Hi, Tania. I can't tell from your description what the finish is now but my guess is that you will have to strip. If the present finish is a stain or thinned paint the process of stripping is the same. Use and environmentally safe stripper and don't forget your gloves and eye protection. Cover the floor so you don't accidentally get any stripper on it and be sure to take everything out of the cabinets so you don't get anything nasty on food or dishes. Leave a window open so you get some ventilation on these nice days. This will take a while so why not get this part done then tell me what it looks like and we can go from there.