My wife and I are trying to decide if we want to go with painted cabinets in our kitchen remodel. This kitchen will see a lot of use - we both do a lot of cooking, and personally I’m a bit of a messy cook. Stuff tends to get splashed around, although I do clean up after I’m done.

I’ve read a number of threads here where I’ve seen comments about painted cabinets seeming to show wear due to use - chipping, cracking, sometimes after only a short amount of time (a few years?). I’ve read up some and I’ve learned that there are different ways to do a painted finish, just like there are for stained. So maybe some ways of doing paint are better than others. But in general, would I be better off with something like a post-catalyzed varnish vs. paint for more durable wear? Or, what sort of painted finishes have people had excellent experience with?