I used oil based paint on my cabs, and granted it's only been about a month since painting them so i'm not much help on the yellowing portion. Everyone I talked too said oil based would be better for that project.

I do know that water based on top of oil based is a bad idea though!

Hi! I will be painting our cabinets w/ BM Mayonaise as well (haven't quite gotten there yet). The guy at our BM store recommended the same as your painter - the waterborne Satin Impervo Acrylic low lustre enamel (green/silver can).

Our contractor used Ben More Satin impervo oil based. I love the finish. It has quite a shine when it first goes on but in about a week or two it cures to a beautiful finish with a depth you do not get with water based paints.

i might be able to help with my experience. I am not a painter. I am currently painting my cabs with the waterborne Benjamin Moore right now. My Benjamin moore store told me that oil based paint is not necessary anymore today with the quality of latex paints available today. I can tell you that the cabinets in the rest of my house were painted with benjamin moore impervo over 12 years ago, and they are still beautiful. I can also tell you that the finish is smoother and prettier than the new cabinets in my kitchen that I have used the waterborne paint on. And, I am or I believe that i am doing a really good job so far. I primed, sanded, painted first coat, sanded, painted on second coat. don't get me wrong, they look good, but the ones done 12 years ago just have a smoother finish.

do not think that it will be easy to put latex over oil later. its not easy or simple at all. you will need to stip the oil paint off first. Or, i have heard that you can sand to roughen the oil paint up a bit and then apply an oil based primer and then you can paint with latex over that. but, I have never done this before.

as far as my 12 year old oil painted cabs yellowing, they problably did a bit, but to me they just look like a creamy white. If they have, i don't mind it.

You CAN put the Waterborne over the Alkyd primer. The painting forum experts recommended it and we did it.

We used Satin Impervo (alkyd) in our kitchen, because we wanted a deep color, which you can't get in the Waterborne. We used the acrylic-based for the kids' beds and built-ins, because the oil-based takes SO long to dry and, again, I read it recommended many times on the painting forum for light colors. My husband said he thought the oil-based paint sprayed on better/easier...Better flow, I think. But we're happy with both finishes.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I think I am going to go for the alkyd paint and hope that the yellowing isn't too big of a problem :)

By the way . . . so far we have installed Santa Cecilia Granite counters and a marble backsplash. Now I just have to figure out what color to paint the walls and outdated soffits :(