Thanks so much everyone for the input. I actually ordered both of the RH cabinets last night since I was placing an order for a side table and shipping was the same for one or more items. I wanted to see what they look like with the sconces in person and was told I could return one or both if they didn't work out. Other than the RH factor, do you have any advice as to whether a steel or white medicine cabinet would look best with the colors I'm considering? (BTW - do the colors even sound like they'd work?) Any suggestions for alternatives other than salvage? It's a very small space, which is one reason the narrow 16" wide RH cabinet appealed to me. I also need a wall mount since there's already plumbing behind the wall. I like the PB vintage cabinet, but that's recessed, and the PB hotel cabinet, but that's too wide. I'm also wondering if the PB white cabinets would work with Dover White trim. Linelle - thanks! I'm happy about the deal on the sconces. Re the finish on the cabinets, I've seen the white in person and do like it. The steel I've only seen on a cabinet and it seemed clean looking, even though it was burnished. I hear what you're saying about the funky finish though - it's not for everyone :) Mtn - I hadn't heard about the blackening of the mirrors. That's not good! Was it this same style of medicine cabinet or another? Did RH work with you to return or exchange it? I've had good experiences with their customer service in the past, but have heard that's not always the case. Re the barn doors, I've heard that privacy can be an issue. Saw some in person and I think they used trim or something to cover the gap because it didn't seem to be an issue. At least this bath is attached to a bedroom with a locked door and not a common area. It's a small room with the closet, bath, and room door close to each other. Sliding doors for the closet and bath on a shared wall seemed to solve the problem of too many swinging doors in one small area. patricia - the jail bathroom sounds interesting! We're in law enforcement so being reminded of work isn't very appealing, but it's a fun idea :-) I actually have an older medicine cabinet in my bathroom but it's partially recessed. It would have to be remirrored and the sides aren't flush like the RH wall mount cabinet, but it's an idea if I found another one. I think I'd rather buy new though for this bathroom. I just don't have time for another project right now :( It's really the only splurge for this bathroom, since we're doing DIY and making budget-minded choices for everything else!

As a few people have mentioned before, posting a picture of your current space would really help! Painting your cabinets is, of course, an option (milk paint and chalk paint are two durable low-VOC options). However, I'd try a few simpler strategies first. 1. Backsplash. Try cutting sheets of beadboard to fit in that space. If your current backsplash is anything other than white, white beadboard will brighten it up quite a bit. 2. Mirrors. Do you have an area of wall where you can hang a mirror? To outsiders it may seem vain to hang a mirror in your kitchen, but reflecting what little light there is can really make a difference! 3. Appliances. Someone mentioned it before - black appliances will make the space seem darker. 4. Window. If you have any valances or window hangings, take 'em off! And check outside, too, for anything that's blocking light. 5. Upper cabinets. If you have ample storage space, consider removing a section of your upper cabinets. This is especially true if they're hanging over a peninsula or island. Other options in this vein include removing the doors on a couple sections, using glass inserts (frosted if you're worried about keeping things tidy), or replacing a run of uppers with open shelving. Or you could paint them. 6. Lowers. Cherry darkens over time/exposure to light, so it might be possible to lighten the tone by refinishing them and then sealing without a stain. 7. Counters. Replacing perfectly-good granite would likely be as expensive or more so than for professionally painted cabinets, but I think it would yield better results. Not an ideal solution, but still keep it in mind. 8. Flooring. Short of replacing your floor (what is your flooring, by the way?), try a couple of light-colored throw rugs. 9. Connections. How does your kitchen connect to the other rooms in the house? You mentioned you are in an historic district, so chances are you don't have an open floor plan. Do any of the adjacent rooms have natural light to spare? "Borrow" light with French doors or transoms above. Or remove a door completely (where it makes sense, of course), leaving a cased opening. 10. Declutter. A lot of extra stuff can make even a well-lit space seem claustrophobic. However, a few well-placed objects (especially reflective surfaces like a silver platter, or a small lamp for a dark corner) can brighten the room without having the overhead lights blazing. Let us know what you decide to do!

The issue is the cabinet interiors are most likely plastic laminate - melamine, which isn't intended to be finished in any way. But as some have said, with enough research and prep (it's all about the prep) it can be done. I've seen the interiors of some glass cabinets done with patterned wall paper to great dramatic effect but it's all about how bold you are with your design and taste. When we did our cabinets (new) we had our glass ones painted inside, but they are plywood cabinets with birch veneer, which is essentially real wood designed to take a finish, so it's pretty durable. Plus in the glass cabinets we used glass shelves which I would highly recommend not only for how they look, but as a way of eliminating the entire painting issue on the most used surface in the cabinet.

Sand, sand, sand, prime, sand, prime again, lightly sand again and then you should be good to go. Good luck, you will love going white. ~boxerpups. a few before and after going to white