It's going to be depend on how the job is done and what products are used. It will never be like a factory finish though so it's not going to wear as well. I have 4 yr old white painted built on site cabinets from the previous owner. It's just me and my partner and I hate the finish on them. They are hard to clean and show every speck of dirt and dings. I've had stain and was much happier with them. Also, depending on the cabinet door, if it's center is solid wood (like a shaker door style), the corners expands and contracts and you will see that happen with paint. Without knowing what your kitchen looks like, would a new counter top or back splash help?

You have to do a good sanding on them or the paint won't stick. I painted some old cabinets from a 90s house, it was that cheap beech stuff but had some clear coat on it. I used primer and paint from Benjamin Moore and did about 2 coats of each. They're very durable. I used white so they showed dirt and food spills easily so I scrubbed them thoroughly and no fading or scratching.

I painted them about 5 years ago and there was no damage. I plan on buying some more cheap unfinished cabinets from Lowes for my new house and using Benjamin Moore paint again.

Cabinets built years ago did not generally start out orange. As they aged, the brown component of the stain faded, resulting in the orange look. Other than paint, you might consider Minwax Polyshades. Some people love it, some people hate it. The Houzz article at the link discusses it thoroughly.

Https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2590852/anyone-use-minwax-polyshades

"Professionally painted" means they should last QUITE a while. It means doors and drawer faces taken off site to a spray booth and using a conversion varnish formula. With proper cleaning and prep. That's why a pro job isn't cheap : )

"Professionally" from my experience is a loose term that doesn't mean that it will be done the way Jan refers to, which is the best way. I've had 2 kitchens repainted ( in 2 different states with good size populations) and had searched for a Professional to do exactly as what Jan is saying and could not find one person or company that this was their procedure for repainting. I'm guessing that the "Professional" gets away with their sub par paint job as the majority of the people just see a sample cabinet done and don't know the differences in processes available. I think the important thing to understand that by repainting them, that you don't have the same expectation of wear years as your factory finished stain. Which even at times that can be questioned. m It just depends on how they are treated and how the job was done.

We painted our own cabinets, using oil-based enamel and they lasted for decades.

Thank you to everyone who has replied so far (and I welcome more responses.) The information you've shared has been very helpful. JAN MOYER and tedbixby, I didn't realize there are differences in how professionals do the painting; that's very good to know. I have had two quotes so far for painting and I think they both intended to do the job completely on site. If we decide to go with paint, I will definitely look for someone who does what you described. armchair shopper, interesting about the brown part of the stain fading. Also, maple tends to yellow naturally, I believe, and combine that with the cherry stain . . . orange. tedbixby, whether or not I paint I'll be getting a new countertop and floor and maybe backsplash so yes, hopefully that would change the kitchen enough that I wouldn't be so distracted by the tone of the cabinets. Christina and Anglophilia, I'm glad your paint has been so durable, that is a check in the "pro paint" column! Thank you all again.