I had the same issue with my kitchen cabinets, and restaining them was labor-intensive but relatively easy. You'll have to remove all the doors and remove hinges and any other hardware and take out the drawers, and sand off the current finish--even if it's just a varnish or polyurethane topcoat. You want to get down to the bare wood. Some of the chemical finish-strippers that are available can be helpful if the finish on your cabinets is really a good one, but if they're basic builder-grade, which it sounds like they are, then you probably don't need any stripper. Set up a workbench outside, because the sanding dust can be pretty bad. Wear a face mask, because you don't want to breathe that stuff in; and eye protection will help keep dust and particles out of your eyes. Use a palm sander. Wear gloves to alleviate the vibration. This is what I did: Start with a rougher-grit sandpaper. The smaller the number on the package, the rougher the grit; the higher the number, the finer the grit. To get a really good, quality finish, you'll want a smooth, fine surface to the wood. So go over the surface once or twice with the rough grit to strip the current finish; then use a slightly finer grit for another pass or two; then an even finer grit, like 160 to give a nice smooth, soft surface. If your cabinets are like mine, the center panel of your doors is basically just plywood with an oak veneer. Don't be afraid to sand that, but go easy. You want the veneer to still be there in the end. If your cabinet frames have any profiling or molding (like picture frames sometimes do) it can be difficult to sand those areas. You might want a specific kind of sanding tool for narrow, hard to reach areas. Or you can use a hand-sanding block wrapped in sandpaper...I'm sure some other folks have found better ways of dealing with these profiled areas. This may be a good spot for a chemical stripper and putty knife. Once you're done sanding, wipe all the sanded surfaces down with a slightly damp cloth or chamis to eliminate dust and dirt. And you're pretty much ready to stain. There are so many staining choices; water-based stains work well with a wood like oak, since it's so dense. And you don't really need any kind of wood sealer, again because oak is so dense. Choose your stain: dark colors are very trendy right now, but could look dated quickly. Warm, mid-toned browns or brown-reds are good standards that are always in style. They're classics. There are also color-stains, if you want to give a country or more whimsical look. I chose a bluish-gray Minwax color stain for my oak cabinets, and it came out looking great, especially with satin nickel hardware. Just make sure that the home center of your choice mixes the correct color: sometimes their color-computers are off or miscalibrated...I had to go back three times to get the color I actually asked for. Anway, most wood-workers prefer a natural-bristle brush for applying stains and other finishes, but you can also use sponge brushes. You'll need a lint-free absorbent rag to wipe the excess stain off the wood. Just follow the instructions on the can of stain. Depending on the depth, darkness or lightness you want the color to be, you can either wipe the stain off the wood almost immediately after laying it down, or wait a minute or two so it can absorb a bit more into the wood, then wipe it off. You can do special antiquing finishes, too, over your primary stain color; that takes a bit of creativity, and knowing when to stop. You can use a black or a darker brown stain to do this, depending on your primary shade. Apply the same way, but only to the areas of your cabinet door that would ordinarily catch dirt (since that's really what antiquing mimicks). Any molding corners, grooves, dents, scratches... edges that you grab most often with your hand... Follow sanding and staining instructions for the cabinet frames. You won't be able to take these outside of course, so you might want to protect the rest of your kitchen with plastic drop-sheets. Once your stain has dried completely (follow label instructions), apply at least 2 coats of a polyurethane top-coat. These come in matte, glossy and ultra-gloss finishes. Use a very light hand with a natural-bristle brush for the final top-coat. You don't want to see any brush-strokes on the surface. Let it all dry. Apply your hinges and harware, rehang the doors....You're done. Like I said, it's labor-intensive, but fun, relatively easy, and sooo satisfying knowing that the great finish in your kitchen is something you did. There are also lots of guides on product websites from the manufacturers who make stains and polyurethane finishes. Check some of them out. Good luck!

Good tips, Green Talk. And thanks for the compliment! I've heard a lot of good things about AMF Safecoat's products. There are lots of low-/no-VOC paints and stains available now, but it can still be difficult to find them. I'm going to check out your website! Happy greening!