If you don't like the look of your current wood cabinets, or if you're just looking for a change, you should consider refacing your cabinets. Tearing them out completely and installing new ones can be both expensive and time consuming. Assuming your cabinets are in good shape structurally, refacing them can give your whole kitchen a new look at a fraction of the time and cost.
Stripping the Old Paint or Finish
For this part, you'll need a scraper, a power sander, sand paper (ranging from heavy to fine grit), and a breath mask. Before you get started, remove all cabinet hardware as well as drawers and doors. If you're going to reuse the hardware, keep it all together in a plastic bag or other container. Drawers and cabinets doors should be stripped of paint or finish and refaced separately from the cabinets themselves.
If you're dealing with painted cabinets, start with the scraper, removing as much paint as possible. Then, move on to using the power sander, with a heavy-grit paper, to remove all the remaining paint. You should test the sander on an inconspicuous area to make sure the paper isn't too heavy; if it is, you'll ruin your cabinets. Once all the paint is gone, switch to a finer-grit paper to smooth out the surface.
Once the cabinets, drawers, and doors and completely stripped, clean them with a damp cloth or sponge to get rid of the dust; paint won't adhere to dust.
TIP: Oftentimes, cabinets have decorative groves in them. If you wish to remove these you can fill them with drywall mud, allow the mud to dry, and sand it smooth with a fine-grit sandpaper.
Refacing Your Cabinets
To paint your cabinets, you'll first need to prime them. Do so using a disposable foam brush, applying two or three coats of primer; remember to paint in the direction of the wood grain. Allow the primer to dry overnight.
Then, paint the cabinets the color of your choice. Two coats of paint should be enough, but examine the cabinets carefully, and do any touch up work that's necessary. Repeat the same steps for draws and cabinet draws. Allow everything to dry. The last step is to reinstall the hardware. You may be happy with your old hardware, but by browsing around your local home improvement store, you may find a new set of hardware that will add a great final touch to your refaced cabinets.