Flat paint is a great choice for ceilings due to its ability to hide imperfections and ease of touch-up. Meanwhile, eggshell finishes offer increased durability, richer colors, and a slight
Most ceiling paints have a flat (or matte) finish. A flat finish doesn't reflect lights and will hide most irregularities and defects in the ceiling.
For ceilings, a flat or matte finish with water-based or latex paint is ideal for minimizing glare and hiding imperfections. For walls, the best choice depends on the desired look: Flat or matte for a smooth appearance. Eggshell or satin for a subtle sheen and durability. Semi-gloss or gloss for high-traffic areas.
The reason flat is recommended for ceilings is that the light shines off of them differently, and you'll notice every little imperfection with glossy paint. And the higher the gloss, the more you'll notice them.
Avoid using eggshell paint in high-contact, high-traffic areas such as door and window trim, baseboards, cabinetry, and doors. It's best to use semi-gloss paint in these areas.
Flat paint is a great choice for ceilings due to its ability to hide imperfections and ease of touch-up. Meanwhile, eggshell finishes offer increased durability, richer colors, and a slight sheen which makes them an attractive option as well.
Best Finish:
Therefore, flat paint should be your obvious choice if you want a saturated, velvety flat finish on your ceiling. If you ceiling has imperfections like uneven textures, cracks and joints, flat paint will surely absorb light and make them less noticeable.
Ceilings and Drywall - Medium 3/8″ roller covers work best. Walls, Wood, and Metal - Small 1/4″ roller covers or foam rollers will produce the smoothest finish. Light to Medium Textured Surfaces - Microfiber rollers are best. Smooth Surfaces - Use a white woven short nap roller for an ultra fine finish.
How to Choose Ceiling Paint Colors. As a general rule, ceilings that are lighter in tone than the walls feel higher, while darker colors will make the ceiling feel lower. But that doesn't necessarily mean the room will feel claustrophobic. Visually lowered ceilings can evoke a cozy, intimate feeling.
Favorite whites for ceilings include White Dove OC-17, Cloud White OC-130 and Decorator's White OC-149.
For baseboards, it's best to choose a sheen right in the middle of the spectrum, such as semi-gloss. Semi-gloss baseboard paint is a great choice for baseboards for several reasons. First, having a higher sheen on your baseboards makes them stand out! It provides a striking visual contrast to the more matte walls.
How many coats of paint do I need? Generally, you will want a minimum of two coats of paint – this is a good rule of thumb for any wall or ceiling you're painting. You'll rarely get a seamless finish from just one coat of paint, and even if you do, coverage isn't the only goal when it comes to painting a room.
Of the two, satin is more durable and is slightly less likely to scuff or mark than eggshell and it's easier to clean when it does get marked. This makes it a better choice, especially for woodwork such as painting skirting boards, than eggshell for high traffic areas like hallways and living rooms.
Best Paint for Bathroom Ceilings
A satin finish is fine for a powder room ceiling because the space has less moisture and humidity. But a humid bathroom with a steamy shower requires a more durable and moisture-resistant semi-gloss finish.
When it comes to the best type of paint for ceilings, Benjamin Moore's Waterborne Ceiling Paint is a “dead flat” paint that applies smoothly, hides most ceiling imperfections, and is specially formulated to minimize both lap marks and splatter.
Ceilings should almost always be painted in a flat, matte acrylic paint. The reason for this is that: Flat paint will not reflect light or draw attention away from the wall and room furnishings. Ceilings don't receive much wear and tear, so a glossy, durable paint is not necessary.
Quality 12mm nap rollers will apply an even paint film to your walls and ceilings and give you a great finish, without splattering paint all over you and the floor. Professional painters actually use 20mm nap rollers on ceilings, and 12mm nap rollers on walls.
If you care only about the quality of the painted surface, you cannot go wrong with rolling on the paint. Without a doubt, you get a thicker paint layer and better color consistency than with spraying.
BUT, flat paint is recommended for ceilings and very low traffic areas for a reason. It's not as durable or easy to clean as eggshell or other higher sheen paints. So if you have pets or kids (or even husbands) that touch or bump into walls, flat paint will easily mar.
Ceiling Paint
A flat white is always the best paint finish for ceilings, as the non-reflective finish reduces glare from artificial lights overhead and the clean white helps reflect natural light around the room, making it feel brighter and more open.
You should be using flat paint on walls and areas that have a lot of bumps, scratches, or holes. Since it can conceal these blemishes easily, it'll be the one paint finish you'll want to be using. It's best for low-traffic rooms that have a ton of light like offices and more formal rooms, like dining rooms.
Another reason why consumers and designers often favor using Eggshell or Satin paint is that they've had a bad experience with the “chalky” look that low-quality flat paints have after a few years.
Eggshell sheen can potentially give a room a greater visual depth than the flatter matte finish. Matte sheens do not reflect light as much as an eggshell or even glossier finish. In fact, they can actually absorb light!
Short or medium pile microfibre mini rollers are the best when applying water-based, woodwork paints, such as Quick Dry Eggshell, Quick Dry Satinwood or Quick Dry Gloss. Avoid using foam mini rollers when applying Quick Dry products, as these can cause paint bubbles to form when rolled onto the surface.