Hi Sami,
I'm pretty sure you can use a deglosser as a substitute for sanding. Basically, it etches the surface enough to accept paint.

I am doing all my kitchen cabinets over right now as well, on a very, very small kitchen budget. My cupboards are painted wood (most likely lead paint), so instead of sanding it all off, I'm using a deglosser. You put the liquid on the surface, rub it in, let it sit for about 10 minutes, then you are ready to prime and paint.

So far, so good. I have excellent paint adhesion and the cabinets are coming out beautifully.

Best of luck!

You don't need to sand to the bare wood, just sand enough with a fine sanding sponge to dull the surface. A wet sanding sponge allows you to get into all the grooves and also cuts down on the dust. Just wipe clean when you have finished sanding. Then apply a blocking primer which prevents the wood stain from potentially bleeding out. Then lightly sand again and apply two coats of finish paint, lightly sanding in between the first and second coat.

If you use a good quality waterborne enamel paint like SW Pro-Classic or BM Impervo, you don't need a sealant on top.

I only use deglosser on areas that wouldn't receive much wear and tear - like maybe the insides of cabinets. If you opt for the deglosser, make sure you paint over it as soon as it's dry because it loses its effectiveness within 15-20 mins.

I painted mine last fall. Mine were stained a dark oak and I deglossed them, waited 10 minutes (as another poster suggested), primed them to keep greasy things from coming back up through the paint, and then put a Sherwin Williams paint on top of that.

They have held up wonderfully and people always compliment me on them. I do have before and after pictures if you'd e-mail me, I'll send them to you.

Hope this helped! Denise