A Handy Guide to Choose the Right Interior Paint Sheen

When it comes to paint your interiors, there are hundreds of colors and hues that make your eyes glaze. With so many choices, how do you ever choose the right paint? What sheen should you use to paint your interior?

Sheen actually refers to the amount of light that a particular paint reflects from its surface. People typically choose sheen based on the purpose or function of the room. You need to decide that how much sheen you want on your walls and how often you will need to wash down those walls.

When it comes to choose a particular sheen to paint your interior, it’s important to think about the area you are painting. There are five different choices: flat, egg shell, satin, semi-gloss, and high gloss. Each of these sheens offers its own distinct benefits.

Flat Finish:

Flat typically has a matte finish with no sheen. It offers a chalky look, so therefore it’s the best way to hide the imperfections of your interior walls. However, the shiner the paint, the easier it washes up and cleans off. Therefore, flat sheen is not suitable for a high traffic area. If you have a high traffic area to paint, go for eggshell, satin or semi-gloss sheen on the walls. Satin or semi-gloss finishes are specifically designed to withstand repeated cleaning.

Eggshell Finish:

Eggshell finish is highly durable and is great for hiding imperfections of your walls. It is strong enough to handle the scrubbing you have to do in kids spaces. Eggshell enamel has a soft and smooth appearance and is the perfect choice for high traffic areas such as living rooms.

Satin Finish:

Satin finish has a smooth, silky look that is similar to egg shell and semi gloss sheens. Satin finish has a pearl like finish and is often used for doors, windows, trims, or ceilings. However, it can also be used as wall paint and on wood work.

Semi-Gloss Finish:

If you want a sleek, radiant sheen, you can go for semi-gloss enamel. It is great for high-traffic and high moisture areas. Since semi-gloss sheen has a reflective nature, it can open up a dark room which has no windows.

High Gloss Finish:

Professionals generally recommend high-gloss paints for walls when you are using them in small samplings and want a dramatic, contemporary look. The high gloss or shiny finish of this enamel mimics the look of plastic and really gives an amazing depth of impressive color.

If you are still confused about which sheen should you use to paint your interior, you can contact the professional painters who are experienced in interior painting in Lyndhurst NJ.