It seams like a lot of these threads are so old! People keep randomly finding a post that is a year or two old, and comment before looking at when it was posted. I wish houzz had a way of deleting old threads that where inactive!...

Hi iggs85 as it is an older kitchen I would not spend a huge amount of money on a revamp. It is definitely possible to paint laminate but good preparation is vital to ensure the paint 'sticks'. However a quality painter is going to charge you about the same as your resurfacing quote. Using either a painter or a resurfacing company does let you choose any colour though. The biggest disadvantage of the current benchtop is the bullnose which is very dated. From your photo, the colour and pattern look OK but you could get a stone 'overlay' put on it. They square off the bullnose so it looks more contemporary. An acrylic feature panel on the return is another alternative to vinyl planks. It looks like glass, comes in a good range of colours and is relatively inexpensive compared to glass. See http://zenolite.com/range as an example. You can buy acrylic sheets from Bunnings. You could also use pressed metal panels as a feature eg. http://www.wunderlite.com.au/catalogue/details/1/79/pressed-metal-crystal?start=25 Add some new handles on doors and drawers too.

https://www.galvinhw.com.au/grace2/product.php?pid=4469 I found Galvins in Perth and Adelaide had the best range of pull, very well designed and so easy to use. No jammed fingers. I had 52 something similar to this. I could open with little finger when hand were dirty. Mine were rounder so looked like a full stop on the edge of the cabinet rather than overwhelming the line of the cabinets.

In the interest of keeping your kitchen friendly to as many users as possible, may I suggest you avoid knobs of any description. Older people and those with disabilities/reduced function of the hand/arm/shoulder often struggle to grasp and pull on a knob. 'Push' closers and D (or U) shaped handles with a min of 50mm height from surface are much friendlier in this regard. We are building our retirement home and - although we are both well and dextrous at present - it is so easy (and much cheaper) to think ahead, we're discovering. Setting up the place to be comfortable for as many users as possible is also pretty satisfying. Personally I'd like brush satin steel long D handles with an elegant line. Black on black might be hard to see for some and in low light.