Do you have to strip cabinets or can I paint them without stripping.

the Cabinets have been painted and have a coat of shelack .

You will get your best results by sanding first. Better prep job better results.

Are you sure they have been painted and a coat of shellac? Usually it's either painted or stained and varnish/shellac.

Anyway...

Questions:

Do the cabinets have a lot of layers of paint/shellac?

Is the current finish split/cracked/chipped/peeling?

Is the current finish lumpy/bumpy/textured?

Do you want the final product to look as perfect as possible?

Do you want the final product to be just a stain/varnish?

If you answered yes to any of the above - Then the cabinets must be completely stripped &/or sanded smooth

If you answered no to all of the above, and lets say you are going to paint the cabinets (paint can hide a lot of 'sins'), then you do not need to completely strip them.

You will need to give the new paint a surface to grip onto, so, at least do a light sanding. Then find an appropriate primer for the surface you have (whether it is bare wood, shellac/varnish, or paint), and a paint to work with that primer (oil vs latex). Now you can paint away and have a nice fresh new look.

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In addition to painting the cabinets you could consider some other options.

* - You could add a depth/texture component if the current cabinets are flat by adding molding/trim or using a router to carve a pattern/design into all the cabinet and drawer fronts.

* - Also, it is nice when doing all the work of painting the cabinets to change out the hardware. Switching to new drawer pulls and knobs is a pretty easy swap with impressive results.

* - You could consider changing the hinges (visible vs hidden). Or even a "George Jetson" (cartoon/futuristic) of upper cabinet doors that swing up instead of to the side.

* - Another popular choice is to take some of the cabinet doors (uppers), and cut out the middles to add in glass panels (textured/opaque/clear/patterns/etc) to create a more open feeling & show off some of your pretty dishes.

* - Add lighting inside the cabinets & drawers, so the LED's come on when the door/drawer is opened

* - Change the drawer glides and hinges to the 'soft close' type

* - Add in cabinet organization to improve their functionality. For example adding a lazy susan or cabinet pull outs for a corner cabinet.

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Whatever you decide, I'm sure it will come out looking great.

Good luck

This is mainly going to depend on the condition of the cabinets and what they are made out of. I am assuming wood, since you said "stripping". You can clean them well and give a light sanding so the paint adheres well.