shabby look then chances are you can just clean the cabinets well, then paint over with latex- let it dry- take a sander to it to distress it and finish with a coat of walnut or ebony stain- wipe on /wipe off. If you want a traditional finish- smooth or bare wood- you need to take the doors off- and strip and sand. The cabinets frames (the part that you see) will also need sanded/stripped. Sometimes wood cabinets that have been painted can never be stripped back to the original wood- pits etc trap paint..