I am in same situation as you and curious to see what others say. I want to put something down to protect the painted wood but not sure about the foam pad or papery stuff.

I have the foamy stuff in my glass drawer and my plate drawer. Other drawers have the IKEA liner, which is plastic.

Definitely use the liner! Totally know how you feel about 'covering up' the beautiful new wood, but have absolutely NO regrets about using LifeLiner clear ribbed plastic liner. Only wish I had bit the bullet (I think it is expensive), and put it into MORE cupboards. Our kitchen is about 5 years old now, and DH just noticed wood showing some damage where we store our glasses. Must be from water still on them when we take them out of DW. Will need to go buy some liner and put it in there.

I have it under sink and when I lift it during occasional cleaning, wood is like brand new. So many yucky things stored under sink, eg compost pail, cleaners, etc. What's nice about the clear, is that you still see the wood.

Raehelen - I also used that Lifeliner under my sink and in my island cabinets. Great stuff.

I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and get some. I can use the discount coupon for Bed Bath and Beyond. Maybe before the storm hits Friday here in the NE, so I'll be able to get it done over the weekend!

No, no, and never. I'll link a thread from a few months ago about lining drawers. This thread contains links to other threads as the subject comes up regularly. Personally, I don't understand the concept of putting stuff down in new, sealed drawers for protection. After 15 months, my drawer and shelf interiors look perfect. No scratches or anything else that could have been avoided if I had lined my drawers/shelves.

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to thread on drawer liners

I like the lined stuff, too. Especially where we keep food and spices because it is so easy to remove and clean (it isn't stuck to the bottom like our mama's contact paper). So jealous you get to start unpacking!

I lined my cabinet shelves and drawers with vinyl floor tile. It helps lighten the interior of the cabinets, is easy to clean, and I can put the dishes when they are still slightly wet without worrying about damage to the shelves.

Yes. My mother would turn over in her grave if I didn't. I still have the ivy pattern Contact paper in my drawers and blind (sad, I know) corners. It refuses to come off and still wipes down nicely. I got some of that ridged stuff from BB&B on my new shelves. I also line the tops of my upper cabs with paper towels, since tragically they do not go to the ceiling.

It's okay, Mom, I'm still lining my shelves.

I lined mine with cork. I bought a giant roll of cork underlayment because it looked nice and was inexpensive. I did it mainly to keep things from shifting on my dish drawers and other large drawers. I suppose it is slightly easier to clean, but I really don't think that lining is necessary or makes a huge difference. If you don't want to, then don't do it. Wait until you "ruin" the drawers and then line--you'll get the best of both worlds.

I'm with Breezy on this one. Nothing lining my shelves or drawers. The wood interiors are beautiful and easy to clean.

Is this "life liner" stuff only at BBB? I have never heard of it. How expensive is it?

I bought the cheap stuff at the dollar store. I just lined the cabinet under the sink, the shelf that hold mugs and everyday glasses and the shelf where oil is stored. I double lined that one.

Exciting for you Momand3boys!

We recently made the same decision and went with liners in many places, especially all the new pullouts. We opted for the lovingly named "Plast-o-Mat." Despite the cheesy name it is made in USA and does not contain vinyl, which is something I'd like to avoid in our living spaces. It comes in many sizes and our local Ace Hardware had it in stock. It's got ribs which is nice for wet things fresh out of the dishwasher.

Looking forward to your pictures!

Here is a link that might be useful: plast o' mat at Amazon

I have used liners in old nasty cabinets so my stuff doesn't "touch" the cabinets. When we remodeled the kitchen in our last house, the cabinet interiors were beautiful cherry veneers to match the exteriors. It never occurred to me to use liners to cover up that beautiful wood. After 5 years of use, we had no damage before we moved out. Of course, I dry my dishes before I put them away.

Before GW, I never knew people put liners in nice cabinets.

I would only use it in spaces that obviously get a lot of potential water or chemicals, such as under the sink (cleaning supplies) and possibly if you put dishes up wet (who does that?) That little oversight got you in a heap of trouble in my childhood home! And every other home I was in for that matter friends, etc.

Most of the liner I have seen eventually wears at the wood in its own wear pattern. I feel the only use for shelf liner is when you are renting an apartment and have no idea what was there before you. Made the kitchen feel cleaner to me. But in my own home? No use for that stuff. I don't put dishes up wet and cleaning supplies go in a bucket/tray/box. It's easier to lift everything up at once, one time than ten bend-overs. Nothing is scraped excessively across any shelf, because honestly, that's just lazy lol

And I gotta tell you, that vinyl floor stick stuff inside the cabinet is the second reason my kitchen got a total renovation. Impossible to get out, covers the beautiful wood underneath and completely ruined the wood. Nothing, I mean nothing gets that sticky crap off. It's so terrible, the laundry room will have it there forever until I have new cabinets in there too.

No one's mentioned Cushy Cupboards yet? It's exceptionally thick closed-cell foam. It's not cheap, and seems to be just sold by a handful of stores. I was skeptical but a member from here sent me a sample to try (which I'll do for you if you're interested; please contact me offlist) and I must say it is good. I didn't use it everywhere, but the places I did not I wish I had. There are many drawers I have no liner in at all, namely shallow drawers holding utensils or knives. Where I find the padding/protection invaluable is in the drawers that hold cast iron. Those pots are so heavy and also can be gunky too, that the protection on the floor of the cabinet is really helpful. It's helpful, even, to have a bit of a depressed template where the heavy pot is to go too! I love it there.

For a glasses/dishes drawer, the most heavily-used one, I used ribbed plastic liner from costco; I thought it would be good for allowing glasses to dry. Actually, I'm finding it not terribly good at drying upside down glasses, and it's a pia because it slips around. It's a little bit clear which I thought would be good as far as not losing all that beautiful brand new cabinetry. But I was wrong. It's too cloudy to ake a difference. Covered is covered.

Basically, my opinion a year out is, either nothing or the good stuff. I'm *sure* you can find an equivalent to the Cushy Cupboards for cheaper by just buying commercial closed cell, but I'm not certain of the specifications, etc. As well, the Cushy Cupboard rolls go a very long way - I bought two large ones and still have one left. There's a store in Michigan I think? a hardware store with occasional sales on the stuff. And several in Orange County, CA. My theory is it's peddled by some retiree who lives close to this little cluster of hardware stores in OC and, dunno, his bil is in Michigan or wherever that other small set of stores is? It's quite odd as a commercial enterprise...

I like the stuff and it's super easy to cut. It's thick so in a shallow drawer you might not want to devote depth to this (I think it's about 1/4"). But if you really need it for protection, it's really effective. As noted by others, I have found, oddly enough, that nothing really slides about in drawers, not dishes, fine china, even knives and the like ... partitions can allow you to stack utensils several items deep, but if things are just sitting more or less single-layered, they just don't shift around. This is so surprising! But it seems to be a fairly universal experience. I wonder why we all expect so much shifting? I can't seem to figure out where that expectation of mine originated either. Maybe ... I bet it's the soft close drawers that slow down the closing at the last moment. Without that I bet contents do experience inertia or centripetal force or whatever it is, and shift when the drawer comes to a rapid stop?

Here is a link that might be useful: Cushy Cupboards

I used oil cloth in the drawers(it's cheerful) and the ribbed plastic liner(BB&B). I like that the glasses and dishes slide easily over it when you are putting them away. I didn't want turmeric/cayenne(I use a lot of turmeric)to stain the white interiors. I considered cushy cupboards but decided not to bother ordering it since it needs to be to shipped to an Ace hardware store for pick up. It would have been a hassle to get to Ace.

Marti8-To clarify since another poster commented about tiles sticking to the shelves, the floor tiles are not stuck to the shelves, just placed on top, right ?

While I did not start this thread I certainly read it and found everyone's input helpful. I have interiors to my cabinets that are painted. If they were natural or stained wood I think I might be less likely to line but white is less forgiving. That being said I purchased some comfy cupboards liner. I plan to use it in my dish/glassware cabinets and my pots and pans cabinets/ drawers. I will probably go with something like the clear plastic liner for under the sink since I often find I get rust rings and other cleaner drips/rings where I store cleaning supplies. Drawers with placemats, dish towels, junk pot holders will not be lined.
Thanks for all the great ideas!

In 2008 I painted some cabinets given to me. Glasses & plates go there. Two coats of primer (then, Kilz) and 2 coats of interior, white, latex enamel.

To this day when I go to pick up an item, it's tuck. The shelf looks fine, but things ... stick. Ick.

On the shelves that are laminate, either particle board or laminated plywood, the finishes are perfect. I've washed and washed and stacked and stored, and they're fine. Keeping in mind some of them could be years old and I just don't know it.

In my drawers I don't use anything. Dividers, I guess, that keep things from sliding around. I have lazy Susans in my cabinets where oil, tumeric (I thought I was the only one!), cinnamon, etc., sit on those. If I used cast iron, the way rust happens, I'd line.

So..
I've clipped this post for my older cabinets and won't use anything in my newer. Problem solved. [brushing off hands]

I lined mine with marmoleum scraps. It works really well.

Here is a link that might be useful: lining drawers with marmoleum

Agree that lining with marmoleum scraps on the drawers with heavy pots and the cupboard under the sink with cleaning supplies is best. We left most shelves bare figuring that we can cover them later if they look too scratched up. Did not want to add outgassing from plastic stuff to the air in our home.

angela12345 - happy to pay it forward! But unable to email you so as your preferences do not enable this...

Weird. I have received emails before from GW. Even very recently. Would someone else please test sending me an email from "My Page" please ? But also I did include my email address in the email to you. : )

I used the Cushy Cupboards and I love it. It lays flat and doesn't bunch in drawers. I got it on sale.

I also used the ribbed Lifeliner. I wanted something that would be easy to cut and wouldn't leave marks on my nice new wood shelves and drawers (some of the other liners I have used have done that to some other wood items I have.) Maybe I'm old fashioned, but lining the shelves/drawers is something my Mom ingrained into me. Just like lining dresser drawers...it's impossible to find paper for that anymore.

I'm surprised no one has said this yet: I like opening my cabinets and seeing a bright splash of pretty color. In my upper cabinets, my shelf paper goes up the back so I have more color!

Wow, I am flabbergasted at the number of people who line the cupboards. So surprising to me. I don't line mine, never considered it, never have, never will, it sounds way too much like work. There's just no risk/reward to lining cabinets, at least that I can see. My interiors are stained wood, not sure if that makes a difference.

Taggie--it doesn't make a difference. My cabs are painted, but interiors are sealed and I feel exactly as you do. Usually there are more members that speak up for not lining than on this thread.

After some heartbreaking stains on the mdf shelves in my last builder grade kitchen...line.

P.ball2 - my DH's aunt gave me a roll of the Lifeliner, she said it costs $14.99 for a roll of 24in X 10ft. She gave me some coupons for BBB, so not so bad. So far I have decided to line the drawer of chips/bread and under the sink. I also use it for the bathroom vanity drawers and under the sink.

I'm not sure I want to use it for glasses and plates yet. But unfortunately I'm the type that doesn't have the patience to make sure everything is dry first!

Here's a liner "horror" story for the TKO crowd: For our last house, I bought a couple rolls of nice liner for our bathroom cabinets to protect the wood from any leaks or spills from all of the bottles and jars of toiletries. I planned to template the drawers and carefully cut the liner to fit each space, but I didn't get to it fast enough. My visiting MIL decided to help while I was at work one day. Unfortunately, she prefers speed to precision. I came home to drawers lined with hacked up pieces of liner with few straight cuts in sight. Given my OCD tendencies, it was difficult to look at every time I opened a drawer. I assume GW members who use liner cut it a bit more carefully, lol.

* Gasp!! *

LOL. Honestly that would drive me crazy. I would have to re-do them.

kaysd -- eek! Why on earth would she be meddling with your cabinets. I, too, would need to redo them!

None of my shelves are lined except the 2 roll outs for pots and pans. The grill pan and cast iron pans are rough on the bottom and I didn't want those drawers scratched. As a temporary liner I cut perfectly fitting cardboard from the boxes the cabinets were in. I like it so much I've never changed it. Works great.

I never thought of not lining cabinets, I bought some at BB which looks goes well with kitchen, then bought a roll from Costco for under sink, pot/pans, and a few others areas, s had so much left over put new in bathrooms, and did a my night table drawers too.