Paint Sheen Differences And Where They Best Fit In Homes

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Find Out What Sheen Of Paint Works Best Where In Your Marblehead Home.

The wrong paint sheen can make life harder for you. Learning their differences and where they work best can keep your home looking better for longer.

Find out why and the average cost below-

Really? Already?!

“Aw, man! How, why, did this happen?”

Katie frowns at the wall in the master bathroom. The paint is already starting to look bad and it’s only been a few months since they had it painted. “Well it can’t be because of the color…” she whispers to herself.

Katie has what used to be a beautiful blue bathroom. It’s painted with a matte (flat) paint and it looks amazing! Except for the fading and what looks like peeling paint. Maybe she and Steve made a mistake when painting? Or something’s wrong with the paint? Katie decides to look it up online.

“OH! It was the wrong sheen! No wonder it didn’t work.” The next thing she looks up are paint sheen differences and where they work best.

After reading this, she nor Steve will use the wrong sheen again-

Paint Sheen Differences

The difference in paint sheens is mostly shininess and durability. Higher sheen paints reflect more light, are easier to clean, and are more resistant to water. But, shinier ones also highlight wall imperfections and usually cost more to use. Different sheens work best in different areas.

“Ok, so what sheens are there and where do they work best?” Katie asks as she scrolls down to find out.

5 Types Of Paint Sheens And Where They Work Best

  • Matte/Flat sheen works best in low traffic rooms like home offices and adult bedrooms
  • Eggshell sheen works are great for dining and living rooms
  • Satin sheen is ideal for high traffic areas like hallways and family rooms
  • Semi-Gloss sheen is found in kitchens and bathrooms
  • High Gloss is for anything that isn’t a wall

“And that’s in order from least shiny to shiniest,” Katie notes.

Matte sheens aren’t shiny, which makes them great at hiding imperfections. The problem is it’s hard to clean without possibly hurting the paint.

Eggshell sheens are actually named after the look of chicken eggs. It’s kind of flat with a little shine to it, like an eggshell. It hides imperfections well and takes cleaning better than matte.

“Satin sheen? Oh, that’s the one we use for most of the rooms!” Katie realizes.

Satin sheens have a decent shine to them, almost velvety really. It’s easy to clean but roller and brush strokes can show up pretty easily.

Semi-gloss sheens are super durable. This is why they’re great for kitchens and bathrooms (think high heat, moisture, and spills). It’s shinier than satin but not nearly as much as the next one.

High gloss paints and walls don’t mix. This sheen shows every imperfection and, honestly is a little too bright. But man is it tough!

So What Sheen Does Katie Choose?

“We need to get a semi-gloss sheen of the same blue we have now,” Katie says with a smile. Now that she knows what she needs she can call Steve and see what he thinks.