When you look through the pics in the linked ideabook, you'll figure out quickly that my rec is to go very dark w/the cabinets. My new bath will be primarily light counters, light shower tiles w/some kind of accent (probably sticking w/a greyish), and my cabinetry will be deep brown/espresso, like my kitchen cabs. All the woodwork in the bath will be dark (baseboards, door and window trim, panelled soffits), and I think it will be great w/marble counters, maybe a light grey glass tile in shower w/pieces of marble for accent. I do want to bring in a color in the backsplash and use it in shower - maybe a light blue? HOWEVER, the minute I read your post, all I could see was the dove grey cabinetry I've been seeing and have fallen in love with! I'm going to do all grey painted built-in shelving in my library (which is a big step for me, my last house had no painted woodwork, not even any stain - just the natural colors of the mixed varieties of wood I used.) I totally get what you're picturing about a beachy feel, coming in from your bedroom. My only concern is I've seen several baths lately that mixed taupe/sandcolored tiles on floor and in shower then used blue glass tiles for accents, and they just looked kind of "off" together. It didn't feel like the styles were headed the same way. That's what I'm afraid would happen w/taupe cabinets. Of course, some of that would depend on the style of the cabinets themselves. I hope the pics I found on houzz.com will help - I've added comments to a couple of them to explain why I thought they might be inspirational. Good luck! Here is a link that might be useful: houzz.com ideabook w/possible cabinet colors

Lynn, I guess I forgot to tell you what sheen of paint is best. I have tried just about everything and I have to say that using semi-gloss has been the best so far. It holds up better and is wipeable if need be without being too shiney. After being able to wipe everything down, it's hard to change that! LOL aleen, I know what you are talking about. I would try to get the surface as smooth as possible, like by ripping up any of the peeled stuff and possibly try hand sanding to see if that helps flatten it out. I did that in the bathroom at the bottom of the vanity and then painted with a few coats of paint. I'm sure if you look closely you can see the problem area but once everything was painted and looked the same, it wasn't AS noticeable. The other option could be to replace the bad spots. Like I had a friend who's brother and SIL took the cabinet doors off and replaced the rest of the outer parts of the cabinets with plywood so it was sturdier and looked nicer. Once it's all painted, nobody will see the difference!

Just make sure you clean well, lightly sand or use a bonding primer (I like Zinsser 123 & BIN primer), and two coats of quality paint. *Side note - I would not use SW All Surface Enamel in high gloss. I'm not impressed with that paint. Also stay far away from their Porch & Floor paint. I ended up with a 'bad batch' that wrecked my stair project. - W-r-e-c-k-e-d. I was told they were discontinuing the product for many reasons, but the last I looked it's still around. I am having some chipping in my one bathroom. The issue came from me putting a nic in the top of the door before the paint had cured and didn't deal with the touch up and now there's a bigger section where the paint is off. That wouldn't stop me from painting again, but just be careful with the cabinets until everything has fully cured - I think it takes a month, but don't hold me to that. I would use BM Satin Impervo or I'd like to try the brand Cabinet Coat. It's self leveling and you can also have it tinted. There's also the General Finishes gel stain option. You can apply coats without wiping off and it ends up looking opaque like paint (which I would just assume paint if that's the look you want), or you can do very light coats or wipe the stain off to show the grain. There's also the beadboard wallpaper option Pattycakes mentioned. I bought recessed paneled cabinets from Lowes for my laundry room and used the bb wallpaper for the insert panels. I caulked around the edges, painted, and they look great. Everyone can't believe it isn't real bb. I used Graham & Brown brand and ordered from Lowes. It's very thick and easy to use. It will dent if you push your fingernail hard into it. I would never use it for the back of an island where people would sit. I would personally change the finish before replacing a vanity.

Break Through. Spraying depends more on your skill level using a sprayer than BT vs. Advance. BT sprays and rolls nicely either way. Best results is BT for me because I don't have the patience for the ridiculous Advance dry time between coats.