If you visit a home improvement store to buy paint for the inside of your house, you will see products with a variety of finishes. A type of paint that works well in one room may be the wrong choice for a different room.
Paint with a higher sheen is shinier and more durable than paint with less sheen. Paint with a lower sheen typically costs less than a shinier one. Selecting the right paint for each room can save you money.
Paint Finishes and Where to Use Them
High-gloss paint reflects light and has a very shiny appearance. It’s also durable and easy to clean, which makes it a good choice for high-traffic areas and places that people touch frequently. You can use high-gloss paint in the kitchen and on cabinets, doors and trim.
Semi-gloss paint is less shiny, but still durable. It’s a good option for areas that are likely to see moisture and grease, such as the bathroom and kitchen. You can also use semi-gloss paint on trim that gets touched often.
Satin paint is durable and works well in areas that get a lot of traffic, such as the family room, children’s bedrooms and hallways. It needs to be applied carefully since mistakes can show after the paint dries and can be difficult to fix with touch ups. If a wall has imperfections, address them before painting.
Eggshell paint is less shiny and less durable than satin. It works well in common areas where it won’t get a lot of abuse, such as the living room and dining room. It’s also a good choice if you need to cover imperfections on the walls.
Flat or matte paint absorbs light. It does a good job of hiding imperfections, but it doesn’t resist stains as well as shinier paints and is harder to clean. You can use flat or matte paint in areas where it’s unlikely to become dirty and damaged, such as your bedroom.
Other Factors to Consider
When selecting a paint finish for your home, think about how the room is used and how likely it is to be exposed to regular damage. You also need to consider the current condition of the walls. Paint with a higher sheen will show defects more than an eggshell or matte paint.
Consider how much light the room gets. If it tends to get a lot of sunlight during the day, a highly reflective paint can make the room look too bright.
The paint’s color is another important factor to take into consideration. Darker paints tend to be shinier. If you don’t want the walls to look too shiny, select a paint with a lower sheen than you might otherwise choose.
Finishes that reflect light make paint look darker than it does on a sample. If you like a particular color swatch, but you need a shinier finish for durability, select a color that’s a shade lighter than the sample.
