Restain or paint. I think restain is best option. Hire company to do it.

We were in the same boat and decided to update/upgrade everything else (lighting, quartzite, backsplash, appliances, hardware) and ended up LOVING our new kitchen with beautiful med cherry cabs (DCUM helped along the way — I got great advice here. If you’re still unhappy, then go for the paint or stain.

Or this

Ooopsie

OP change your counters and backsplash

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People underestimate the impact changing hardware alone has on a kitchen. It really can change the tone. I'd start with the hardware and countertops and then decide if you still want to tackle the cabinets. It's likely not worth painting them but new countertops and hardware will give you something much closer to the kitchen you like without having to go the whole hog.

I had a similar dilemma about 5 years ago when we bought our current house, except the cabinets are honey oak and a little too ornate for our taste, but they are very high quality and in great shape. I intended to have them painted and remove some of the moulding and replace with a simpler style. We started by replacing the countertops and backsplash with white subway tiles/marble looking silestone, and replaced the cabinet knobs with brushed nickel. It made a huge difference, and we never wound up painting the cabinets, in part because it felt “wrong” to paint good wood, in part because many people told me I’d regret having them painted because they would scuff and chip, and in part because ideally we’ll do a kitchen reno in the next 10 years and the cost to have them painted ($6k) just wasn’t worth it. I found a number of pictures online titled “updating your honey oak cabinets,” and drew inspiration for backsplash, counters and knobs from the photos.

Do they look like these cabinets? I think this looks very modern with the white countertops and the hardware.

https://crystalcabinets.com/portfolio/contemporary-room-style,encore,kitchen,medium,wood/white-and-cherry-wood-contemporary-kitchen/

Anonymous wrote:Yea we have nice but dated cherry wood cabinets too and we're afraid to paint them.

You are right to be afraid to paint them. They will never look as good.

Everyone's kitchen is out of date at some point. Just make your kitchen into a kitchen you love, that works well for your family, then you won't care as much if it's out of date.

To be clear, this is only for if they are really natural cherry. That's a lovely color. The red toned cherry stain isn't.

But go with some matte black hardware. Change out the sink and the hardware there. Maybe white counters like people mentioned above.

Yea we have nice but dated cherry wood cabinets too and we're afraid to paint them.

I watched a short video on how they paint kitchen cabinets in the warehouse. There is no way to duplicate that in your home. Painted cabinets always look pretty much DIY and not in a good way. Give yourself some time. About the time you get them pained white it will go out of style snd you will have home painted cabinets.

Don't paint. New hardware, possibly a backsplash, lighting, etc., will work.

Paint!

I’d paint or stain dark.