You’ve got your paint brushes, rollers, and tarps. You’ve picked the perfect paint color. Now it’s time to get painting, right? Wrong. When it comes to choosing paint, there’s more than just the color choice to think about. The paint’s finish will have a large impact on the look of your room.
Here are some tips to help you select the perfect finish for your home:
Flat Enamel – This paint is very durable with a flat, matte finish. It is perfect and ceilings; however, flat paint shouldn’t be cleaned too often, so it’s not suited for children’s rooms, bathrooms, or kitchens.
Egg Shell – This finish has a very low sheen, much like the shell of an egg. Since this finish contains a slight gloss or shine, it is recommended for interior walls as it holds up better to cleaning compared to flat finishes.
Satin – If you’re looking for something with a bit more gloss, a satin finish may be for you. Satin has a smooth and velvety look to it, and is often used windows, doors, trim, or ceilings. It can also be used as wall paint, especially for children’s rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms. It does well in areas that get a lot of traffic as it holds up well to cleaning and is washable but shouldn’t be scrubbed.
Semi-Gloss – This will give your room a subtle shine without being over the top. It can stand up to a good scrubbing, making it perfect for moldings, doors, kitchens and baths.
High-Gloss – This finish has a shiny, polished look. High-gloss finishes are stain resistant and can be scrubbed intensely, making them an excellent choice for areas of your home that get the most wear and tear. This is a good choice for kitchens or children’s rooms as food splatters or crayon marks can easily be cleaned up.
It’s important to remember that when deciding on your finish, the higher the sheen, the darker and more intense it is going to make your colors. Also be aware that higher gloss finishes reflect more light, making imperfections more noticeable. Be sure to take the proper steps in the preparation of your paint job or contact Certapro Painters in New Canaan for all of your painting needs.
