Kailuamom- any chance you have a pic of your cabinets? We also have natural maple. They are only 10 yrs old but we get a lot of south facing sun in our kitchen. The wood on the side of the island that gets lots of direct sunlight is pretty much trashed, so as part of the current mini-romodel we are replacing the island. The perimeter still looks pretty good, but if you look really, really close and rub certain spots it feels a bit rougher and I wonder if its the very beginning of itty bitty cracks or dryness. Did you get the impression that if you go beyond a certain stage, nhance can't do much to help anymore?

Ellie, your new home is lovely. I looked into painting my current kitchen and pretty much what Live_oak_writes is what I found to be true in terms of prep, cost and quality. The guy I found here in Michigan ONLY paints cabinets and that is the kind of painter I would suggest or a cabinet shop. I am not trying to criticize house painters, but I would only want someone who specializes in cabinets (not a painter of rooms, exteriors, etc). He told me he would remove all the doors and spray in his shop (after sanding, filling in holes, etc.). The boxes would have to be sprayed on-site of course and you need to verify their prep for that. He was willing to paint a sample door for me (find an old maple door at Habitat, etc. and have them use that as a test). I liked what I saw. His Facebook page was impressive. My kitchen is not as nice as yours and I determined it just was not worth it. I recall a thread here recently in which someone painted professionally and it was absolutely wonderful. I am not as good as others at finding pictures/threads, but I will look.

Here is how I would expect a pro to spray paint kitchen cabinets. An amateur job should follow the same path. A brush painted job would differ slightly in that you wouldn't hang the doors to paint. You'd place them on a work table or easel instead. It's time intensive work, and should take 7-14 days for a Pro to accomplish completely and cost between 8--10K depending on kitchen size and amount of detail in cabinets. Remove doors and drawer fronts. Remove hinges and hardware. Clean with Spic and Span Rinse and let dry. Scrape any loose finish. Fill any damaged spots or hardware holes that won't be reused. Sand fill smooth. Scuff sand the rest. Tack off dust. Hang in dust free paint booth with wires through hardware points to spray both sides. Or lay on a spinner, and do one side at a time. Tack off dust again. Spray with shellac based primer. Scuff sand again. Tack off dust. Spray with second coat of primer. Spray with first finish coat of a polyurethane enamel (DIY) Or conversion varnish, (Pro product) . NOT house paint. Never house paint. Spray with second coat. If glazing is to occur, that is next. Spray with clear over glaze that is compatible with base coat and glaze. Add more molding or decorative details to boxes, filling nail holes and sanding smooth. Repeat prep process with face frames and exposed cabinet sides using plastic to create a spray booth on site. If interiors are to be done, they are done before face frames and sides. Interiors are difficult, and add both time and expense to the job. Most interiors are laminate and don't accept paint well. Allow everything to fully cure. That's 7-14 days. Clean hinges and hardware and clear coat if you're keeping the old hardware. Install new (or old) hinges and hardware. Re-install doors and drawers and adjust for proper clearances. If you are receiving or doing a job without this amount of effort, then you are not getting a quality job. You are getting a poor quality job that will not last. Anyone who paints cabinets with the doors on is an amateur and a Philistine, and should be fired immediately. If they paint the hardware too, go straight to shooting them also, and saving the world from such criminal ineptness.

Hi @Danielle Smith, changing the wall paint and the backsplash will give you a more balanced and beautiful space. I know you don’t want to do the backsplash - I get it but reconsider! It will transform the space, and painting it will not. Do you have any inspiration images? If not, start googling images of kitchens with your materials. I think SW Alabaster for the walls but wondering which color white for the trim? I want to make the space look bigger. A warm white is best. A warm white can be lovely - Alabaster is a little yellow. If you want something a little more neutral, consider SW 7000 Ibis White. It will look great with your cabinets. Should the brick fireplace also be painted alabaster or something for contrast/ to match the kitchen cabinets? Suggestions? The brick is fine for now, but you could use a more refined mantel. You can build or buy a mantel cap that covers the one you have. I think white for the kitchen cabinets is overkill so looking for a warm light grey/ taupe – any SW color recommendations/ compatible with Alabaster? Or is white better to deal with the black countertops? Leave the cabinets alone for now. They seem fine. If we were to have the backsplash repainted any color suggestions there? Replace if you can. We are having the floors refinished and they can be slightly whitewashed – better to keep the natural Canadian maple or make lighter? Natural maple.