I'm definately in the smooth finish camp and faced this issue several years ago with my oak kitchen. Because of the modifications I wanted, and I planned on staying in the home long-term, my decision was to completely replace the kitchen. If you really love your kitchen except for the oak, my advice is to contact Rick at The Cabinet Authority (Conestoga Cabinets), and get quotes for replacing the doors and drawer fronts. He also sells the tape to cover the front of the cabinet boxes to reface. For a deposit, he can send you a sample box containing the many shades of white available. Your paint guy can give you a quote for painting the boxes and installing the doors and drawer fronts. I'm in the process of ordering some cabinets for a bedroom from Rick. He has the patience of a saint and is extremely knowledgable. Conestoga has top quality merchadise you will love. Good luck with your decision and please let us know how it goes.

I don't want to sound snobbish, but I hate it when Formica tries to mimic natural materials like wood/bamboo. Don't get me wrong, I've installed Formica in my own house, but I stick with plain or neutral. I also think that doing all of your cabinet fronts in fake bamboo could look overwhelming and cheesy. You can get 3/4" thick bamboo plywood (ply-boo) that could be made into great-looking new cabinet fronts. See if that is within your budget. I think you would be much happier with the result.

Amazing at how others so tritely suggest you spends thousands of dollars, rather than spend $50 for a DYI project. Most of the paints on the market intended for existing cabinets, will bond directly to the old finishes, including laminate, without a primer. The most important thing is that the cabinets be clean, especially of oils from cooking or being handled with oily fingers. A scuff sanding is not a bad idea too. With proper application, the painted finish should last for years. Of course, they will occasionally get a chip when someone hits them. It is always a good idea to keep a small container of touch-up paint. I recommend Behr's Water Based Alkyd Enamel for such projects. It dries hard, like a true oil based enamel. It flows out well, leaving minimal brush marks. It can be sprayed, but airless equipment is preferred. The best part is that it is only $35 per gallon, which should do a small kitchen.

I just added a second pic. The paint on that one is peeling right below and under the counters. Nowhere near the floor. And it's in a place where no water would reach it. I don't actually mop much so I am pretty sure that isn't it. Eek. I am ashamed to say that I sweep a lot, but don't mop. It is only on the parts of the cabinets that aren't wood. I am guessing the paint doesn't take the MDF or whatever material it is in the same way. Wondering if I bought some trim to cover the edges, if that would solve this. I want to take care of it before big sheets start peeling off. Right now, it isn't really noticeable except to me.