I painted my oak cabinets an off white. It was a bit of a challenge, but with lots of patience you can pull it off.

There are excellent resources on the painting forum. Someone over there even has a pamphlet that they will send you. I used an oil based paint, but there is a product called cabinet coat, which is latex based. Both of these methods will have pros and cons, so do some reading.

If you don't mind seeing the grain of the oak, then you've got it made. I did not want to see the grain of the oak and I used a product to fill the grain: pore-o-pac. I needed 3 coats to level out the grain. This was A LOT of work, but really worth it.

Good luck, and get over to the paint forum and do some searches! Just remember, the paint job's success is really dependent on the prep work. Don't cut corners.

http://www.doityourself.com/paint/paintkitchencabinets

http://owcl.blogspot.com/2006/05/cottage-kitchen-cabinet-makeover.html

this is detailed instructions for above.
What steps were involved in painting and "antiquing"
your kitchen cabinets?
A The first step was to clean the cabinets thoroughly with a
spray on degreaser. I sprayed my cabinets and let sit for a
bit before wiping off and repeated this step a couple of times.
I was amazed at how much dirt and grease dripped from my
cabinetry! It's important that as much of this grime as
possible is removed so that the paint can stick well.

After cleaning, I sanded thoroughly and then wiped my
cabinetry down so that no sanding dust remained.

A note about painting:
All the paint that I used was Latex (water based).

I used a good quality brush for all
of my painting. If hand brushing isn't your thing, you may
want to look into a a good quality sprayer. I've never used
one and hear that some people love them and some hate
them.

Also, it is very, very, VERY important that you let each coat of
paint dry and cure thoroughly between recoats. If you don't,
the fresh layer of paint could reactivate the last layer,
resulting in an awful, paint peeling and bubbling nightmare. I
painted my cabinets in the heat and humidity of summer and
sometimes had to let nearly a week pass between coats
because the paint was taking forever to dry and then cure. It
was well worth the wait time, though.

Next, a couple of coats of a good quality primer, inside and
out. You'll want to use a good "bonding" primer.

Then I added an off-white basecoat, inside and out.
(American Tradition: Homestead Resort Parlor Taupe, Satin
Finish).

After the basecoat, I applied four or 5 coats of red (Waverly:
Cherry, satin finish) The interior was left off white, though
the shelves were painted red for interest.

I distressed the edges by sanding lightly down to the off
white basecoat.

Next I brushed on a dark brown glaze ("Raw Umber"
translucent color glaze from Lowes) then wiped it off, allowing
the glaze to settle into crevices.

The next step was to very gently and sparingly drybrush on
a couple of colors here and there. I chose a bluish shade and
sage green. This gives a "layered paint" effect.

Note- the next step is NOT recommended and was
experimental on my part- proceed at your own risk:) The
result was fine but it was frustrating to try and achieve just
the right sheen - and with LOTS of elbow grease. I would
instead ask a professional about the right kind of protective
finish to use, if any. I do happen to know that the Minwax
brand clearcoat Satin finish produces a HIGH gloss shine, so
unless you are going for that look, avoid!

-Lastly, for added protection, I added a thin coat of Johnson's
wax paste, let it set, then buffed it all out leaving a soft
sheen. This step will need to be repeated every few months
or so.

A year later and the paint finish is holding up great! No
chipping or peeling to speak of!
After getting a quote for $7500 to reface, I'm digging through my 'how to paint yourself' files that I saved!

Good luck!

Trish

(I know I sound like a commercial for milk paint, but I've just started using it on furniture and it's utterly amazing stuff.)

Depending on the cabinet style and what's already on there, sanding all the way down could be easy or hard - tedious, but well worth it for the great finish. And realistically, you'd spend just as much time putting on smooth coats of primer for latex or oil paint.

It's hard to capture with my camera, but maybe you can see the difference here:
dark gray milk paint over a cheap dark-brown resin mirror frame:

very light gray milk paint over bare unfinished oak (this was my weekend project this week):

close-up:

ok so these cabinets are mine...and i'm picturing in my head a more cream than yellow color. I have been afraid of chipping as my trim has all eventually chipped a little throughout house ... we just had it all repainted so hopefully it will be good for at least a couple years.

so you think I can sand far enough down? and how much grain? i'm not a huge fan of the grain....competes with floor grain...

Trish

I know I must sound like a fanatic (!), but I truly recommend the milk paint so strongly for DIYers because it needs less prep & is much more forgiving than latex paint, doesn't show paintbrush marks, and adheres really well. And the totally matte surface is easy to burnish ("age") before topcoating. Some folks layer two different colors to get more antique effect.

The great thing is that you can mix colors until you have the exact color you want, or use one of the gorgeous premade colors. The yellows, whites and creams are lovely:

Have fun! :-)

I remember reading & I'll have to find someone who did her island with milk paint...red then black to antique.

What's the best place to order from? Thanks again.

:O)

Trish

junicb -- I don't see any reason not to use it on mdf. You won't get a grain and it might take more coats if the mdf is super absorbent, but if it's unfinished, the paint should stick and react just like on wood. Test on a spare piece of mdf first?

Have fun! I could paint everything with this stuff, it's so enjoyable to play with and so different from regular paint. (but don't let spills dry because you'll never be able to get them out later!)

junicb -- I don't see any reason not to use it on mdf. You won't get a grain and it might take more coats if the mdf is super absorbent, but if it's unfinished, the paint should stick and react just like on wood. Test on a spare piece of mdf first?

Have fun! I could paint everything with this stuff, it's so enjoyable to play with and so different from regular paint. (but don't let spills dry because you'll never be able to get them out later!)