Is there any hope to refinishing or changing up old metal kitchen cabi

Contact paper!

You can paint them!

Absolutely! My husband redid an entire metal rolling tool cart to near factory finish. The process is exactly the same. First remove any loose paint and stabilize rust with a rust converter. Then, using bondo, smooth out any dents and imperfections. After that, rustoleum spray paint works very well for your final finish. Watch out for runs because they will ruin your finish.

Nancy, the world of color is open to you. If these are kitchen or bathroom or garage cabinets, go with spray paint or brush-on chalk paint. You can pick pink and cream if you want too. You can apply decals, paint stencils, or decorate in another way. Have fun with them! ☺️

Make sure they are clean and dry. Remove the doors and hardware. Mark the doors and cabinets with tape where they go. Lightly sand the doors and cabinets to remove any gloss and roughen the surface for paint with 120- to 220-grit sandpaper. Use a tack cloth or damp rag to remove dust after sanding. Prime with a stain blocking primer like Zinsser 123, KILZ,or BIN and have it tinted to the color of the top coat. This will prevent dark or stained surfaces from showing through the top coat. Acrylic, or water-base, paints are low-fume and clean up easily with water. Alkyd, or oil-base, paints require good ventilation because the paint contains solvents that can irritate your lungs and make you feel sick. Alkyd options require mineral spirits for cleanup, but they provide a hard, durable paint finish. Whichever you use, buy the best-quality paint you can afford for a lasting kitchen cabinet finish. Seal with at least three coats with a water based polyurethane. Use a small foam roller and foam brush for a smooth finish.