@paintguy22 --- just got an update on this topic and saw your reply. Pre-Cat lacquers are different and better. We have had our desk lacquered and honestly the look and finish versus our latex cabinets is SO nice. Cons are that if it chips there are no easy fixes. @judycp I definitely think that it's worth it to use a pro to paint your cabinets. Paint has come a long way but the painter matters. I've seen a lot of mistakes and had to fix a ton too. As far as doing it yourself, i'm all about DIY. So with any service it's best to weigh the time and effort versus the $ you can spend. Cabinet jobs can take anywhere from 3-5 days for us depending on how big your kitchen is. But DIY and it can take anywhere from 2-4 weeks depending on how fast you are. It is a pain to put cabinets back up and you will need a large amount of space to spray and dry the cabinets and move anything out of the way. We have yet to have a set of cabinets that weren't loved by the customer. A sprayer and a good primer should help you out! good luck!

no, i didn't post my concerns in the paint forum since I was pretty sure what was causing the problem and, therefore what had to be done. sure enough stripping them does make a difference. though it was another whole step, and a lot of extra work it was worth it. i did another test yesterday and the primer now sticks. and as you know, this is very important. one more thing i should mention, a friend who use to be a professional painter, told me to to add some FLOETROL to the paint (as per the instructions). he was right, the difference with the Floetrol is substantial... and I am using BM Impervo which is a self-leveling paint. not only does the paint go down smoother but i could also put down a lighter coat. the result is so close to a spray finish that i doubt anyone could tell that they weren't sprayed. (NOTE: Floertrol is for latex paint only. if you are using an oil-based paint use the oil version) since I am going to all this trouble and seeing that that i will be living with these cabinets for many years I would rather spend a little extra effort now, and an extra day or two, if it means getting a much superior finished result. the only extra advice I would give is to be very careful with the corners and in the grooves. This is where paint drips tend to occur and show-up. i will post some pictures when I am done.

I had that problem with the Murphy's Oil Soap used on a wood floor. The finish on the floor was old shellac, which I was just going to add a coat to, since it was ok most everywhere, but worn in a few spots. The Murphy's caused an orange-peel effect with the new coat of shellac that I lived with for 14 years, since it did not bother me. I was aware at the time that if I had done a wipe-down with mineral spirits before using shellac, the problem would not have occurred, but since I was limited in resources, both human and monetary, I was stuck. I took my chances and I lived with orange peel floors. My nearsightedness probably kept it from bothering me, LOL. I believe I remember Gibby3000 saying she tried the finish in an unseen area, first. One thing about all those HGTV shows is that they make re-doing cabinets look easy. The sanding of the old finish, any surface filling, the sanding between coats, and any finish coats are minimized. It is a HUGE undertaking. I repainted slab doored cabs once. I would not consider doing ones with molding or panels. If you do it wrong, it will eventually peel. Is that how Shabby Chic became popular? Funny, my current cabs that the PO painted do not look chic - just shabby.

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.