Nice house. I love your cabinets. I had the same kind in my prior home. Change the hardware and get rid of the wallpaper. But I realize that's not the question.

You don't want to simply paint them. No milk paint and certainly no "chalk" paint.

You want a catylized lacquer. Preferably you want the door and drawer fronts done at the shop, not on site.

A catylized lacquer will provide a professional factory level finish more durable than any paint, especially chalk paint. The can still chip. My new home has some catylized lacquer on the island. It's not glossy. But there's a couple little chips where the dog banged his water dish into it. The dish is moved and the chips are small, but it happens.

The grey you picked is a good color. Good luck.

You have a great space to work with, and you're right - your cabinets are very nice!! They are full overlay so they will look excellent painted.

I painted my cabinets over 5 years ago and they look the same today. I do see a few cracks in the beveled areas during winter & when it's super dry out, but overall my cabinets still look great. I have literally picked off dried food on my cabinets and the paint has never chipped. So what's my secret? lol

There's no secret - just be sure to prep and use good quality paint.

Here's what I did in a nutshell-

Wash/cleaned with TSP, Removed all doors/drawers/hinges/knobs, lightly sanded the cabinets, then got all the dust off, then wiped them again just to be sure, then I did two coats of primer using CabinetCoat (which is actually paint and primer in one) - Paint store recommended this, then I used Benjamin Moore's Advanced paint - two coats (so 4 coats total)... BM Advanced paint is NOT oil based - so no harsh smells and easier clean up. The paint levels beautifully too. I used a brush and roller. I used a satin finish because I do not like high gloss. Advanced Paint by BM is designed for things like the cabinets but you have to be sure your cabinets are prepped correctly - the better the bond, the longer lasting finish you'll have.

I see people now days painting their cabinets in one weekend - no sanding/barely prepping - show me their cabinets in 5 years. I doubt they'll look the same. My cabinets took me 4 months to paint, but don't let that scare you. I took my time and did sections. Also, I'm no pro or artist - in fact, I hadn't painted since like the 6th grade so it was a longgg time ago.. I was nervous painting them, but it turned out great and I'm happy I did.

Here are some B&A pics of my kitchen:

My cabinets are oak...

jnavarro31 - I started using Zinsser 1-2-3 primer for my doors and trims (it's $20/gallon compared to CabinetCoat which is $50 I think) and I love the results, so Zinsser is on my go to list too :)

Yup, I used 1-2-3 as well for some projects. Great product. I also used Zinsser ShieldZ primer when I pulled down some really tenacious wallpaper in our bathroom and wanted to be sure any remaining adhesive wouldn't be a problem. That stuff is pure magic when you need it.

Zinsser ShieldZ primer Is a wall covering primer and not labeled for sealing any adhesive. Not saying that it did not work , but, it was the wrong primer for that situation. Gardz would work as well as an oil based primer and that's about it. Glad it worked for you but just to let others know, it was not the right choice.

Christopher, you are correct - I mistakenly wrote "ShieldZ" when in fact I meant "Gardz." That's what I used after removing the wallpaper. Sorry for any confusion.

Where was I when a clear coat finish on Maple became old fashioned?

Don't paint..The brass hardware is what's old fashioned looking.

Lacquer fumes will dissipate in a week at most. It's a very durable finish. I have laqcuered woodwork in the house that was done in the 1960s that still looks new. Yes, it has yellowed some though. This is a decades long process, not something that is going to happen in a couple years.

All - thank you so much for these very helpful comments!

By they way, the wallpaper is without questions going going gone.

the wallpaper is without questions going going gone. To bad people feel that way, especially for me

There are some really great wall papers on the market that I think a lot of people would be pleased with. It's the fact they cost something crazy like $100/yard. Okay, I'm exaggerating. But they are very expensive. And not advertised. It seems most people associate wall paper with really tacky designs and colors reminiscent of the 1980s.

I don't have a problem with wallpaper, so long as it's tasteful. Then again, the same thing goes for paint colors and schemes. For us, the reason for taking it down was that the previous homeowners painted over wallpaper in the bathroom. Some spots were bubbling up (they used latex paint) so I knew it had to be taken down. It was an absolute nightmare of a job, and I feel that there is a special place in hell for people who do slapdash work and then let future homeowners deal with the consequences. Don't even get me started on the "repairs" they made to the old plaster work...

The wallpaper in the bathroom looks gorgeous in the photo. The wallpaper in the kitchen does not photograph well.

I personally like maple cabinets and would have them refinished with a different lacquer.

The leather chairs at the island give off an extremely modern vibe compared to the more traditional maple kitchen cabinets. Just painting the kitchen will probably not get you to something that you like. I think you will first need to decide if you were going for a traditional or a modern look and then make a decision on each element in the room from there.

They are nice cabinets and will look great painted. It does look like your counters and backsplash are brown tones, so I think a creamy white would look great. Just be aware it is a LOT of work and good prep work is key if you want the paint to adhere well. Scrub them squeaky- clean first. Some use TSP, others say it leaves residue. I didn't use the TSP, instead chose Dawn dishwashing liquid in water, rinse, followed by Krud Kutter, rinse again. Let dry, sand everything well, vacuumed, then went over everything with denatured alcohol. We did this prep for both our refacing job in the kitchen and the painting of the bathroom cabinets. This ensured there was no surface dirt or grease ( a consideration for kitchen cabinets, although you may not see it, often there is a film of grease around the range area cabinets) Then, after all the prep, a good primer, followed by 2 coats of quality paint. Lightly sand between each coat of primer and paint. My prep work might sound like overkill, but 3 years later, the refacing veneers are still perfect, as is the paint. Definitely no chalk paint, its not durable enough for kitchen cabinets IMO. (or bathroom cabinets either) The chief advantage of chalk paint is that it supposedly doesn't require sanding. I am of the belief that sanding is always necessary, if you're going to do the job, do it right so it will last. Its not a weekend project, plan on weeks or months, depending on how busy you are. .