Cabinet Handle Brushed

Cabinet Handle Brushed
How do you paint kitchen cabinets from the 70's?

My cabinets are maple, but the outer "shells" are, I think, "fake" wood. They are stained with a light coat of polyurethane. They are in considerably good shape except around the door handles is grime from our hands opening the doors. (NO Cabinet pulls, a finger grip) I would like to do this as a do-it-yourselfer. What is the cheapest, but best way to paint the cabinets? I want it to look like I bought new cabinets with no paint brush strokes or speckles, etc. etc.

Take all the doors off (and mark so you know where to put them back!)

Remove all hardware (hinges, pulls, etc). If you are not replacing drawer/cabinet pulls you should fill the holes with wood filler.

Sand cabinet boxes and doors with a medium grit sandpaper, wipe with barely damp cloth. Repeat with a fine grit sandpaper.

Coat boxes and doors with a coat of a good primer, like Kilz. Be careful to avoid overloading your roller/brush to avoid drips. A foam roller produces good results. If you have the cash, a sprayer works very well, but mind the overspray on the boxes themselves into your kitchen! Some people recommend re-sanding after this layer with the fine-grit paper and wiping. I didn't do this and mine turned out fine.

Paint the cabinets, using roller or sprayer, with a high gloss (for cleaning ease) high quality paint. Don't scrimp on the paint quality; you want it to hold up to the scrubbing and abuse it will endure in the kitchen. You will likely need two coats for good and lasting coverage.

When they are dry, reattach cabinet doors and drawers. Another good, easy (and inexpensive) way to freshen them up is to install new hardware in a more modern finish, like brushed nickel or whatever your preference is.

Good luck! It takes a lot of time but is so worth it and will save you loads over purchasing a new set of cabinets.