Refinish inexpensively these awful cabinets.

http://www.hometalk.com/diy/kitchen-dining/kitchen-dining-furniture/redo-of-70-s-kitchen-with-oak-strip-cabinets-under-200--25013055

I've seen people cover them in wallpaper or contact paper. You can paint the wood trim, and add pulls.

I would consider painting them all a grey color, even the wood trim piece to hide it, and add some awesome handware to fancy them up. Better yet, add more trim pieces to blend with the original trim, then paint it and add hardware. It will make it look more classic Shaker style than the 1980's. Good luck with the project.

I have old, smooth faced cabinets too. I haven't begun the project ( beyond purchasing the wall paper) yet. Here is my solution. I bought textured wallpaper that resembles breadboard and will cover the doors. Next I plan to trim it using about on inch or so wood trim to give it kind of the shaker look. Good luck to you!

Some great info here: http://www.hgtv.com/design/rooms/kitchens/how-to-paint-kitchen-cabinets-without-sanding-or-priming-pictures

Cruise the wood panels area in a big store. I like L shapes as corners need protection, bring list of lenghs. They will cut as needed

The easiest thing would be to paint the wood trim the exact same color as the rest of the cabinets.

Your photo didn't come through. The other tips are good ones. Hope you prevail and send a shot to us?

Depends on how much effort you want to put into it. Painting all one color is easiest. Clean, prime with good primer or the paint will simply peel off, then paint. You could paint the trim a 2nd color. Wallpaper or even contact paper is another idea. Paintable textured paper might look really nice. I had same cabinets and painted them many, many, MANY times. Last year I had trim added to make frames and beadboard panels placed in the middle. Added handles for first time. Looks much better.

I had the same hideous cabinets but with an aqua laminate countertop. I first added a wave shaped handle to each cabinet and painted the countertop. I lived with that for a few years. Then, we bought new cabinet doors but they cost nearly $2k.

That wood trim can be pried off pretty easily. It would take some work but you could add trim to make them appear a shaker style and then paint the doors and cabinet boxes. You may consider adding beadboard to the center to make them a beadboard shaker style. I made the mistake of removing the laminate from the boxes with a heat gun, scrapping, sanding, etc. The wood underneath is a soft pine and it shreds easily. The laminate will take paint pretty well.