How To Pick The Perfect Paint Finish For Your Room

Getting ready to pop a fresh coat of paint on the wall is always exciting!  Not only does a new paint job brighten up your space, if also offers a low cost option to make an old room look new again.  And it’s a great do it yourself project if you want to take it on.  When you’re ready to paint, check out the Best Way To Paint a Room Fast.

Don’t let picking the right finish can be confusing for you.  Let’s unpack each one to show you how to pick the perfect paint finish for your room.

Many things factor in to which finish you need to put where.  Factors like, how durable you need the paint to be.   How much light you want the walls to reflect.  How much traffic the room gets.  And what shape your walls are in prior to applying that first coat of paint.

Natural Light and What The Room Is Used For Are Important To Consider

The amount of light that is reflected, or absorbed, will vary depending on which paint finish you choose.   It’s important to consider how much natural light the room you are painting will get.  As that can help you decide if you want to choose a finish that reflects more light to brighten up a dimly lit space.  Equally important is to consider the use of your space.  Higher trafficked areas will require more cleaning and touch ups to keep your walls looking their best.  With this in mind, these areas will demand a finish with more sheen to it, which offers greater cleanability.

Let’s break down each paint finish, and what uses they are best designed for.  So as to simplify, we’ll place them in order of least sheen to most as you go down the list.

Flat Or Matte

This paint finish does not reflect light, therefore it results in no sheen at all.  It allows more of the paint’s pigment to show, making it great for walls with flaws, surface blemishes or or imperfections.  Works best for an easy, low-maintenance and low-prep option.  Flats (or Mattes) require less coats and are easier to touch up.  However, this finish is the least resistant to stains, and it does not stand up well to scrubbing.

Best For: Low traffic areas like adult bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, and ceilings.

Eggshell

Eggshell finish has a low sheen to it and will reflect a little bit of light.  It has a nice, smooth finish to it, like an actual eggshell.  The color you choose in an eggshell finish will be the most “true to color”.   For cleaning purposes, it is a bit more washable than a Flat or Matte, so it holds up well for heavier trafficked areas of the home.  Additionally, it resists stains and scuffs a little better.

Best For: Low to mid traffic areas like bedrooms, living rooms, hallways, entry ways, and family rooms.

Satin

Satin paint finishes are slightly shinier than Eggshell, and will reflect more light.  Very durable and holds up great to scuffing and stains.  Can take a good scrubbing/cleaning too.  It also resists mold and mildew.   However, it can highlight imperfections in your walls like cracks, patchy or recessed areas, and holes not repaired properly.

Best For: Higher traffic and busier areas like bathrooms, kitchens, playrooms, children’s bedrooms, laundry rooms, and even outdoors.

Semi Gloss

Semi Gloss paints are more reflective and have a smooth sheen.  Highly durable and cleans exceptionally well.  Your project will have a shiny look to it, so it’s the best for a space that gets a lot of wear and tear, and works great for trim work.  Similarly to a Satin, it will highlight imperfections on your walls, so be sure you get them in perfect shape before considering this finish on a wall.  Furthermore, it offers incredible resistance to moisture, making this a great finish for higher humidity spaces.

Best For: Trim and woodwork, windows, doors, bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms and outside.

High Gloss

Introducing the shiniest, easiest to clean, most durable and most stain resistant,  paint finish.  High Gloss will require the most coats to ensure good coverage, and will show any imperfections.  For this reason, it’s best for trim and outdoors.  A bit trickier to apply to walls, but can be done.  Practice definitely makes perfect if this is your chosen finish for a wall, and be sure your wall is perfect from any imperfections.

Best For: Trim and woodwork, windows, doors, and outdoor surfaces.  Can be used in kitchens and bathrooms as well.

Which Finish Is Best?

Choosing the right paint finish for your project shouldn’t be overwhelming.  Have some fun with your painting and play around with a couple of finishes to see what works best for you and your home.  Many paint stores offer sample sizes where you can purchase a couple of different finishes in the same color and apply a small area on to your walls.  Let it sit for a few days to see how the different finishes respond to the changes in lighting as the day turns to night.  As a matter of fact, you can also experiment with several color swatches utilizing these sample sizes to see how they vary with the changes in light.   Or, take home several of the color sample swatches and tape them up on each wall of your room.  See what the natural light does to those over a few days.

Keep in mind colors will have cool, warm, or neutral undertones to them.  You may not notice these undertones in the store under the fluorescent lighting.  Your home’s natural light may bring them out for you.  There’s nothing worse than choosing the perfect grey paint at the store for your living room where you have blue accents and furniture only to discover the paint has beige undertones once you get it on your walls.

If you’re looking for the best brands of paint for your next paint project, you can check out Consumer Reports Testing Results.  For a great way to save 65%-85% off of your next gallon of paint, check out How To Save Big On Your Next Paint Project.