Interior Wall Paint: Flat, Eggshell, Satin, Semi-Gloss or High-Gloss?

Choosing an Interior Wall Paint Type

As an avid and frequent interior decorator, I have explored and used a variety of paint styles in my painting. I have found that it is not so much about brand as it is about paint style or texture. In this article we will focus on latex paints. These paints do not contain lead; Before the advent of lead-free or latex paints, lead poisoning posed a terrible danger particularly for children and babies who might eat paint chips. Latex paint is low-odor, non-toxic and are much safer for to work with.

There are five basic styles of paint consistency: flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, and enamel or high-gloss. but is rather a Each style varies in the way it looks, feels, lends itself to further decoration, and particularly, how it resists marks and cleans up. Let's look at the various paint styles in a sequence from least to most sheen or gloss. The paint will be arranged this way on store shelves and will increase in cost with more sheen or gloss as well.

Flat paint: Flat paint is the least expensive and is totally shine free. Use this flat paint only if you will never need to wash the surface. Flat shows all marks and does not resist grease or stains. Any fingerprint or smudge will seep into flat paint and spread to an unsightly stain. Flat paint could be used for ceilings only in bedrooms or hallways, never in a kitchen or bath. I recommend eggshell or satin instead, however.

Eggshell: This style is not as commonly available. The name eggshell is an appropriate description as the paint does feel like the surface of an egg when it dries. This paint can be washed but only with much scrubbing. Eggshell will work on a non-kitchen or bathroom ceiling. A non-glossy paint is preferred for the ceiling where a duller, shine-free surface is preferable.

Satin: This paint style has all the benefits of eggshell. It is more readily available and washes somewhat better. Satin does not hold up to any vigorous scrubbing, however. Satin paints do not show brush marks like the glossier styles.