We have painted kichen and dining area also living room .We used Behr primer and Satin wallpaint . It did an excellent job.

What was the Behr primer called? I am thinking about putting texture on all the walls, so do i need to primer the vinyl drywall and put the mud on or can i jsut put the mud on the vinyl?

Thanks

We just mudded everything heavily (many coats) after removing the strips, filling the gaps, taping, mudding, & sanding - basically what you always do except for those dang strips. We used standard metal + paper edges for the corners before mudding. Then we used a "textured" paint roller to prime and paint. Behr makes excellent products and the people at the store should be able to help you choose exactly what you need. We are very happy with the finished look - in fact, we did the entire house except for the kitchen. Now if I could just get rid of those popcorn ceilings...

I had my entire interior painted, of which I did my bathrooms & kitchen myself. The BEST primer IMHO is at Home Depot and is called GRIPPER!
No need to rough up any vinyl or formica surfaces (even metal)..just paint it on smoothly and just a medium light coat. I always let it dry for a good 3 days to assure it's hardened. Then you can apply any latex paint.
Our home had the 'standard' formica dressers, nightstands. I used the Gripper primer, then painted them a satin soft white-honestly they look like wood! I swear by this primer!
The contractor who refaced my kitchen cabinets told me for any moldings (they are all that plastic type)..to use a rustoleum paint as it is harder & won't chip if anything bangs into them. I did mine 8 yrs ago & they still look great. Again-I primed them w/Gripper first-thin coat.