Thanks Sonalia! I bought and tried about 12 different stains/paints/gels and and was unhappy with the results since the paints and stains filled in too much of the woodgrain, and other stains and gels did not provide a uniform/solid color. I'm looking for a solid color, but need the applied paint/stain/etc to be thin enough to show the grain and not fill it in. I found celticmoon's post here: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0112173522421.html but I'm kind of looking more for the look that girlwithasprin has achieved... here: http://girlwithaspirin.com/4538/kitchen.html Originally she did not provide how she was able to achieve her results, but i just found this which will help me immensely! http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg1023455519178.html I'll keep track of my progress and post pics as I progress.

Thanks for your compliments. My cupboards weren't too musty since they were put in in the 1970s not the 1870s like some folks who post here. Atleast they were real wood (cheap pine stained an orangy color). The cupboard floors are junk tho, some sort of very cheap composite that is falling apart. Under the sink my dh installed a piece of white melamine that we had lying around left from a project at a commercial building that we manage. The other cupboards it isn't rotting since it isn't wet, just slowly turning to dust, and I just lined the bottom with wall paper to look nicer and keep the dust down. Should be replaced, but really not a priority compared to so many other things that need to be done to the house. I painted the inside of the cupboard doors the back ground color. Caroleena could you stick an led battery run touch light in the dark places? I use white vinegar diluted with water for musty problems in other areas of the house. I have one of those pull out wire shelves in my old hoosier and it works pretty well except I sometimes overload the cupboard. Blackcats I hope your recovery is fast. Post pics of what you decide! kathy

Hey! So first, don’t worry, you’re not alone- painting cabinets DIY is neverrr a good idea. We can’t tell you how many times we’ve had to fix cabinets that were DIY’d. Homeowners are always surprised how it turned out wrong... The reality is, cabinet painting requires trained professionals. Not everyone can do it, and that’s okay. Most people generally wouldn’t represent themselves in a legal matter, diagnose yourself during a medical checkup, or do your own accounting unless they’ve received training in those fields. The same is true of painting cabinets. Secondly, did you remove hardware, degloss, sand, and use an oil primer and let it cure 2-3 days prior to painting? If not, then you unfortunately will likely have bigger problems than food on cabinets, such as peeling... Third, Benjamin Moore aura is overpriced, to begin with, and it’s also not a cabinet paint, it’s a wall paint. Cabinet paints from BM are their Advance, but an equally good one is the Sherwin Williams Pro-Classic. A good cabinet paint has more enamel in the paint and is specially made to be applied and look good on wood. Fourth, if it’s not cleaning easily, you probably used a finish with too little gloss in the paint. It’s recommended to use semigloss for cabinets... if going below semigloss for aesthetics reasons (like satin, low luster, or matte), then you should use 2 coats of a water based polyurethane topcoated on top of the paint, in order to protect and seal the cabinets. At this point, the best course would be to hire a pro to repaint the entire section that was unfortunately discolored by the food, and then have the pro apply a poly topcoat over all the cabinets to protect them from future issues. Best of luck!

I used thermafoil cabinets in the laundry room and powder room in my last house. Before putting the house on the market, we went around and glued down all the edges that were loose. They had started coming up after only 4 years -- and this on cupboards that weren't opened daily as those in a kitchen would be! My daughter and son-in-law are about to put their house on the market and have been doing all those "touch up" things. Their house is probably 10 years old, and the thermofoil kitchen cabinets were all peeling. They ended up peeling all doors and painting the whole kitchen -- looked 100% better! Most of the thermofoil peeled off in complete sheets! At least it was easy to get off! I wouldn't use the material again.