How To Choose The Right Paint And Paint Sheen To Beautify Your Home

These Are What People In Marblehead, Massachusetts Consider Before Buying Paint

Paint brush and cans and color samples

We think it’s great that you’re trying to find the best paint for your home! You want your home to look great and be protected, and we love it.

In this post, you can find out what people consider before buying a certain paint and sheen for their home.

It Didn’t Work Out Too Well Last Time

“Yeah, well, we live and we learn, right?” asks Ashley.

Dan chuckles. “You’re right, and I’m glad to know neither of us has stopped learning and growing. So, what’s going to be different from the last DIY paint job and this one?”

Ashley smiles a bit. “I looked up how to choose the right paint for a room on Google the other day. Oh, and how to choose the right paint sheen too. There’s a lot of types of paint sheens.”

“Love the preparation!” says Dan warmly. “What’d you learn?” Ashley unlocks her phone and hands it to Dan. “Here, check out the blog post I read.”

This is what Dan sees:

How To Choose The Right Paint For A Room

Using house painting tools and equipment to paint a home

What will the paint be facing? If you just choose a random paint to put in your kitchen or bathroom, it might not end well. These high heat and moisture rooms need durable, moisture resistant paint. You want the best paint for bathrooms and kitchens.

What’s the surface material? You can buy paint made specifically for wood vs drywall vs tile vs etc. It’ll bond better to the surface and last longer.

Ignore price. Cheaper paints may have a lower upfront cost, but they don’t usually look as good for as long. You’ll be painting more often, so it’s a time vs money issue.

Ask for help. You can always go to a paint store and ask them whatever questions you have. We recommend local stores instead of the big box stores. A skilled store will guarantee that every batch matches exactly, preventing the headaches common with big-box stores’ limitedly trained employees.

How To Choose The Right Paint Sheen

Woman painting her bathroom with a semi gloss paint sheen

Durability. Kitchens and bathrooms need paint that can stand up to high heat and moisture. Shinier sheens like semi-gloss and satin are ideal for this, plus they’re easier to clean.

Amount of traffic. Certain paint sheens work better in low, medium, and high traffic areas. It mostly has to do with how easy it is to clean and care for. 

  • Flat sheens are harder to clean, so low-traffic areas are best
  • Eggshell sheens are durable and easier to clean, making them ideal for medium-traffic areas like living rooms

Shine. The right amount of shininess in the sheen can make or break a room. Full gloss sheens are too shiny for walls and they show imperfections too easily but it works great for cabinets.

Surface material. Some paints work better on walls and others on cabinets and trim work. Glossy sheens are great for cabinets, doors, and trim work, but not walls.

You May Also Like To Know

“I guess my only question now is what color or colors did you choose?” asks Dan. Ashley giggles. “I’m not going to choose without you, silly. But, I need to do more prep before I paint, Want to check out some of these other posts with me?” Dan nods and the couple starts exploring.