Did this very thing a couple of years ago and the finish still looks pristine. TSP, sandpaper, primer and regular oil-based enamel in a glossy finish, applied with a small roller. We went from biscuit with woodgrain trim to snowy white in two coats, your darker cabinets may require a third.

I should add that we have four kids and a dog and that I am a compulsive cabinet-wiper:)

Here's what I would do: replace the cabinet hardware with something silvery and shiny. Then I'd paint the white walls a color that is less contrast-y with the cabinets, countertop, and flooring. Then I'd start saving up to thoroughly fix up kitchen.

I have painted laminated surfaces before. Benjamin Moore 123 primer for latex paint is what I used. Clean with TSP, lightly sand the surfaces, wipe down and you are ready to go.
A couple of month ago I repainted my wooden kitchen cabinets. The Benjamin Moore people steered me towards a Latex paint, I had expected to use Oil based paint.
I'd rather use Latex, low VOC products.
Good Luck,
Sylvia

I did something similar a few years ago with the revolting formica sink cabinet in my bathroom. I sanded the crap out of it and painted it with regular old interior paint. It's held up quite well in the 3 years or so since I did it. That said, I'm not sure I'd trust this technique on a high-traffic area where I was going to be physically scrubbing it down a lot.

I also have concerns about whether the paint job was a real "improvement" or not - I wouldn't do this to a whole kitchen worth of cabinetry if you're a renter.

make sure the surfaces are all cleaned well, use something to degrease them like TSP...use BINZ Primer, they make a water wash up version that will stick to anything!! Best product for top coat as it is a high trafic area is melamine which is about as durable as you can get, scrubbable washable etc...it comes in lots of colors or can be tinted ( light colors only)- it isn't water soluble but will last forever- an alternative is to use a good flat latex for color then seal it with a top quality polyurethane like Varathane Diamond Polyurethane in semi gloss or gloss!!
This is what I did to my similar doors and they look amazing!!
I went a step further and stencilled a grey woodgrain over a white background then sealed with the polyurethane...love it, looks like styalized birchbark and helps camouflage a not so perfect surface...

i agree with zoee. i am a professional decorative painter and have been painting cabinets for 4 years now.
things to remember,
good primer,
good paint (i use satin finish) latex.
then you can apply a water based polyurethane for extra protection.
i don't use oil either because of the harmful fumes.
yes. number the doors., you can put new hardware on voila! fresh new kitchen.
to see images of my work
http://heathersthompson.typepad.com/faux

My landlord painted over the kitchen cabinets inside and out before we moved in and now every time we open them it takes a bit of force to get the paint to unstick from itself. We also had to line our cabinets with paper so that our dishes wouldn't stick to the paint.

Anyone have this problem?

Not much to add except that I think we had the exact same kitchen as you! We used a bonding primer from Sherwin Williams that was tinted to the color that we wanted to paint. We did not do a clear coat over but did do 3 coats total including the primer and they held up well for the remaining 3 years that we lived in the place. Allow each coat to dry thoroughly in between coats. If you spray paint the hardware, make sure you clear coat that. You will be glad you took on this project. It makes such a difference.

Love your woodgrain 'Gatheringspriggs'
I did tons of this kind of work when I worked in the film industry and it's nice to see someone doing it well!! It's not for everyone but you walnut looks so realistic!!

anirtak - the paint store guy suggested that you rub bar soap on spots that stick and it should help it glide. not too sure that helps with the bottom of the cabinets, though. i think it has to do with higher gloss finishes and not "curing" enough. but i'm no pro.

I do remodeling work and used to do nothing but paint, we would do a few kitchens a year...
The paint sticking is due to something called block resistance, usually cheaper latex paints have a low block resistance. There has been some very good advice given already, all I would say is clean very thoroughly... TSP is good, I often use the powdered Dirtex, the key is to remove oils, of which there are plenty on cabinets, from hands to cooking oil... good primer, and good paint. Acrylic paint is fine, I don't see any need to use oils any more, even for cabinets. I don't see a need for poly topcoats either unless some faux finishing was done. Personally I would lean towards paint stores as opposed to home stores paint
http://conscientiouscraftsmen.com

Our cabinets were a lighter shade of faux wood laminate, but we were really pleased with how they turned out. Details of how we did it are in the comments section here with pics:

http://rowhousenearu.blogspot.com/2009/03/interim-solution-for-green-kitchen.html

Two years in and they still look pretty good.

Since this is a gross wood laminate, I'd paint it! I'm highly against painting cabinets, but painting these a crisp white would be a huge improvement - and you could put the renovation of the cabinets down the road for a long while.

A friend of mine inherited a kitchen with bright green and yellow laminate cabinets and counters. I thought they were cool; she did not. She actually used contact paper to cover the majority of the color, and it held up quite well. I don't know how she had the patience to do all of that, though. I would not.

KRYLON has paint for plastic and laminate. I don't think it even needs primer..........the paint chemically bonds to the plastic/laminate.

I'd have to agree with Jeffrey K, though......just clean the cabinets, replace hardware, and find a nice color for the walls (I like pear or leaf).

Painting cabinets is a lot of work, and if you can make yourself live with them a little longer you'll have a daily reminder to hurry up and save for replacements.

Keep your eyes peeled at construction salvage stores where you can buy someone else's old cabinets for a song.

there is spray-on primer made specifically for plastic that i used on a laminate (freestanding) cabinet with good results. the paint was just a normal latex-based glossy paint. you can see a photo here:
http://spontaneousgeneration.typepad.com/spontaneous-generation/2009/09/make-room.html

it's holding up well in our playroom. i suppose it would be a lot of work to mask off everything and spray in your kitchen, but maybe it's worth it for a cheap and dramatic change.