I don't have any advice about the island paint but a simple cream subway tile would look nice with your countertop and cabinets. It is one of the simplest backsplash you can get. I love the simplicity of my cream subway tile backsplash with my warm toned wood cabinets.

Your island is now authentically distressed to go along with the fake dirt. Leave it be. No site painting is going to be as durable as factory paint.

I have noticed painted finishes start to show wear & tear around 5 years in a well used kitchen. You'll probably get the same effect, 5 years from now if re-painted. That's ok, just expect it. In another 5 years, the remaining wall wood will use be up to 10 years & that's about the time complete kitchen remodels start to happen due to wear & tear or trends. So, imo, you'll get another 5 years, if repainting. If re-painting get extra paint for touch ups. Also,decoenthusiaste, great idea, uva tint window where sun hits cabinets will help sun changing future color.

If you want to squeeze some more time, stain might get you pass the 10 year a few years. Before investing in the re-paint, get a couple of quotes from local cabinet shops to replace with a wood stain & reuse the countertop. Buy extra baseboard, so when the mop wear & tear shows, pop off, then replace.

Re-painting is an econmical way to freshen a home for resale,but the new owner will have to deal with wear & tear a few years down the road. A lot of new buyers remodel to their taste within a year of move in. So, If getting cabinets, make sure they are durable & able to be re-paint if needed to sell.

Hope that helps.

Have the island professionally painted without the glaze it will look brand new and not the dated finish you have now. Change the handles and knobs to stainless . I have no idea why anyone would want to replicate wormholes .Get a solar shade or a film for the windows. I gre up in a house with painted cabinets they were still in nice shape 20 yrs later just out of style.A good professional paint job by a cabinet painter not a house painter will cost $$$$$ but worth every penny IMO>

Thank you, everyone, for your helpful comments. So I feel good about keeping the stained cabinets (and will get a quote to re-stain to a warm brown?) but if we don't re-stain, is it ok to paint the island solid then?

We are also getting new barstools, and I do love the idea of a creamy subway backsplash.

@Tootsie, no - the island needs repainting. I am glad to hear it's ok to not redo the antiquing. The stained cabinets have no wormholes, so we're good there. For the island (with wormholes), do I have them filled before paint?

Staining can only happen on completely bare wood. “Restaining” doesn’t happen. It’s 10x more work than painting. So it’s never ever actually worth paying someone to do. And it takes absolutely forever to DIY.

Just painting that island is likely to be 2-4K because of all of the additional labor needed to deal with the filling and sanding. A cabinet maker who uses a conversion varnish is who you need for that. Not a slapped on coat of housepaint from the low bidder.

@Sophie Wheeler - wow, that helps a lot. I have a "cabinet painter" coming to give me a bid, so I will ask about a conversion varnish. I love the idea of stainless hardware too, and I think I'll do long pulls on the uppers rather than little knobs this time.

My mother and sister both had their wood cabinets refinished (strip, re-stain, and finish) and the price was reasonable - much less than new cabinets and comparable to painting, but we live in the Midwest where prices are often lower. Professional refinishers can strip a cabinet swiftly. Once stripped, if they have a spray room, they can stain and finish the cabinet doors very well.

I have both painted and stripped, stained and refinished cabinets. I did not find refinishing to be 10 x more work - about the same if you have the right tools. Since I am not a professional, I use safe strippers which take a long time to work. The lag time between steps is what took longer. The professionals have the right equipment to do the job fast and well.

My mom and sister live in Omaha. If you live near there message me and I will find out who they used.