Don't put chemical stripper on those walls as mentioned at your blog! It will tear them to pieces!! I love spackle but that won't work for you, looks like the areas are too big. You'll need joint compound. You can get it pre-mixed. Were it me, I'd gently take a very thin flat metal putty knife, a 1" wide blade and maybe a 2" or 3" (depending on the size of the area), slide it under the peeling paint, hold the handle at about a 45 degree angle from the wall underneath and slide it under loose paint to lift it off, moving in a gentle forward motion. Use light pressure, don't saw back and forth. Just keep putting the putty knife under the paint and sliding it under the loose paint and nudging it forward, toward a stable section of paint. Be careful you don't gouge the wall worse! Do this till all chipping/peeling paint comes off and stable paint clings. If sublayers of paint are old, wear a good mask, you might be dealing with lead based paint. (You might want to google LBP for more info, just to be safe.) Once all loose, chippy paint is off, use sandpaper to remove any loose chippy border edges of the old paint. Wrap it around a sanding block and use that so you get a good, flat result. Doing it by holding the paper in your hand won't get you a really level finish, as uneven pressure from your hand can cause uneven ridges on the wall. Smooth the edges so you get a smooth feathered (no definite ridge) transition from the old paint to the surface below. Probably start with 180 grit and repeat, moving up to 200. Wouldn't recommend going below 150 grit, it could tear up the wall worse. Joint compound is tricky stuff. I don't like working with it. It takes me forever (I go slow and use multiple thin layers.) I am a neurotic perfectionist and I have tremendous envy of people who can slap the stuff on, smooth it out and barely have any sanding in just a few swift motions ;) You apply it with a drywall knife (blades from small to wide, as wide as 12" +, depending on surface area). Smooth it out as best you can with the knife. It's something you have to get a feel for working with. Don't glob it on, let each layer dry thoroughly (it will be chalky white, I let it set at minimum a overnight). Sand smooth with 180-220 grit and repeat in layers till you get a flush surface to work with. Small spots you can use spackle. That I can do quickly. Just apply a dab with a small (1" - 2") putty knife with a good beveled edge, keep it clean. In as swift a movement as possible once the dab is on there you scrape it flush. Start on good wall so knife is resting on flush surface, hold the blade steady and slide it right across the spackle and don't stop till you've reached and gone beyond good wall on the other side of the bad spot. You'll need to prime, I like Zinnsser Bullseye 123, but you might want oil-based. It depends on what's causing all that chipping and peeling. That is the top priority, correcting that, because it could happen again. Is this a bathroom, with too much humidity? Moisture from the attic above? Any idea what caused that? Hopefully one of the guys will see this, they can probably explain better than I.

I find it interesting that so many people here whine about not knowing wood would have grain, or mitered corners shift, etc., yet you're mentioning "too smooth!" Arrrghhh!!! That would be the perfect, imaginary factory wood finish, wouldn't it? Anyway, I don't have a lot to offer, other than the experience that if the MDF is absolutely sealed with paint/finish, whatever, it shouldn't react to humidity -- as you've experienced in your display. IRL, you have families hitting, slamming, rubbing, hanging off, scraping and abusing the doors and drawer fronts. It might (might) chip. As far as a glaze or brush stroke effect, why wouldn't that be as simple as painting with a brush? It's just paint, which after primer and the base coat, is going to act just like paint acts. If you leave brush strokes (or glaze) it's gonna be there. I have seen the 5-piece drawers and drawer fronts. I've also seen the panels MDF (for warping) and the rails and stiles in wood. Both are lovely. I agree with you on the 1-piece with rounded routes. na-huh. Way-cheap-o looking. Cheap, as in no quality, not as in inexpensive. All that said, I guess I'd check into the type of finish and how many coats, types of sealer, etc. That's going to make or break your doors. I suggest asking about Cabinet Coat as a paint finish. Have fun with this new option!

I'm resurrecting this thread...have a slightly different question in addition to all of the issues already discussed. I'm going to order from Conestoga I think. I'm replacing white thermofoil doors which are 20 years old and haven't really faded, but there are a few where a candle or the toaster got too close and caused some minor melting....Most people think they look nice, but in my mind they are still "cheap". The uppers are 42" I'm going to stick with white and just buy doors to match the existing boxes which are fine. Also, I have granite and it's hard to find someone willing to remove it to install complete cabinets. My question is....will a mapleframe/mdf center FEEL like a real wood door? Will it feel different than my thermofoil? I'm talking in terms of both surface and the weight in your hand as you open and close it. Will the outside edges and the panel raise etc be sharper than thermofoil? If I get mdf center will I still have the defined edges I am looking for. If you've had thermofoil you will know what I am asking. I'm toying with getting 5 peice mdf...but don't want to lose the wood look or feel... I think the mdf center is my best bet. My husband is what I like to call..anal...pretty sure he will be bothered by cracks, but he doesn't want the fake plastic look either. Pretty sure all wood is not a good choice for me, too bad because I love wood... The style I am leaning toward is https://www.cabinetjoint.com/cabinet-door/monarch-square/  but I am also toying with shaker style. Wondering if the shaker trend is headed out....Also considering doing a grey island by applying end panels. Guess I could start a new thread for those questions.

I know that this topic is getting beat to death, but I feel I must weigh in. If you are doing a painted door you be best off doing a hybrid door, maple or birch rails with a mdf center panel. The stiles and rails will be more durable while the center panel will not show lines from the stave expansions. Cracking is inevitable with the joints, however they can be so slight, that they are not visible, and you can only feel them when you run your hand over them, A flexible finish like latex paint instead a pigmented catalyzed varnish will be more flexible and be less prone to chipping in the future. Plus it is easier to touch up. If you are glazing with a hand rub method you will achieve a better look with catalyzed varnished because they tend to yield a smoother finish. If anyone thinks that a painted finish on a mitered joint with biscuits, will never show finish fractures, than they are naive! A mitered joint is the worst possible joint for a painted finish, mortise and tenon would be a much wiser choice. If the wood at a miter joint contracts then they both contract in the same direction, thus creating the possibility for a joint fracture in the finish. Montalvo, please keep in mind when Khat is talking about cracking the reference is to finish fracturing NOT joint failure. It is possible to have finish fracturing without joint failure. This is why NO door manufacturer or cabinet company would ever warranty against this. The movement of kiln dried wood can be very significant when there is even small moisture changes, With hard maple being one of the worst. If you would like I can post the chart information if you would like evidence. To think that a cabinetmaker would not be using kiln dried wood or making mitered joints without an additional joint lock is ridiculous, they would not be a cabinetmaker, they would be an amateur woodworker.