Here's a photo:

If you find veneer you like,contact cement will stick it to melamine. You can test a spot before applying alot but Zinsser 123 has made everything I've put it on paint ready.

Thank you so much @klem1! I hadn't heard of Zinsser 123, appreciate it.

That's a good point @arcy_gw. I'd be using a maple veneer and ordering maple doors/drawer fronts, but it is possible there'd even be some variation within the type of maple. Appreciate your comment!

For the right price custom cabinet shops can order veneer to match any door you present them. Sherwin Wiliams can do the same with color match. As for painted side texture not matching door texture,if I may I'd like to ask you a question. What kind of texture are you accustomed to seeing on finished natural Maple? Truthfully,80% of cabinets I've dealt with have little or no texture regardless of wood species. Of the 20% with texture,some were from not filling grain in Oak before clear coating,some were brush marks form a sorry painter and a few were rustic.

I have to wonder whether there's visions of fit and finish found in multi-million dollar homes. That's a tall order for a diyer starting with budget cabinetary and drawing on internet forums for guidance.

Yeah, I also wasn't aware of different textures for a painted cabinet door/drawer front. I figured it'd just come down to how well you sand between coats.

ks0012 I'm not picking on you,to the contrary,I'd like you better prepared for diy projects. Right here and now I want to ask why you plan on sanding between coats. I also urge others of the opinion paint must be sanded between coats to speak up. The FIRST thing you should do when painting is READ THE DIRECTIONS on container. Most paint doesn't reccomend sanding between coats and those that do is only after an extended time between coats. 90% of homeowners use Latex,Acrylic or water base paints which require no sanding between coats. There are primers,primer fillers and sealers which reccomend sanding but anyone using those shouldn't ask advice of people on forums that know even less than they do.

Thanks for your help but my initial question had nothing to do with paint or primers. All I'm requesting help with on this forum is the use of veneers. Appreciate it again!

Noted. I was thrown off by the request for solutions besides veneer and comment about sanding between coats. I think i might be a little more serious than some about woodworking and finishes.

You don’t need veneer anything to paint melamine cabinets. You can paint laminate with zero issues with the correct prep. Follow the Guides.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/PaintingKitchenCabinetsforProfit/