What Paint Sheen Should I Choose for my Interior?

There’s a lot more science involved in choosing an interior paint than picking a color. You have to consider the colors of the furniture and flooring, and the amount of light a room gets as well. There is always a trade-off between looking great and washability. First, let’s look at the difference in how sheens are created.

Paint gets its sheen and texture from the pigments used to manufacture it. The most common pigments come in powder form, are white and typically are made of either Titanium DiOxide (TiO2) or Clay. TiO2 is much better for opacity (ability to hide) but is much more expensive. Cheaper paints normally use cheaper ingredients like clay.

As an analogy for a flat paint imagine we have a bucket of sand (the pigment) and we add in a very clear glue (the binder). If we pour this out on a flat surface it would be very rough like sandpaper. It would not reflect much light, but if it gets dirty it would be very hard to clean.

Now to make the paint shinier, we would simply add more clear glue until it covers all the sand particles. It would stay the same color because the glue is clear, but it would be very shiny. It would also be very easy to wipe down and clean.

So, why don’t we use glossy paint everywhere? Unfortunately, the more shine a surface has, the more it shows every imperfection. Shiny walls tend to look terrible because they highlight every bump and imperfection.

The answer is to determine What Matters to You Most

It’s the paint sheen, or finish that affects how the color appears. And that depends on whether it absorbs light or reflects it. In addition, for paint to hold up well over time, it must be durable enough for the surface and the situation.

Typically, we use a paint of very high quality that can be scrubbed so that you get the best of both worlds, great-looking walls and cleanable.

Below, we provide a breakdown of different paint sheens and where they work best in a house.

Flat and Matte

Flat paint has a nonreflective finish; matte is low luster. The paint brand we typically use offers both. Both help hide imperfections on the surface. Unfortunately, these finishes are the least resistant to stains but make your walls look luxurious. Flat paints are a must for ceilings because of the amount of light reflecting down. Flats and Mattes are also best for living rooms, foyers, entryways, bedrooms, and any place where you don’t have to worry much about wear and tear or messy splatters.

Eggshell and Satin

For one level of sheen up from flat or matte, eggshell and satin are good choices. Satin and eggshell are nearly identical, but Satin is slightly shinier and both are easier to clean than flat or matte paint. These sheens tend to accentuate surface imperfections, so it takes more time to prep and get the walls as smooth as possible. Satin and Eggshell sheens are best for the kitchen, dining area, children’s bedrooms, and bathrooms. Use Satin paint in areas that wear hard or often collect splatters of water or fingerprints.

Semi-Gloss

With semi-gloss finishes, your walls will have a shiny look and really catch the light. Typically Semi-gloss sheens accentuate every imperfection in the walls as well as many roller marks (called flashing). Semi-gloss is also the toughest paint against wear and tear. The most lustrous of this group, semi-gloss paints typically resist stains better than the other finishes, and are much easier to clean. Typically, we only recommend semi-gloss paints for Trim, windows, and doors.