Mrs. WI and I purchased our house almost 6 years ago. It was built in 1968 and was well maintained, but the kitchen (though functional and livable) looked dated. It appeared as though a few years prior, the previous owners attempted to give it a new look by painting the cabinets white. Having just sold a house that we completely renovated, we were less than enthusastic to start with this one. But Mrs. WI couldn't stand it, so one week while she was away...I stripped all the woodwork down and poly'd it all. It came out really nice, but now she is squalking about how maybe we should've just painted it a different color instead.

So...back to your quandry. Do you paint over the finish? I think two coats of primer under a finish color would do fine. And if you tinted the primer to match your finish color, then it'll be easier to get good coverage. If the poly finish on the woodwork is really glossy, then run a palm sander with a light grit paper over it just to dullen the surface a little. It's not as toxic or as messy. And when I say palm sander, I don't mean an electric one. Those really make a dusty mess. Use a sanding block.

And don't forget the pics!

__________________
Though I am different from you,
We were born involved in one another.

For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.

Complete surrender should not just come at moments in which one faces overwhelming odds, but in the calm when it seems one is personally in complete control of one's life.