SFGate

olldbobbi If you paint them, won't you then have money for a new coutertop? If the cabinets are solid, and suit your needs, by all means paint them. Have the doors professionally sprayed and don't paint the hinges.

Tiffany blue and pure white (not off-white) would be amazing together.

Jennifer Collier Yes, was also thinking pure white. Now just to research and find the best way to strip and paint these things. Need to decide what kind of countertops and then get an estimate. It's a small kitchen so it shouldn't be horribly bad. Thanks for the suggestion!

olldbobbi You shouldn't have to strip them at all. Clean/degrease them (I find a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is good for this), rinse and allow to dry thoroughly. Sand any raised areas and paint! I use Behr Premium Plus Ultra Pure White, it's an appliance white with the primer built in and works well with white appliances.

dtdattex You can refinish the cabinet with an HVLP sprayer . It can be done any color but still has wood grain and does not look painter .

Jennifer Collier Thanks, I was under the impression they had to be stripped and that it was going to be a big fiasco just changing colors!

dtdattex We refinish counter tops with a spray HVLP and match Silestone samples . This can be done in the $600 to $800 range

Sharyn Painting the cabinets white would look nice. I just painted mine white. I noticed you also have white appliances. When I completed my job, I noticed that my white appliances looked kind of greyish next to the bright white cabinets, so play with some paint swatches before you commit. If you choose formica countertops, it will be very easy on the budget. (I used the rustoleum cabinet resorations kit - it was labor intensive but got good results)

Jennifer Collier What's an HVLP sprayer? You mean you just spray over what's on there and it mimics silestone?

dtdattex Cabinets just need to be cleaned and light sand. Just to rough up . The material is the same used on bathtubs so it is waterproof and easy to clean

olldbobbi No, no stripping required! When I've done mine, I use a 1" brush whereever I can't use a 4" trim roller. Do remove the doors, don't try to paint them while hanging. It's much easier than you can imagine and will be done in no time.

Something that's becoming very popular and I LOVE the look (wish I'd have done it!) is two tone cabinets, like what's in these pics: [houzz=Kathia's Old Kitchen]
[houzz=Heights Kitchen Remodel]
[houzz=Bosch Kitchens]

dtdattex HVLP are sprayer used to paint cars All refinish companies use them kitchen refinishing for cabinetry run $2000. You can also use airless but it get a lot of overspray

Jennifer Collier Wow! I do like those two tone ideas! Thanks again for your help! Excited to start doing it now!!

Interiors International, Inc. If buying new is an option I would certainly do so. Love the Tiffany Blue idea It's a great color.

williepal5 Try rustoleum cabinet restoration kit. Comes in at least 20 colors. I was skeptical at first and did 4 dressers and a headboard, changed hardware and they look like right out of showroom. I used expresso color. No strippin or sanding required. Next project is my kitchen cabinets. Sm kit costs $80, lg kit $160. I bought sm one and still have half left

Jennifer Collier Thank you, williepal5! Someone else suggested that kit as well. Some great ideas so far! Just found and downloaded this app today and I'm so addicted! So much cool stuff :)

Jean Tuck If cupboards inside and out are sturdy, I would paint cupboards, And do a swell trim on freshly painted trim over fresh painted walls in color prefered,you might then be able to add counters since the other costs would be modest.Would you be considering new flooring?

twylahaj Take off doors and hardware; sand everything enough to take the gloss off the finish. Prime with an oil based primer so that latex will adhere well. Paint whatever color you like, though I do like the white suggestion. If spray painting, use a good grade spray paint and several light coats to insure good coverage without drips. When I've done cabinets I've used brushes and rollers rather than sprayers, but that's because I'm cheap. Make sure you're using a really good paint in a finish other than flat as kitchens get a lot of wear and tear and everything will show on flat finish paint. If you plan to reuse the hardware, try running it through the dishwasher in the silverware basket. You'd need to lubricate the hinges well afterwards, but it should get it clean much easier than soaking and brushing (guess how I learned that!), though either cleaning method can rust steel parts. Don't bother trying to change the color of hardware with spray paint as it will rub with all the kitchen wear and tear. If you can cleanly separate the laminate from the wood that supports it, you might check into granite tile for the countertops without having to even have new countertops fabricated. It is supposed to be very easy to install and doesn't use grout, so no grout lines to clean. Adding under cabinet lighting would be lovely and, if you're willing to be really creative, inexpensive. I added it by installing small cup hooks to the underside of the cabinet and running rope lighting through the cup hooks. It plugs into an outlet, so no wiring experience needed, and unless you're looking for it, you don't see the rope lighting. Probably even easier now with led rope lighting readily available. Good luck with the project.

Jennifer Collier Dang, thanks for all of the info! I'm loving the lighting ideas for under the counter...crafty thought! I plan on new hardware so that part will be easy. Thanks again! That was very helpful info!

lisacabinetree My cousin had some trouble with the rust oleum kit on her old kitchen... When my friends decided to paint we used regular old tremclad oil paint, yes the rust paint! Checked with the manufacturer and they said it was just fine, and super durable because its an oil based lacquer! We didn't prime, just cleaned with tsp, and 2 coats of paint with a small 4" roller. Not the little foam ones, and not the regular wall paint ones, not sure exactly what they're called but they almost look like a terry cloth (but are lint free) - the ones we used were white with tiny rainbow stripes on them.

Ironwood Builders Nuts and bolts...An HVLP sprayer is a High Volume Low Pressure sprayer. They spray a fine small mist and are excellent for thin material, like lacquer and stain. If you opt for a standard house paint (like the Behr above) an HVLP has a pretty hard time pushing the material. Thinning is required and the tip needs to be larger. They are expensive machines and most rental yards don't have them. Best of luck with your cabinets!