Repaint
Anything can be re-painted unless it's falling apart. If the cabinets are still in great shape and made of quality wood, re-painting is a great option. If the cabinets are dried oak, you could stain and reseal them. When considering a different stain color, it's easier to go darker than it is to go lighter. If the wood cabinet look is your thing then stick to that and don't do something only because it's a trend especially if this is your forever home!
I recommend to anyone I know that is painting to order paint samples from Samplize. Skip all the little paint cans! They will overnight you large paint sample stickers that you can peel and stick to your wall!
Reface
Refacing cabinetry is a good idea when you need to make modifications or are looking to switch from exposed hinges to hidden hinges. Having a newly faced door will make the switch to hidden hinges a lot easier. It's also an option if you are looking for a new look and not a different layout.
When refacing or repainting, I like to replace the hardware too. Please don't spray paint your existing hardware to save a littel money – in my experience, it's not worth it and will start scraping off sooner rather than later. My favorite cabinet hardware brand is Liberty and they have adjusta-pull options which make installing so much easier. My favorite hardware colors to use are black and champagne.
Replace
I recommend replacing cabinets when the layout needs to be changed/modified in the kitchen. This happens quite often – there are awkward placements that need to be changed. Whether it's an appliance, adding an island, etc. Sometimes the cabinets are in truly bad shape and cannot be refaced or repainted so replacing makes the most sense.
Other Thoughts
I get asked often if white cabinets are going out of trend or will eventually – I can't really answer that for sure. I believe that if you love something, it doesn't matter if it's a trend or not. It's your home and you should Love Where You Live. Trends will always come and go. Find your style and own it!
One color we're seeing more of for cabinets lately has been
Accessible Beige. It's a warm tone with hints of gray.
