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[sabatini]

@Mom2Dogs, you have a lovely home.

My opinion is to definitely paint the cabinets. Just close your eyes and do it. There's no need to cringe when painting over a 'natural' looking wood with grain, etc.

Dark colors absorb light, lighter colors reflect it.

My one suggestion is this: After wiping the cabinets down, use Sherwin Williams Extreme Bonding Primer.

It's amazing stuff.

I used it to paint over laminate cabinets over 5 years ago, and there's not a single chip or scratch, and I tend to be rough on things.

I concur with others who said a greige would be very nice indeed.

Good luck!

[Elodie2]

@sabatini , informative, clearly written and on target.

@Mom2Dogs , I agree your home is charming.  Sabatini has some great advice.

[PINKdogWOOD]

@Mom2Dogs  A little background on our house - it's over 100 years old. Way back then they built a pantry area and a kitchen. Our pantry has all of those cupboards, and the sink. Honestly it's kind of closed in, small space. It opens to the kitchen area which is a bigger space that has the typical 30" range and fridge. There's a window in each space, the walls in the kithcen are a moderate charcoal grey, we bought new white appliances to go against the charcoal walls. This color is not at all too dark, Marmoleum 12x12" tiles in the charcoal, a lighter grey and a red all with mottled flecks. I used to really hate my kitchen (this includes both rooms), now I love it. Backsplash and countertop in in the pantry area, really light grey top called 'cement' (it's a great composite with granite, marble, light grey striations through it and flecks of mercury glass that literally catches your eyes with sparkles, may sound odd but it is SO nice!), backsplash is a very cool narrow mosaic tiles of a couple shades of greys and mercury glass. WE LOVE IT!!!!  Looks great!

[Mom2Dogs]

@PINKdogWOOD ....I like the color grey and your kitchen sounds like it is very pretty.  I am envious of your pantry.  My cupboards are standard and have a divider in the center, which some times makes it difficult to store things.

I also like older homes..all those nooks and crannies (charm) that most new home do not have.

[Mom2Dogs]

@Sooner   The California house photos are really nice.  My fireplace stone is very similar to the entry way of the one home...but the stones on my fireplace are more natural looking.

[Sooner]

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@Mom2Dogs wrote:

@Sooner   The California house photos are really nice.  My fireplace stone is very similar to the entry way of the one home...but the stones on my fireplace are more natural looking.

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@Mom2Dogs I'm excited about what you are doing because you have something really lovely to work with, and so many ways you could go!  

[Mom2Dogs]

@sabatini .thank you for the compliment and your experience with painting.  Nothing worse that spending money and time painting to end up with a lousy job.

I am going to be painting a door that leads to our back porch, hopefully this weekend, depending on the weather.  I should get a quart of the paint you mentioned to help maintain the finish...thanks.

[Mom2Dogs]

@Sooner ... I would welcome you to my house to help me!

[Sooner]

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@Mom2Dogs wrote:

@Sooner ... I would welcome you to my house to help me!

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@Mom2Dogs You already have!  I'm here to cheer you on and encourage you!  I do wish I could stand there with you and go "what if you. . . "!  

[PINKdogWOOD]

@Mom2Dogs   For it to be be standing at 100+ yrs, you know they do not make homes to last like our's. FLip side is, things still need to be updated, repaired, replaced, changed out, well you (may) know the drill. It's never-ending. It does have charm though, not too many nooks or crannies - as this was hubby's G'Parents home, we're still looking for a great treasure tucked inside somewhere!!!!!!!

(all of our paints we've used in this old house are Pittsburg Paints)