It really is just paint.....took down the old fur-down, added crown molding to cabinets and ceiling.....that is it. I think I got a lot of update for just a little money! I won't say it was easy, (primarily because I painted the insides of all the cabinets too), but it was worth it. I really do like it. Thank you for your compliments!

I've decided to paint the cabinets first, then change out the counters and see how it looks before I make any decisions on the flooring. I think I would de-value my house if I replaced the current stone countertops with anything other than stone or quartz. This is a photo of the color I did in my entryway last year with some granite samples and then a few inspiration pictures of what I want style wise in the kitchen.

In retrospect I should have dug deeper into the painter’s statement that he has done waterbased paint before since he clearly specializes in CV, but he’s been in the business a long time and came highly recommended so we went for it. Lesson learned. As a disclaimer, you are a bit past my knowledge here, as I have not really used the chemcraft waterborne products. I don't think Chemcraft Aquaset is a water-based paint. It is a solvent based paint that is waterborne, it has fairly low amounts of solvent, especially when compared to conversion varnish. Also, it likely doesn't create formaldehyde in the curing process as conversion varnish does. I don't want to freak you out but you should mention to Chemcraft that you are pregnant. I believe that Aquaset has an, "Avoid exposure during pregnancy" warning. As a disclaimer I just googled "chemcraft aquaset material safety data sheet" to get that information so it may not be correct. I am unconvinced his experience with water borne products is the problem, I think you are in danger of post hoc fallacy. I bet that I could switch out a pure solvent based conversion varnish with a waterborne conversion varnish and most people couldn't tell the difference in application. ---- The idea that he will do the job as he originally agreed to do it but will not warranty it, will not fly unless he also offers you an option to get your money back. He can't arbitrarily force you into a worse position than you agreed to originally. You are essentially scrapping the original contract (which we can assume had a workmanship warranty by default) and creating a new contract (disclaiming the warranty) without any consideration (compensation). I would insist that he perform the work as agreed in the original contract with all warranties intact, or return the money. Technically, you might be able to get more, but cash in hand might be better for everyone.

Just to be clear, I am a BIG fan of spraying. I am not always a fan of spraying commercial products in a home. When you start getting into commercial products that you plan on spraying in someone's home I would prefer a water based product but waterborne will sometimes give you a lot of the advantages with significantly fewer dangers. There are many good water based and waterborne products out there. BM Advance is good and durable but pretty thick and relatively hard to spray if you are not experienced. Kem Aqua Plus from Sherwin Williams is a good waterborne paint that sprays easier as it is much thinner. Both are going to be comparable in durability to a Lacquer but will have less yellowing problems and are safer. There are several waterborne alkyd systems that will give you a decent durable finish that can be applied in your home with relative safety. ----- I am just going to assume that your painter wants to use Zinser BIN as a primer and paint over it (BIN sticks to everything and everything sticks to BIN). It is hard to give you definite solutions on cabinets I haven't seen and touched, but lots of people will clean cabinets thoroughly with TSP and a scotch-brite pad and skip the sanding step. How well that works depends on your cabinets and what they are painted with now. It is certainly not unheard of for quality refinishers to not put a thorough sand on a detailed cabinet. If your current product has good adhesion and you can get some tooth to it without sanding, then the marginal benefit vs. marginal cost of sanding can be a legitimate issue. Prep is absolutely the reason most cabinets repaints fail, but there is not a one-size-fits-all solution to prep. Zinser BIN can be a bit brittle. It is a great product and usually performs pretty well but it is a refinish and not a factory finish. It will not be as good as a factory finish, but at some point you have to face the fact that there is a reason you didn't replace your cabinets in the first place... So work on getting a great quality finish that will last, but don't spend a dollar chasing a dime.