The only cabinets I have ever painted are slab cabinets so no rails or stiles to deal with. My laundry/pantry room was painted sometimes in the 1990's and the paint looks great. The only very small chip that you have to look hard to find is where we bonked it moving around an appliance. A kitchen in a rental was painted sometimes around 2001 or 2002 and even with the harder abuse renters tend to give a kitchen, the paint looks fine. The laundry/pantry was painted professionally. The rental kitchen was painted by us. And we're not pros. In fact, we didn't do all the steps that I now know we should have done. When I paint the cabinets in my current remodel, I will follow all the right steps. But I'm still pleased with what we did over 10 years ago and we used really cheap paint, too.

Painted cabinets from the factory isn't really paint. It's a tough lacquer finish and holds up quite well.

Cabinets painted at home aren't as durable, although there have been better products come out in the last 13 years.

My cabinets will be custom made from a local cabinet maker. Stained (island) and painted (perimeter) on site. I've seen his work, and is very good. The finish is not lacquer. Without going into other people's homes and asking them how their kitchen is holding up (ha! That would be funny) it is hard to say how mine will wear......

You can still do lacquer on site.

So lacquer is better/preferable to paint?

Ours were stripped and painted by a pro two years ago. Every month there is a little chip that we have to fill. We didn't want to pay for new bathroom cabinets, so we are stuck with little fills. We did spring for brand new kitchen cabinets and they look great. Actually the old dated oak ones are hanging in the garage and they look great too. Not sure painting is a permanent fix.

I am VERY torn about this. I really wanted my off-white cabinets on the perimeter. I think having stained cabinets will be too heavy for the space. After having stained cabinets for the past 13 years, I am ready for something different. Having to touch up every month, is not a thrilling thought either if it can be avoided. Is there one type/finish of cabinet paint that is better than others? I don't know much about cabinet paint, but in the latex wall paint we have satin finish and gloss finish, that can be wiped off easily and doesn't crack every month. Or maybe it's the technique they can use that influences how much it cracks?

houserookie, I need to tell you a little about the pro we used. Our GC hired him as part of a whole house renovation. We never interviewed him, so I'm not certain he was the best pro around. He was a subcontractor to our General Contractor. I think if you go to your local paint stores, ask questions. Ask for recommendations on both paint and paint professionals. Check reviews. I bet you can find a REAL pro who will guarantee his work. Get it in writing and make sure he'll come back and fix chips or cracks for a stated period of time. You deserve to have the color of cabinets you want. Just do your due diligence! Good luck to you!

Lacquer is definitely a stronger finish than paint. I have cabinets in my family room that were lacquered about 6 years ago? Not a scratch on them. I've had all the trim and doors in the new house lacquered, too.

Cabinet doors are often made up of multiple pieces of wood. The wood shrinks and expands. Everywhere there's a join, there's a potential for paint to crack. Even if it doesn't shrink, if there's a little gap, it can look like a crack. So you should have these gaps filled with caulk before painting. Or, go with flat slabs. Or MDF that will shrink less.

Your walls have been filled, and the drywall doesn't shrink (as much) as wood. Drywall also absorbs the paint better than wood. That's why the walls hold up better. But even walls get nicks and chips if they're abused (kids rooms, entry ways, etc).

Amberm - can you post a picture of your lacquered cabinets please?

The first photo is a pocket door, it slides in on itself, so it has a couple of marks where it's been rubbing. These were built by my BIL, sprayed in his garage and touched up on site.