I normally encourage people to just go for it because I do think people can do more than they think they can. I'm a cabinetmaker, but I began over forty years ago with an occasional project that I stripped, stained, and varnished. Had I listened to my fears, I never would have done any of those things. However, given your hesitancy and lack of experience, I'm not sure I would encourage your to stain your bathroom. The other part of the challenge that faces you is correctly preparing the surface. You really have to strip the old finish if you're going to put down a stain. And you have to get every single bit of the old finish. If you miss even a drop of itor worseÂa drop here and a drop there, you will see those drops when you apply the stain, because the wood will NOT accept stain wherever the old finish is still on the wood. I personally would not do that for a bathroom unless I were able to remove the cabinetry and have it stripped at a strip shop. And that's something that really cannot be done, because when the cabinetry comes out, it normally comes out in pieces. But unless I knew absolutely that the old finish were removed, I would not want to stain it. Just sanding it down, as you have, is not likely to get the job done, especially in corners and angles. But if you have carefully sanded the old cabinetry, and it sounds like you have, painting them is really pretty straight forward. Make sure the surface is completely clean and free of dust, then put down a coat of primer. They say water-based primer works just as well, but I still prefer oil-based primer. However, if you do use oil-based primer, make very sure that you keep that bathroom ventilated. I would recommend a fan at one end to keep the fumes out of the bathroom as much as possible. Or you can opt for the water-based primer. But either way, you will get much better results if you prime it first. Then you simply have to put down two or three coats of water-based paint. In California I can no longer get enamel that is not water-based, but by priming the wood first, I have always gotten excellent results. I would recommend a satin finish, which is what I have always used. You need some gloss in the paint to be able to wash it down as needed. I would not recommend going less than satin, and if I went more, I would go no higher than semi-gloss. Gloss makes the light just bounce off. I used it onceÂnever again!!!!! I don't know what is available in your area, but I use Prudy brushes from Home Depot, as that's about the best brush they have. If you're going to be cutting around corners and such, you will get much better results with a sash brush (it is cut at an angle). But do make sure that you get the best brush you can find, because it really makes a difference in the ease of application and the results. Then it's just a matter of putting down the paint. Brush with the grain, take your time with it, and with water-base, recognize that you really cannot spend a lot of time going back over it because it dries so quickly. It is best to just put it down, make sure that area is looking right, then go on to the next area. At the end, I always check for drips. You may want to use a hand-held lamp to inspect it from every angle. Drips most often occur on edges and spindles. Runs are the result of putting down too much paint. If, the following day, you find you missed a drip, you can remove it with a putty knife, sand it out slightly with 600-grit wet-dry sand paper and paint over it with the next coat. If you choose a good color and put down the paint carefully, the results will always make you proud. Good luck.

forget staining them. as mentioned above, it's actually more work than painting. you have to get them down to raw wood again before applying a new stain. (if you want it to look good) If you were thinking about doing a darker stain, you could do what they've done here to resemble a dark stain. General Finishes Dark Chocolate paint, and 2 coats of their clear coat. (you still have to sand and prime prior to painting) this is from a poster here on Houzz who shared this. right now, your backsplash, tile flooring and countertop are at odds. It's very busy with those 3, and all the other stuff you have going on in there. you have a lot of knick-knacks, plaids, stripes, tile pattern on the floor, granite movement, mosaic tile movement, etc. they really compete with one another. I'd remove the backsplash and that 4" granite piece up the back. Remove everything on top of the cabinets. Pare down half of what you have everywhere else. Paint your cabinets and get new hardware. I'd paint out the trim and baseboards to white, but that's me. on these first few pics, notice how these owners dealt w/the small space above the cabinets by have boxes built to fill in above it. If you're painting, this is easily done. Before/After. paint color is Shoji White with glaze, and Annonymous on the island the one above, and this one, show how removing old tile and the 4" granite piece up the back, make a big difference in look. you could always do a nicer crown molding on the tops of your cabs. look how nice it looks w/the white cabinets, darker wall color, and no stuff collecting dust on top! Maria Kilim before/after. she painted all the oak trim/baseboards, windows, etc. If you want to paint, hire a pro Cabinet Painter, not house painter. ask them how they prep the cabs and how they plan on painting. It's a ton of work to do and cost is going to reflect that. If someone gives you an estimate of 2-3k to do yours, don't fall for it. Read this if you want to know just how much work it takes to get professional looking painted cabinets. https://www.evolutionofstyleblog.com/how-to-paint-your-kitchen-cabinets-like

If you use a solid color stain, you could put a sealer just over the nail heads or screws, whichever it is, so it wouldnt bleed through. A different type of nail or screw should have been used, so it wouldnt rust, and look like that. It will look very nice, once you stain it.

@Beth You did a commendable job explaining all the design aspects. Thank you so much! Just curious if I choose to change the granite completely, what color will go with oak wood floors and simply white or another white upper cabinets and darker island cabinets? I love the way island without cooktop looks. If I change then I won't be cooking any more :) Can you please give me advice on the kitchen blinds also? I am curious about the name of countertop and backsplash you have in your home?