I googled "formica repair" but it mostly covers burns, cracks, etc...not paint spills. Most of them recommend just replacing the formica which I think is the way to go. It might take a bit of looking, but I bet you can find a nice, inexpensive deal. Maybe even see if you can find a place that will let you pick through remnants since it isn't large countertop. However, from a few of the sites, it sounds as if the idea of sanding, repainting and then sealing it off with a topcoat is the way to go until you're ready to just replace it.

You might be able to remove the top (take out the drawer and look up inside) and replace it with something else. I did that with a cabinet that had an ugly formica top. It was just a matter of removing a few screws.

one option (if sanding isn't possible) is to cover the top with a fabric or paper cut to fit. use spray adhesive to lay it over the formica, use a box cutter to trim the edges, then paint over the top with mod podge or sealant.

Ummm, it is a kitchen cabinet. I have original metal kitchen cabinets in our kitchen (house built in 1953). There are various styles and manufacturers of metal cabinets, they seem to have been made as modules and then "built in" (kind of like a precursor to the Ikea kitchen in a way)

The counter part should be able to be detached, remove the drawer and there should be a way to unscrew it.

Thanks for the tips! Another thought I had was this. The top is a bit recessed and if I sand it down and it's deep enough I could cut some cheap linoleum tiles to shape and use those to finish it off.

Fjorlief has it right - It's a kitchen cabinet.

If you want to go for a full-tilt restoration, you could remove the top and take the cabinet to an auto-body shop to have it powder-coated - and have a countertop place fabricate a new top with some vintage-looking Formica (Boomerang? Cracked Ice?) with aluminum edge-trim.

I love the idea of powder-coating, but since it's going to cost you at least $200, probably more, you might prefer to embrace the worn quality of the metal finish -- I would. As for the formica, it's easy and inexpensive to replace, and much less work in the long run than trying to clean up the stain. Ask a local retailer where you can get a very small remnant. With a bit of sweet talk, they might help you out. It's a cool piece, good luck!

Formica is remarkably resilient - I've managed to remove old adhesive,paint and other gunk and grime from similar items - have you tried removing the paint by scrubbing or scraping? (with a non-metal tool)

Might save you some $$, and once you get it clean, a coat of appliance wax will really make it shine.

Counter top specific paint. You can buy it anywhere they sell specialty (like tile) paint. Comes in heaps of colours, just make sure like with any paint job, the most important part is the prep work!