To Paint or Not to Paint

I just read this article on Curbly about whether painting cabinets is a one-weekend project. Spoiler alert: It's not if you do a good job. No surprise there, but sort of a disappointment.

My kitchen cabinets are...OK. They joined my house in a 1980s remodel, and they are unremarkable. When I upgrade the kitchen, they will be a very low priority. Why is this the only picture I have of my kitchen?

It's not even a picture of my kitchen! It's a picture of how the lumber for my bed was too big to fit in my dining room. I think it's psychological, that I find my kitchen so unsettling that I can't even record it photographically. I impulsively started stripping the ghastly wallpaper and then realized I don't have a single picture of the kitchen as I bought it! I pulled off large, uninterrupted sections and now it is too late. That majestic sight is lost to posterity.

Anyway, I have these dark wood cabinets from the 80s and when I do attack the kitchen (improve lighting, eliminate drop ceiling, paint and please, please, please replace this dizzying floor) I think the cabinets and counters will have to stay for at least a few years. I am toying with the idea of moving the cabinets closer to the new ceiling to open up more space under the counters.

So, do I leave the dark wood there, cleaned and polished? Or do I tackle this painting project? Or do I do something nutty and in-between, like replacing the cabinet doors with something a little more 21st century? The handles go for sure, but what about the doors?

I think it will all depend on how much brighter I can make the kitchen by replacing the single ceiling fixture, raising the ceiling 6 or 8 inches and using a white or yellow paint. Thoughts? Can this kitchen be saved?