Picking the perfect paint finish is all about learning the pros and cons of each one and then exercising your right to choose. In other words, it’s one part knowledge and one part personal preference. Here’s a little rundown of paint finish possibilities along with a few facts about each one to help you hone in on the one that’s right for you.
Flat paint: This is a great choice for hiding imperfections in your walls and it’s by far the easiest to touch up. The cons are that many people say that it shows more wear than its more wipe-able counterparts (like eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, and gloss) but we have found that with a Magic Eraser and sometimes just a kitchen sponge there are a surprising amount of scrapes and marks that come right out. Paint quality is getting better and better, so non-durable and easily marred flat paint of the ’80s is a thing of the past. Plus because it’s the easiest finish to touch up without any telltale signs of a patch job, those few stains that can’t be wiped off can easily be eliminated with a smidge of fresh paint.
Where we used it: We actually chose flat paint for all of our rooms except for the nursery, the kitchen, and the bathrooms since it provides such a smooth and even look (hiding all those dings and cracks that are much more obvious when the paint is more glossy). Oh and all of our ceilings (save for the ones in the bathrooms) are painted in a flat finish as well. Update: in our new house we use satin on all walls except for the kitchen and bathrooms since we have a mobile kiddo and like that it’s slightly more wipeable and durable.
Eggshell paint: This is a slightly less matte version of paint with a tiny bit of sheen added to introduce a bit of wipe-able protection that is a tad better at holding up to fingerprints and other wear and tear than flat paint is. It definitely still looks pretty matte on the walls (nothing glaring or shiny) but it does add a nice little buffer of protection. Although the hint of sheen makes it a bit harder to touch up than flat paint, it’s still definitely possible.
Where we used it: Nowhere. Now this isn’t because it’s a bad choice- we’re simple people, so sticking with the few finishes helps us keep track of what’s what (if every room were a different finish it would be hard to keep it all straight).
Satin paint: This is ever so slightly more glossy than eggshell but still not as shiny as semi-gloss. In fact it’s a lot closer to a flat or an eggshell look than a glossy one. As you may guess it’s therefore even easier to wipe down but also a bit harder (although still not impossible) to touch up due to the shine factor. It’s a nice elegant choice in a more formal space where you’d like a bit of shimmer without going overboard into super shiny territory (like a candle-lit dining room for example) and many people go with satin for their bathroom and kitchen walls as well.
Where we used it: We went with satin for the nursery because we reasoned that it would provide a little more wipe-ability while still hiding the majority of our wall’s imperfections since it’s far from the shiny texture of semi-gloss or gloss (which emphasizes any dings or dents as opposed to hiding them). It still went on very smooth and was a nice “compromise” when it came to adding a bit of kid-friendly function to the space. Update: in our new house we use satin on all walls except for the kitchen and bathrooms since we have a mobile kiddo and like that it’s slightly more wipeable and durable.
Semi-gloss paint: This is a great choice for areas that are exposed to more water and grease than the average room (ie: bathrooms and kitchens). Some people fear that semi-gloss paint is a bit too shiny for their liking and opt to go eggshell or satin in their kitchens or bathrooms, but for unparalleled protection and wipe-ability, semi-gloss really is the more thorough choice. Of course it’s not as easy to touch up but the durability that it offers is a great perk. We actually painted our kitchen backsplash in semi-gloss paint (along with the rest of the room) and 2+ years later it’s still in perfect condition (even with grease and other cooking side-effects working against it).
Where we used it: Both of our bathrooms are semi-gloss (including the ceilings) along with the kitchen (but the ceiling is flat in there since there’s less steam & moisture). We also opted to paint all of our interior and exterior doors in semi-gloss paint along with all of our home’s molding and trim (it’s so much more wipe-able and easy to maintain). And as a side note, for some reason while semi-gloss paint is hard to touch up on the walls without getting that telltale “ring” around the newly painted area, trim can easily be touched up time and time again without any issue – which is always a good thing.
Gloss or high-gloss paint: This finish provides the shiniest, most lacquer-like effect. As you can imagine, it’s super wipe-able and durable (it has a lot of flex in it) but it highlights imperfections in a major way (a small ding in the wall that would virtually disappear when covered in flat paint would look a lot deeper and more pronounced when covered with gloss instead). It’s also extremely difficult to touch up without creating a noticeable “ring” where the new paint is applied. So it’s best to repaint an entire wall with glossy paint when you need to refresh it (instead of applying spot touch ups which can be easily detected).
Where we used it: Nowhere, but again it doesn’t mean it’s a bad choice. Some people think it can be a bit overpowering on the walls (especially in a modestly sized house like ours) but that’s really a personal preference thing. We’ve seen small rooms look like glittering jewel boxes with dramatic glossy paint jobs- and it’s always a great choice for painting furniture (it really gives you that lacquered look). Even doors and trim throughout a house could look glamorous and sleek painted in a high gloss finish instead of the standard semi-gloss one.
So what about you guys? Do you have any finishes that you prefer for certain jobs? Any nightmarishly bad finish decisions that you had to redo (we painted all of our house’s trim with flat paint before realizing that was a terrible idea- talk about a major project to take on twice!).
Psst- Got more paint questions? Check out the top of our How To page for all of the answers that you seek.
Jane says
Thank you so much! I seriously think this is the best blog ever. You guys not only talk about your daily DIY life, but also answer posts. It makes it seem so much more personal. I’m going to give the painting another try today.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Jane. So glad to help!
xo,
s
arina says
Hello guys,
I’m from Malaysia. I’ve been adoring you guys after I read about your blog in reader’s digest. I’m moving in to my new house real soon. I have few dilemmas which I hope u guys could help.
1. My floor is a white tiles floor. So do u have any suggestion on how can I create a soft and colourful effects to the house since most of my furnitures are black or dark brown?
2. I bought a set of sofa and I have to choose the pattern on the sofa. Which one do you think is better, stripey effects or plain dark color?
3. My husband always love to choose black or dark brown furniture because he afraid of my lil daughter will make it dirty if we choose light colors. Do you have any tips on how you take care of your furnitures?
YoungHouseLove says
Using an area rug to soften the tile and add texture and warmth and color would be great! I would go with the stripey effects on the sofa since pattern tends to hide stains and if you have a lot of black or dark brown furniture it’s nice to break it up. As for taking care of our furniture, we just try to wipe things down with mild soap and water if they get dirty, or buy things with slipcovers we can throw in the wash (we have a white slipcovered chair in the corner of our kitchen that gets chocolate and yogurt on it all the time, but washes clean!). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lindsey says
Hey there.
I’m so glad to have found this! We are getting ready to paint (spray paint, to be exact!)a bed from IKEA that is a shiny white metal and we’re hoping to go for a dusty sort of gray color. We definitely want something that will be durable, but not show imperfections. Would you recommend painting furniture with flat paint or something different? Also, would you guys use a white primer or a gray primer?
YoungHouseLove says
You could use a tinted/gray primer if you’d like (white would work too though if you have that on hand). I would do an eggshell finish if you can though for the paint (typically painting furniture anything flat makes it less easy to wipe down so stains sort of stick to it). Eggshell or even semi-gloss is our choice and can look great! Just put it on thinly and evenly and take your time. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Carol says
I am currently painting my house with Valspar satin finish paint. I like the paint but it is hard to apply without streaking. My question is if I get the eggshell finish and go over the satin finish lightly, will that help tone it down and even out the streaks. Thank for any tips…
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I would give it another coat in the same finish in the hopes that it’ll even out. Sometimes changing half-way though can make it less seamless in the end.
xo,
s
Wendy says
I just wanted to say thank you so much for the information in this post. I am about to paint my daughter’s room and found a color, but have no idea what they are talking about when they ask me about finish. Now, (thanks to you two) I have decided on a satin and am going to look for information on this process they call “cutting in”?? Okay, off to do more research!
xo
-W.
YoungHouseLove says
You’re welcome! And we actually have a video of “cutting in” here on this post: https://www.younghouselove.com/2011/02/holy-buckets/
-John
Caitlyn says
Hey John and Sherry! I’m tackling an interior door upgrade this week while the hubby is out of town. I’m going to be ORBing the heck out of our nasty brass door knobs and I’d like to repaint our interior doors because they are off white while the trim and everything else is bright white. My question is this- when you’ve repainted interior doors do you take them off the hinges or paint them in place? Mine are flat (no insets) so I thought taking a small roller to them while they are still hanging would work. What are your thoughts?
YoungHouseLove says
We have done both (it was so easy to spray them while they were off the hinges but we prefer to roll them or paint them with brushes while they’re on the hinges (just tape them off and put a drop cloth under them and you’re good to go). Using a foam roller really keeps them smooth!
xo
s
Caroline says
This is great! Although it’s an old post, this will be of great use now that we bought our 1st home. I can’t wait to start adding my own personality to the place, starting with painting the walls. Thanks!:-)
John says
Why is Satin harder to touch up than eggshell or flat?
YoungHouseLove says
It’s glossier. Anything glossier will show imperfections more (picture how a matte fabric hides more wrinkles and satin, shiny fabric shows every dimple).
xo
s
sheri says
We are needing to do some touch up on interior trim indoors. We have been here over 10 years and it is a brighter white with a glossy finish. My question is can you use a semi-gloss white on top of this if it was originally a gloss enamel? Also, I don’t have anything to match up because so old. Any tips of getting a color of white for the trim. Thanks
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I worry about anything adhering over such a glossy base. I’d lightly sand it (test for lead first if it’s old) and then use a stainblocking primer followed by semi-gloss paint. That should work!
xo
s
Janick Davidson says
We are currently painting our sunroom which has 8 big windows and wood panneling walls and ceiling, as well as wood crown moldings. I painted the ceiling a flat white (SICO Flat for ceilings finish with pink dye interior latex paint) and the color we chose for the walls is a greyish brown (Sico urban gray color #6212-63) in an eggshell finish. I am planning to paint the trims and baseboards using the Sico doors and trim paint, which has a pearl finish.
I am debating if I should paint the crown moldings the same finish as the ceiling, or should I paint them the same finish as the trims? What would you recommend? The room gets lots of light from the 8 windows..
YoungHouseLove says
Same as the trims! We do that and have loved the look. Good luck!
xo
s