding. We used an oil based primer from FPE, two coats, waiting at least 20 hours between coats. Then two coats of the FPE satin water based paint. Some areas needed a third coat. My husband did the painting, and I did the sanding. I sanded between all coats of paint. The last few times I sanded, it was just a light sand in order to rough up the finish to make the paint adhere. I liked the sand paper that was flexible for sanding because I was able to get into any nooks and crannies easily. My husband used a brush for the painting.

suseyb, Thank you so much! I think I will try it on a piece of furniture first!

How do you like the finish? I usually prefer a satin over a semi, although it varies so much between brands.

The satin finish is perfect for us. FPE gloss is a very high gloss. Our cabinets are not the nice quality of yours, though, so I don't know how the paint would look on yours. Give the 800 number a call. They are so nice!

Painting cabinets the latest fad--never a good idea. Your kitchen is challenged from the get go. Very little storage. I would not do anything more to decrease its value. Wood will always go for more than painted. Lighten up your walls. Get a counter top that is neutral. There is much one could do before painting would even be on the list.

Another suggestion here is to have the cabinets stained darker, with General finishes Java Gel Stain. I have done this in my own house in the laundry room and the cabinets looks like new. This is a stain that can go over existing finishes and you can still see the grain of the wood. You can do this yourself or have a professional do it for you. You can then seal it with Polyurethane in semi gloss and the stain will stay for years.

This is how it would look when you are done. Your existing back-splash could work with this , and you could think of changing your counter tops with a cheap / granite look Laminate counter top.

The issue with both paint and stain in this kitchen is that the cabinets are maple, and they often don't take paint or stain well.

I've decided to leave the cabinets as they are. I picked a light grey for the walls, a white subway backsplash and a neutral countertop. Quartz color sierra mist. Still not sure on floor color. I believe we will go with the vinyl interlocking wood look. this way it's not permanent and I could always go back to my wood floors. So I'm still getting the grey I wanted but not on the cabinets. I will post pics when done and I soooo appreciate everyones responses, they really helped with my decisions!!

If you havent already bought the gray, I would recommend a grayed blue or green rather than a gray gray, with your maple cabinets.

cat_ky
I have a few samples to try yet. Haven't nailed down the exact grey yet. Thanks for the suggestion!

Someone above said that they used oil based enamel on their cabinets but that it was a long time ago.

Can you even go out to Home Depot and buy oil based anymore? I have used oil based paints and varnish in the past but have not seen it in many years. Maybe I haven't looked in the right place?

We are considering having our kitchen cabinets painted professionally. They use PPG Breakthrough paints in satin finish. Removing doors and drawer fronts, taken to their shop for spray painting. The cabinet box frames and sides are sprayed in the home. Guaranteed for 5 years, dries quickly and hardens like an oil based paint. Only considering this as we cannot find any wood look tile to compliment our kitchen cabinets.

The pros will say that a conversion varnish is the only way to go when having cabinets professional painted.