Choosing the right paint sheen is almost as overwhelming as choosing your paint color. This guide will help you get it right.

Guide to Paint Sheens

As if picking a paint color wasn't hard enough, you also need to choose the right sheen for the space. Image: Brad Holt

There’s a basic rule of thumb to follow when choosing paint sheens: The higher the sheen, the higher the shine — and the higher the shine, the more durable it will be.

Flat paint has no shine; high-gloss is all shine. In between are eggshell, satin, and semi-gloss, each with its own practical and decorative job to do.

Here’s how to choose the right paint sheen for your painting job.

High Gloss

The most durable and easiest to clean of all paint sheens, high-gloss paint is hard, ultra-shiny, and light-reflecting. Think appliance-paint tough.

High gloss is a good choice for area that sticky fingers touch — cabinets, trim, and doors. High-gloss, however, is too much shine for interior walls. And like a Spandex dress, high gloss shows every bump and roll, so don’t skimp on prep work.

• Practical application: kitchens, door, and window trim

• Durability: very high

Semi-Gloss

Good for rooms where moisture, drips, and grease stains challenge walls. Also great for trim work that takes a lot of abuse.

• Practical application: kitchens, bathrooms, trim, chair rails

• Durability: high

Satin

Has a yummy luster that, despite the name, is often described as velvety. It’s easy to clean, making it excellent for high-traffic areas. Its biggest flaw is it reveals application flaws, such as roller or brush strokes. Touch-ups later can be tricky. 

• Practical application: family rooms, foyers, hallways, kids’ bedrooms

• Durability: high

Eggshell

Between satin and flat on the sheen (and durability) scale is eggshell, so named because it’s essentially a flat (no-shine) finish with little luster, like a chicken’s egg. Eggshell covers wall imperfections well and is a great finish for gathering spaces that don’t get a lot of bumps and scuffs.

• Practical application: dining rooms, living rooms

• Durability: medium

Flat or Matte

A friend to walls that have something to hide, flat/matte soaks up, rather than reflects, light. It has the most pigment and will provide the most coverage, which translates to time and money savings. However, it’s tough to clean without taking paint off with the grime.

• Practical application: adults’ bedrooms and other interior rooms that won’t be roughed up by kids

• Durability: medium-low

Serial remodeler Pat Curry is a former senior editor at Builder, the official magazine of the National Association of Home Builders, and a frequent contributor to real estate and home-building publications.

Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/painting/paint-sheen-guide/#ixzz3ZwvjonCa
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