I had to paint a cabinet when we put in a new double vanity in the bathroom. Guy at the store sold me on buying more expensive "cabinet" paint. Was a waste of money as I don't think it made a lick of difference. Also bought a gallon instead of a just a quart.........
I refinished our kitchen cabinets years ago using a gel type stain that basically went on like paint. It wasn't a professional job by any means, but they looked a hell of a lot better then the original orange wood finish they had.