paint sheen

Paint Sheen Guide

After you’ve picked the perfect paint color for your bathroom basement, you need to nail down the sheen of the paint. This part is easy compared to picking out that one shade of blue you’ve been thinking about for years. But what is paint sheen? To put it simply, paint sheen is the level of shine, or luster in your paint. There’s a spectrum from least to most shine and in this blog post, we’ll discuss the most popular sheens in that order.


Flat

Flat, or matte paints are the least shiny of the group. This sheen is at one end of the paint sheen spectrum, and can be a good choice for walls that have surface imperfections or irregularities. Flat paints can almost camouflage these imperfections, BUT they are typically the least durable sheen and most difficult to clean. If you have pets or kids, we recommend going for a shinier paint sheen so that there are less touch-ups for you down the road.

Rooms

  • Ceilings (Ultra Flat)

  • Dining Rooms

  • Family Rooms, Living Rooms, Dens

  • Bedrooms

 

Eggshell

Eggshell paints are one of the most popular paint finishes out there! Eggshell paints have just a touch of shine without looking too shiny. This finish can be used in many places in and outside of your home.

Rooms:

  • Dining Rooms

  • Kitchens

  • Bathrooms

  • Family Rooms, Living Rooms, Dens

  • Entryways, Halls

  • Bedrooms

 

Satin

Satin paint lies just one step above eggshell, and is also a very popular finish option. This finish is easier to clean and more durable compared to flat and eggshell paints, but looks shinier. If shiny walls aren’t your thing- go for an eggshell or flat.

Rooms:

  • Dining Rooms

  • Bathrooms

  • Kitchens

  • Family Rooms, Living Rooms, Dens

  • Entryways, Halls

  • Bedrooms

 

Semi-Gloss

Semi-gloss paints are shiny, easy to clean, and very durable. This is a great finish for trim, doors, bathrooms and some exterior areas- but semi-gloss paints will not hide imperfections on walls well.

 

High Gloss

High gloss paints are at the top of the shine spectrum, completely opposite from flat paints up at the top! This finish is usually reserved for trim and doors and it is the easiest to clean out of all of these options. High gloss paints reveals every bump, irregularity and imperfection on your wall- but if a shiny wall is your thing then choose this finish.


No matter where you are in your home remodel journey, schedule your free estimate with Morganco Design Build today to get started. Our in-house designer will help you select the right color and finish of the paint for your remodel. Let us know if you have any questions on paint in the comments!