Paint finish question

DZKathryn

Ok, there are so many options, matte, semi gloss, high gloss, what do I choose? We are closing on a condo this week and pretty much painting every room and I'm not sure what all the finishes are supposed to be for. Help! Thanks

littlemisswitness

DH and I always use semi-gloss. it looks nice and is easy to clean.

nikip6454

Satin/Eggshell is pretty standard, you can go with something semi-gloss for bathrooms/kitchens and matte for bedrooms/living areas but it is probably easier to stick with Satin/Eggshell! 

toothpastechica

When we were getting paint for the suite, we asked around at various hardware stores and were told eggshell or matte for bedrooms, living rooms, ans satin or semi gloss for areas where theres more likely to get wet (bathrooms and kitchens). I dislike semi-gloss in living areas...it doesn't look as nice imo.

Magdala9

In order, the sheens are:

1. Matte, 2 Eggshell 3 Satin 4 Semi Gloss, 5 High Gloss 

The higher the sheen, the more durable the paint.  The higher the sheen the harder it is to avoid brush strokes.  Most decorating magazines recommend eggshell for moderate use areas (bedrooms living rooms) and satin for higher use areas (kitchens, bathrooms).  They also recommend going one sheen higher for trim and woodwork since that generally has more abuse.   Gloss is usually used for furniture that you want to have a high sheen.  Matte is used by contractors in cheaper locations. 

I prefer the look of eggshell so I used eggshell throughout my house.  This means that I have to paint my kitchen and bath a little more frequently because they show the use and abuse more quickly. 

SJU1982

toothpastechica:

eggshell or matte for bedrooms, living rooms, and satin or semi gloss for areas where theres more likely to get wet (bathrooms and kitchens).

This. 

The shinier the paint, the more apparent imperfections become (no matter how well you patch, sand, etc.).  The only exception would be rooms where there's a lot of moisture, such as the bathroom, and then a semi gloss is ideal.  Oh, and maybe in a child's room since a shinier finish is easier to wipe down.

Congrats on the new condo!

leafbride

littlemisswitness:

DH and I always use semi-gloss. it looks nice and is easy to clean.

 Please, please, please do not use semi-gloss on your walls. If you have perfect walls, it might look ok, but you will not be able to avoid brush strokes.

Semi-gloss should be for trim.

Use an eggshell or satin finish. However, Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore paints now have more durable paint in matte finishes.

A PP indicated you could do a semi-gloss for a bathroom or high moisture area. There are so many paint options you can use without having to use semi-gloss paint on the walls, if you are concerned about moisture. Benjamin Moore paint has a paint specifically for bathrooms Aura Bath and Spa. It comes in a matte finish, water beads up on it. It works great and is super durable. 

mattandbekah

I almost always use satin/eggshell on our walls.  With kids, flat paint is just too difficult to clean. 

katharine25

Magdala9:

In order, the sheens are:

1. Matte, 2 Eggshell 3 Satin 4 Semi Gloss, 5 High Gloss 

The higher the sheen, the more durable the paint.  The higher the sheen the harder it is to avoid brush strokes.  Most decorating magazines recommend eggshell for moderate use areas (bedrooms living rooms) and satin for higher use areas (kitchens, bathrooms).  They also recommend going one sheen higher for trim and woodwork since that generally has more abuse.   Gloss is usually used for furniture that you want to have a high sheen.  Matte is used by contractors in cheaper locations. 

This.

I like flat on ceilings, eggshell on walls and then semi-gloss on trim. High gloss is fun to use in small spaces like bathrooms and on accents like front doors or such, but it takes A LOT of sanding and prep to get a good paint job. 

jessicah628

We usually use eggshell, but the walls in our living room were kind of a disaster, so we used flat on them. We used Valspar Ultra, and flat fell between matte and eggshell on their scale. It turned out fantastic. We do have a LO, but that's not our main living area, so I'm hoping the grimy hands on the wall issue won't be too big a problem in there.

HeyGrrrl

I almost never use semi-gloss.  It's just a thing with me.  I don't like how it seems to accentuate flaws like little bumps and dings.  I find it generally unnecessary to deal with and won't consider using it on anything other than a perfectly smooth wall, which I've never had in any home I've lived in.  For walls, I prefer flat.  Flat paint seems to make walls recede (your eye has a hard time focusing in on the wall and it's subtle texture), which I think is a great bonus, as it makes rooms appear larger.  For trim, bathrooms and kitchens, I prefer satin.  It's always looked beautiful and held up nicely.