SFGate

zip2zap I touched up similar cupboards in my home by cleaning them thoroughly with mineral spirits, sanding the spots that were worn, touching up those spots with maple colored stain and applying a couple of coats of satin polyurethane. So it can be done if you choose.

casadecoots I vote for #3

olldcan LOL, that sounds like what I just went through. My cabinets were structurally sound, I could of used another bank of drawers but the doors were :( nasty!!! I talked myself out of replacing anything to do with the cabinets. I proceeded with granite counters and a full height granite backsplash. Sink, faucet, replaced all of the appliances, done right??? Not, the cabinets doors looked like they were stuck in a time warp and with everything else around them upgraded they never looked worse!!!!! I ended up having to address the cabinets. I had all the uppers replaced and went with a taller, deeper upper. I kept all of the base cabinets in place except for one, which was slide out from under the granite VERY CAREFULLY and replaced with a bank of drawers, that I should have had all along. Some of the base cabinets features were addressed. I had a bank of 5 drawers but you couldn't put anything in them as they were just to small. The drawers in this base were reconfigured to just 3 drawers but much deeper.YAY!!! it's now actually useable :) All the doors and drawer fronts on the base cabinets were replaced to match the uppers.
I guess you just need to decide if you like your cabinets or not. If you don't love them, then best to address them before the counter etc. Basically I'm trying to tell you, no matter how hard you try you can't put lipstick on a pig. I know, I tried.

yvonnecmartin My painter touched up my 50 year-old cabinets and put something on them. They look (almost) new. With new hardware people at a recent house-walk couldn't believe that they were that old. The trick with touch-up is to get a really good match, mix several stains if need be.

lexi2012 I'm a fan of white kitchens, but painting the cupboards white can be quite the job and it doesn't always last. My step daughter had her's done about 2 years ago and there are already chips on some of the doors. I know that there are companies that just resurface the doors. By doing that, you would get rid of the curve but really, the cupboards are nice. Change the knobs, you could replace with handles in brushed nickel. I did mine by using the existing hole and drilling another hole for a longer handle. Paint, granite and a new back splash would make it beautiful. Have a look at Alaska granite. It really compliments the colour of the cabinets without being matchy matchy. NO BORDER THOUGH!!

brettkaufman At Lexi,
I was thinking of wood crown with wood trim but no wallpaper in between. Is that what you mean?

brettkaufman At everyone,
Thank you!!!!

Alicia Brown It looks as if you have a similar problem to me (see my discussion post). Very interesting to hear your thoughts olldcan and lexi

olldbobbi I like your cabinets very much! I wouldn't paint them white, and I LOVE a white kitchen. I would simply have them touched up.

lucindalane If you go to a Lowe's, or a Home Depot, or any other place that sells kitchen cabinets, you will see that the actual cabinet styles really don't change that much. They still sell the cathedral style-which is your style-or the shaker style, which is the plain rectangular inset, or plain, flush doors. They also sell the more elaborate ones with all the carving and posts. Even the finishes don't change that much-they still sell the dreaded honey oak that many out here go into a coma about for some reason when they are confronted with them. Right now it seems the preferred finishes are either white, or the darker woods like mahogany or a dark stained cherry, or another painted finish like expresso. So, its the preferences that change. If your cabinets are in good shape, and are actually at least mostly wood I hope that you opt to at least try and salvage them. If you are on a budget, not replacing the cabinets would certainly leave more money to buy the other things that are pricey, like granite.
Here is a picture of a contemporary kitchen with the cathedral style. They aren't exactly the same, as they aren't as "curved" as yours, but if they are arched, I think the are considered cathedral style.

Alicia Brown Lucindalan I think your picture shows how important the floor is. This kitchen looks unified and I like it even though to my mind it's old fashioned.