I would replace because I am not a fan of oak cabinets. Unless you can do it yourself, painting these cabinets by a professional will be costly.

That said, congratulations are buying this sentimental home.

The cabinets appear to be in good shape.

I agree with a more. I would live ithe house for a while to get a feel for what the next steps should be.

Start collecting inspirational pictures of kitchens.

I would want to know if the soffits are empty or not before making my decision. I like having drawers in some areas and all of my “shelves” roll out for easy access. That does add to the cost, for sure. Painting oak cabinets often leaves a ghost of the oak grain unless done really well. I, too, would live with the kitchen for a while to see if you need more storage or different storage.

This is the side of the kitchen opposite the stove. The refrigerator is actually in the adjoining dining area. It has a great room with one wall of built-ins in the family room area that match the kitchen, as well as oak ceiling beams. One thing leads to another......I do agree, that if I am going through the mess, etc, now is the time to have a new kitchen going forward. I will then have to do new cabinets in the family room. I could live with the oak ceiling beams. Since my husband’s mother lived here until she passed 7 years ago, I have used this kitchen a great deal. I do know what works and what doesn’t. It’s all just a matter of cost.

I love oak cabinets, but even if I didn't, I wouldn't put the effort into trying to paint these. It would be a huge job, and you'd still be left with a less than ideal kitchen.

I can't tell from the photos how the dining room relates to the kitchen- is it around the corner from the sink?

If you could sketch out a floor plan of the kitchen and dining area, with measurements, I'll bet the talented folks here could give you some great ideas on turning the space into a great kitchen/dining room that would be a joy to work in.

Yes, the dining area is around the corner from the sink and is part of a great room. When we take possession in 3 weeks I can post more complete photos. I will see if I can do a crude sketch soon with measurements.

If the layout works for you. then just replace the cabinet doors with something more appropriate to the era of the house. The easiest way to do this is to have a cabinet shop come in, measure and order doors of your choice. The shop can also stain the door to match.

I agree with AnnKH about painting. It would be a big job and never look right. Oak is a ring porous wood, so the grain would always show through unless you sanded and filled very surface - and I don't even want to think about how much work that would be.

While the cab guys are there get recommendations for replacing doors in lower cabinets with drawers -- much better storage -- or some organizers. You will end up with a new kitchen for about half the price of a redo.

For more ideas for a budget redo, see Kitchen Remodeling on the Cheap: Proven Ideas for Creating Your Dream Kitchen on a Budget.

Slab front doors was what I was thinking as well as adding lower drawers