Your Guide to Paint Finish Types
Picking out the perfect paint finish for your room can be difficult, as there are many different types and reasons to choose each one. Paint finish seems like the most minor design consideration you’ll have to make, compared to picking out the color, but the sheen of your paint job is just as important and involves knowledgeable, visual, and functional considerations!
Choosing Your Finish
So you picked your paint color—the perfect shade of yellow for your new nursery—but now you’re asked which paint finish you want and you don’t know what that means, or the difference between them! The paint sheen is often overlooked when initially choosing your paint, but each option has a different purpose and durability. This is where the perfect guide to paint finish types comes in handy. You can choose your sheen based on considerations such as how heavily trafficked an area is, light diffusion, and how often the wall will need to be cleaned, among others.
The General Rule
The most basic thing to remember is the higher the sheen, the glossier the paint. Higher sheen means more durability, meaning the easier it will be to clean. The lower the sheen, the more matte your paint is going to be. It all has to do with what type of feeling you want to convey in your room. Each paint finish has a different purpose:
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- High-gloss paint is the highest sheen you can get. It is ultra-shiny, reflects a lot of light, and is extremely durable. This is great for places that have a lot of sunlight that you can bounce off the walls and is a more practical choice for walls that will routinely need to be cleaned or scrubbed—for example a kitchen backsplash.
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- Semi-gloss is the next step down when it comes to having glossy walls. Not as shiny as high-gloss, but definitely conveys a similar radiant feel. As far as durability, this sheen is great for high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms and is a perfect choice for trimming!
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- Satin is a more luster finish, and has a more velvety and pearl-like appearance. It still reflects light but creates a more diffused lighting effect. Like semi-gloss, it is a great choice for painting areas that have some exposure to moisture, such as kitchens or baths. It can also perfect for moderate to high traffic areas.
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- Eggshell sits in between satin and flat on the sheen scale. It has a soft, velvety appearance, but is essentially a flat finish with just a hint of luster and has no shine. It gets its name from resembling the outer shell of a chicken’s egg—which makes it easy to remember! Eggshell covers small wall imperfections and is a great choice for gathering spaces such as your living room.
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- Flat and matte have a similar sheen as they both soak up light as opposed to reflecting it, giving it a more diffused lighting appearance. A flat finish is going to have a tiny bit more luster to it than matte, which will have none. They have the most pigment and will provide the most coverage. They are ideal for low traffic areas, interior walls, and perfect for ceilings. They cover scuffs well, but keep in mind that the surface will be a little harder to clean without taking paint off.
Turning to Your Albuquerque Painting Experts
Now that you know the different characteristics of each paint finish, it’s time to make the choice! No matter which sheen you choose, your friends and family will be sure to admire your new paint job when you hire Mike’s Quality Painting! Keep in mind that most paint colors have these options available, but not all. Now with your new-found paint finish knowledge you’ll be able to choose your sheen like a pro! Call Mike’s Quality Painting today to get started!