When it comes to painting or even repainting your home’s interior, it isn’t just paint color that you’ll need to consider. The finishing touch to a good painting job comes from picking out the perfect sheen to complement or enhance the look of the color you’ve chosen. The paint finish is the aspect of your paint that reflects light leading to a matte or glossy look overall. This isn’t a random pick and there are certainly types of paint finishes that look and function better in some areas of the house than others. We’re here to walk you through it so you’ll know exactly what to choose.
Paint Finishes
There’s an entire spectrum of paint finishes that gets you from a flat looking wall to one that reflects so much light it’ll glow under camera flash. In addition to considering the different levels of sheen and gloss, also keep in mind that they can affect the final appearance of the paint color you choose and add different dimensions to the space you’re painting. These are the options from most glossy to least.
- High Gloss
- Semi-Gloss
- Satin
- Eggshell
- Matte
- Flat
High gloss finishes have a brilliant appearance, you’ll easily see reflections against the paint. Semi-gloss finishes are radiant and great for high-touch surfaces like our kitchen cabinets. Satin and eggshell finishes are softer in appearance with a bit of luster. Moving down the list, matte finishes are nearly shine-free and flat finishes will reflect no light at all.
Paint Finishes for Each Room
Where you decide to use each of the types of paint finishes depends on the room. It is usually recommended that you use higher gloss finishes on high-touch surfaces in areas with heavy traffic. These would include cabinets that you’re frequently opening, doors, or areas like the kitchen. This is because high-gloss paint is relatively durable and is easy to clean.
Matte finishes are recommended for low traffic areas. This is because any stains are much more difficult to remove from flatter paints. This is best for walls, bedrooms, or other areas that aren’t going to be prone to much handling. It’s better to refrain from using these types of finishes in a kid’s bedroom because it is more likely to be roughed up.
Additional Tips
A couple of extra considerations to keep in mind when picking out your paint colors. If you have a color that is dark and rich, but you don’t want it to appear too shiny, move down in a finish and choose something that is more matte. Rich colors have colorant added to it which will boost the level of gloss as a result.
In addition, if you’re painting a wall with a lot of indentations or imperfections, stick with a matte finish. These will hide the imperfections better and, unlike glossy finishes, will keep defects from showing through.
Looking for a professional interior or exterior painter in Alpharetta, Georgia? Contact Fillo Painting at (770) 769-7941 today and ask about our painting and remodelling services.