i agree with suedonim75.. I would typically be all for painting cabinets. But these look really nice with the other colors in your kitchen..

You have a beautiful kitchen. Maybe wait a bit to decide on doing anything major. Those cabinets look really nice.

I have nothing against painting usually, but you have beautiful cabinets, with a unique veneer and I would not paint those. We don't often get to see kitchens that are perfect, but your is.

Your floors are a medium tone, and not dark brown.

Could we see better pictures of the cabinets and room? Maybe we can provide you with an alternate solution to your concerns. Is this the listing photo for your home?

I've added runners to the kitchen in the hope that more reflection might help your perception.

Yes we need more photos. Have you cleaned and conditioned the cabinets? It sound crazy, but maybe you need some one on one time with them. You could love, or hate them even more. Used dawn dishwashing soap with a lot of water. Then a good cabinet oil. I think they are beautiful and classic. The style is transitional so it will never go out of style. I think all you need is some accessories and artwork to bring in color and your personal touch. Then it will be “your” kitchen. Houseplant are never a bad choice, unless you kill them!

The cabinets are a veneer, drowning them in oil and water will ruin them.

I love your kitchen! I don't think you should paint the cabinets.

It doesn't need new hardware or paint or counters or lights. Don't listen to anyone who tells you to use dishwashing soap or a cabinet oil on the veneer. This is spoken by people who understand plastic, and not wood or veneer.

heather1942 you have a perfect kitchen......don't screw it up.

Just one more vote for NOT painting this gorgeous kitchen.

I did not explain myself as well as I should have. My cabinetmaker has advised cleaning wood cabinet with a very diluted mix of dawn dishwashing soap and water. A squeezed out sponge or soft cloth. I don’t know exactly about the conditions after the cleaning process. So your advice is to not clean them at all? To the owner talk to your local cabinetmaker to get advice on cleaning them. Cabinets are like a piece of good furniture and should be treated as such

IMO Dawn is too strong for most wood.

Vinegar & water using a damp diaper or if they are really dirty Murphy's Oil Soap for Wood and a soft cloth like a diaper.

Here are some more photos, if that helps. You can see how great the backsplash is. But if I did paint them, what colour would work? Toronto gets very dreary in the winter. Perhaps dark blue?

With your cabinets being a veneer, there is no way for you to paint them and have them look good. It seems you are hell bent on painting them, but we are all telling you it would be a mistake. Dark blue would not be better. I'd change the backsplash before I'd change the cabinets.

Oh gosh, these are beautiful! I am also typically all for painting cabinets but these are gorgeous.

I see what you're saying about all the brown, but I don't think I would paint them dark blue with that backsplash. I would probably find some runners to break up the brown and see if that helps? I don't like the idea of new hardware or new lighting, I don't think it's necessary unless you are going for a completely different look.

You mentioned a few different possible colors but also said that Toronto gets dreary in winter. Based on that, I would eliminate gray. What do you picture for this kitchen? Do you have any inspo pics to share? Are you absolutely in love with the backsplash? If not, what about changing it to breathe some life into the space?

I agree - painting over veneer is ill advised.

And Casablanca lilies on the counter.............I can smell the fragrance from Toronto and I'm in southern Florida. Perfection........... and I'll bet the rest of the home looks equally great. Looks to have been designed professionally.

Well, this is the house as it was staged. My look is very white couches, walls filled with books and pops of colour everywhere. Maybe you are all correct though. It is a truly beautiful kitchen ... if you like brown. I wish research the veneer problem. What could go wrong?

Everything could go wrong. You could destroy very expensive high end cabinets.

Here are your cabinets painted lighter next to your original kitchen:

I'll join the chorus and say I think painting those beautiful cabinets would be a mistake.

Ok cabinet professionals: what exactly are veneer cabinets? Are they wood or plastic or some kind of combo? I am asking sincerely. They are beautiful and should not be painted. Thank you in advance

Rachann, veneer cabinets can be made of anything, but they are faced with a veneer which is a thin sheet of another material, usually wood. However, I don't believe we know for sure that these cabinets are veneer; it's an assumption that got made, but I don't believe the OP has told us or maybe even knows.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><md>Thanks

Thanks (emojis don’t work)

heather1942, I am not a pro and have not been a regular poster on this site.

I am only posting to support your cry. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The color would make me sick every day I had to go in that room so I understand your feeling. You want to paint them and if it was my kitchen since I would be the one that has to live with it "Paint is what would happen" Maybe they could be sanded and stained.

Get some professional advice of someone that is in your area and can verify what type of wood/veneer it is and if it is possible to paint. If it is not possible I know for sure Veneer can be covered. The color would look beautiful in a garage.

The kitchen is beautiful! I would change the backsplash before I'd change the cabinets. But only if it's too dark for you.

I have painted cardboard and taped them to the cabinet or wall and lived with the color for awhile. Do not do just one cabinet but a lot of them to get the feel of the color. It will be cheap because you can get those little sample cans. You will know what is pretty to your eyes.

Thats a very brown kitchen. I agree with everyone that the cabinets are very nice, but it's still a very brown kitchen. Painting the cabinet doors would be a big mistake. Flat slab doors look cheap when painted unless you went with a high gloss finish. The backsplash looks to me like brown marble tiles (not chocolate bars), sorry but I would start with that to de-brown the kitchen. I would replace backsplash with tile close to the colour of counter tops. Next I'd replace the brown blinds on the doors with white California shutters, add a light coloured runner on each side of island and put light coloured items on the island shelves. I would also replace the light over the island with one that more befits island task lighting. Finally I'd paint the walls the same white as the shutters. Adding a whole lot of white or off-white will blow up all that brown.

To heather1942
Do you know what exactly your cabinets are made of? You seem to have, and by no fault of yours, started a debate about veneer cabinetry. If you know about your cabinets please tell us. I’m afraid that there are not too many votes for painting them. Have you had this kitchen for a long time and need a change? It sounds like the kitchen goes wonderfully with the rest of your house. I think it is stunning and the view out the windows is lovely. I bet it is a snowy blanket of white in the winter. But I understand totally the need for a change.

Right off the pages of a design mag! Beautiful. I once had a brown bedroom, so I'm not put off by the color. I think paint will reduce it to a run of the mill looking bit of work.

Here's the backsplash lightened to something close to the color of the walls.

This photo will give you a close-up of the rough surface of the cabinets. I'm afraid I don't understand why veneer is a problem. I'd have them professionally painted. I have no painting talent. I think you're right, the backsplash has to go to lighten up the room. And the brown blinds. I will install undercabinet lighting and better ceiling fixtures. But if someone could explain why a brown, matte-paint veneer couldn't become a white matte-paint veer, that would help me. I don't want to make a huge mistake. Thank you to everyone here.

So the cabinets don't look as good in close up as they do from far away. You certainly can paint veneer, just as you can paint wood, as long as you (or your pro) go through all the steps of preparation.

What a relief. Thanks.

Your kitchen looks beautiful to me. Yes, a lighter backsplash may lighten up the room. All I would add, if anything, would be just a bit of color: aqua, a soft grass green, or your favorite pale color. Most soft colors look good with gray and brown. You can see how nice the cut flower branches and small green plants look.

I have a “thing” about folding my kitchen towels...if it’s folded neatly, the kitchen looks neat.

I think medium gray paint for the cabinets to go with the white countertops. You said you really like the tile backsplash and gray could look nice. White cabinets with the white countertops to much white. The gray would highlight the white and vice versa. This might give you the contemporary look you want.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><md>Do not - I repeat - do not ruin a good thing. Do not clean the cabinets or oil them as others are suggesting. And do not be swayed by some computer rendering that makes the cabinets look beautifully painted. If you’re not happy with the cabinets as they are, rip them all out, donate to charity, and start anew. Y two cents.

Before going to the expense of painting the cabinets, I would have under cabinet lighting installed. That would make quite a difference in lightening up the space. You’ve said your aesthetic is white with pops of color. I’d bring that to the kitchen, with white ceramics, colorful linens, and would change out the blinds for white ones. If you’re still unhappy, then paint. Bottom line, it’s your home, and your money.

I’m wondering: what material are your cabinet veneers? Wood or plastic laminate?

The latest photo is showing a bit of reflection from the cabinet pulls, as if the cabinet surfaces are somehow shiny and plasticized.

This could impact a painting process.

Not a Pro.

Love your Kitchen!

I would just change out the back splash.

The texture of the cabinets, painted, may not give you the look you are seeking.

In your latest pic I spy a little succulent in a blue pot. That color could change the way you feel about this kitchen! How about a colorful runner or two (think Chilewich), towels, an enameled whistling tea kettle on the stove, perhaps a pair of pictures hung vertically to the left of the stove wall, etc.? It’s worth a try! Good luck!

I love your kitchen as is. I would start with a new backsplash, under counter light and get rid of the brown blinds. I think if you painted the cabinets you will see the grain through and it wont look as sleek or modern and just cheapen a beautiful kitchen.you could get new doors made in whitish or another color and that would look ok. the dark blue you are suggestion will have the same dark effect that you dont like in the brown.

Heather: I had the same dilemma when I bought my house. I had oak cabinets, inset installation and beige countertops and a whacko backsplash that was a combination of three different tiles. I hated it. Lots of people came to the house and oooh’d and aaah’d over it. They all told me not to change it. I ignored everyone. I had the cabinets painted, the floor and backsplash ripped out and new refaced doors from Home Depot. I love it. I cook a lot and every day I wake up happy to have my coffee here. I would suggest asking professional painters to assess your painting opportunities first. If you love the backsplash, keep it and reassess after you get your new doors. If a painter says they can’t do it, look into refacing.

No one lives in your house but you. It does not matter if 400 people on Houzz love it. You don’t like brown! I’m with you. I’d paint it a creamy color and consider changing the color of the walls if you love the backsplash after getting new doors the color you like. I definitely advise doing it in two steps. Three if you count the wall color.

...I don't like all the brown cabinets either ..., and I too love your backsplash ...hmm , since they ( cabinets ) look ok , even good from far away ...you get such a positive response to your kitchen ...and it is a great looking kitchen ! Having said that I would look at the color chart of a paint store ...and see what goes well with the tabletops ...perhaps matching the color ...or pick a wild card ..."Black " to go with your backsplash ...??? I like the idea of buying paper in the color you think of then paste it over the entire kitchen .....see which you like ...then give the cabinets a fine sanding and paint away ...I would !

Wow. This kitchen is stunning and this will be the first time I’ll admit to liking this so much better then paint. It’s your home, I get it. But painting veneer can turn out like applying a coat of makeup over a bandaid. It kitchen cabinets are painted and you want a durable coat that won’t chip there are a lot of steps. You can’t do that with most veneers. These are very like cabinets of a family member and her cabinets are not wood. Very expensive but not wood.
My thought would be to consider a change of doors to get the exact look you want. The sides can be painted and touches there would be easier.

I wouldn't paint, but if you do, I'd restrict it to the upper cabinets. The shelves in that island will look particularly bad with a light paint on them.

The wood you have now has a nice visual texture. You'll lose all of that if you slap a coat of paint on the cabinets. Plus, since the doors are simple slabs, you run the very real risk of that kitchen looking like a cheap coverup of cheap plywood cabinets from 40 years ago.

Thank you RedRyder. I’m sure the Heather thanks you too. What a joy to wake up everyday loving your kitchen!

Thank you rachann61. I’ve done 4 kitchens for this reason. Loving your home is important. Also, I have worked at home for decades so I may be more sensitive to having a home I enjoy.

ReRyder you sound like a great professional. To be able to listen to the person and not what you like designers are hard to find. Color is so important and how a person feels and function relates to color. When I went with a white kitchen my family said white is sterile. My thought was sterile and food are a good match. LOL

I was also lucky, with this last kitchen, to have a designer WHO LISTENS. Although I knew I wanted a white kitchen, her input on some details really nailed the look. No one should adjust their own space to someone else's view. A good designer helps you create YOUR view. Houzz is particularly helpful in communicating what you like to a professional. In the end, my kitchen looked like a lot of the photos I saved! P.S. I'm not a professional designer. Just someone who worked in the kitchen refacing business in its infancy, have owned 4 houses and have done a lot of remodeling to all of them.