It depends on the surface you are painting. For interior walls in high-traffic spaces like a mudroom, satin or eggshell finishes work best. Flat or matte finishes work best for most ceilings and semi-gloss is recommended for interior trim and doors.
Flat, eggshell and satin paint are best for interior walls, whereas semi-gloss and gloss paint are best for trim and woodwork. An eggshell finish has a subtler shine to it, so it's a great choice if you're not ready for satin.
The difference between flat and matte paint is so small they're largely interchangeable. Ultimately, it comes down to gloss level. Flat finish has an ever so slightly lower gloss percentage, around 5%, with matte finish around 5-10%. Even though it's small, this difference does affect durability.
Flat and Matte finish paints are ideal for covering walls that have flaws or blemishes. Even larger imperfections, such as extensive scuffs and nail pops can get covered and camouflaged since Flat Paints are effective at absorbing light, in essence, “hiding” the bumps and lines that exist on every wall.
If you use flat paint, your walls will likely look shabby after just a few years. For the end user, it's ultimately better. Eggshell paint just looks richer than flat paint. The slightly higher sheen creates light reflection, which in turn gives the colors more depth and richness.
Eggshell is always an interior designer's preferred paint finish, which is why our founder, Nicole, an interior designer, chose this as our ultimate finish for walls. The name eggshell stems from the fact the finish appears mostly flat with just a touch of luster... similar to a chicken egg!
In many such situations, the builder, seller, or low-cost painter used a low-grade flat paint for three reasons: the first is that it is inexpensive; the second is that it is easy to touch up; the third is that it hides imperfections in the drywall walls.
If your wall has imperfections like uneven texture, patches or joints, flat paint will absorb light and make them less noticeable. However, flat finishes are not very durable and need to be carefully cleaned. Scrubbing flat paint could wear down the finish and cause sheen to appear in patchy spots.
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.
On Walls. Flat paint can also be used on walls in low-traffic areas, such as formal living and dining rooms. It could also be a good choice for a home office space, depending on how much wear and tear it gets. You may even get away with using it in infrequently used guest rooms.
Matt paint has this same benefit, but low-sheen has better washability. This makes low-sheen paints suitable for high traffic areas like living rooms and bedrooms.
Pros: Matte paint hides the imperfections and flaws of the painting surface, making it great for walls in your bedroom, dining room and living room. It is also great for ceilings and any sort of touch-up or remodeling work. Cons: It takes a lot of work to keep the imperfections hidden.
Best for: Family rooms, living rooms, bedrooms, and hallways. Satin, which is a little more hard-wearing than eggshell, works well in those rooms and also in kitchens, dining areas, children's bedrooms, and bathrooms. Many satin finishes are tough enough to use on trim as well.
Satin. Satin finish paint has a smooth, velvety look with a bit more gloss than eggshell. It is most often used for windows, doors, trim, or ceilings, but it can also be used as wall paint. This is particularly suitable for kids' rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and other areas that get a lot of traffic.
Low sheen and eggshell will work well in your main living areas such as bedrooms, lounge and dining rooms. Satin is the great all-rounder; its higher gloss content means it is more durable and can be used in children's rooms, hallways, kitchens and bathrooms, and on doors, windows and woodwork.
If your space has huge windows and lots of natural light, a flat paint finish can work well. If you want something more shiny and reflective, choose satin or semi-gloss. If you don't want your walls totally lustrous, you can paint trim or crown molding with a semi-gloss sheen.
Satin finishes are the most commonly used paint for interior walls. They are easier to clean than flat and eggshell paints, which makes them a great choice for high-traffic areas like kitchens, bathrooms, family rooms, and playrooms.
In the living room and dining room, opt for an eggshell or satin finish.
The big difference between these two paints is the finish. Satin has a little sheen while matte is more flat. Satin is also more durable and easier to clean though it is trickier to apply and touch up if any marks do appear over time. Matte paint gives better coverage than satin and it's more cost-effective too.
Low sheen paints are the most popular finish because they are easy to clean and are more durable than the flatter finishes. The slight sheen level can highlight any surface imperfections but are an ideal choice for walls in high traffic areas.
Satin's higher light reflectivity results in a shinier look than matte paint, showing more details and giving paints more luster. However, the tradeoff is that satin paint will highlight imperfections in the wall and show more paint mishaps, such as runs and orange peel.
Try one of the versions of melamine-foam-based white sponges (“Magic Eraser” is one brand) –these are least likely to mar flat-painted surfaces, but due to their ablative action (they wear away) may leave a white residue on darker colors. Just follow them with an absorbent WHITE towel, using a gentle blotting action.
Painting Tip: It is important to avoid using flat paints or alkyd paints in humid or outdoor spaces because these paint finishes are more prone to damage, discoloration, and wrinkling, which can lead to new mildew growth.
But flat paints can be hard to clean since their porous texture can trap dirt and grime. And since flat paint doesn't resist water like glossier paint does, cleaning it may leave behind unwanted streaks that can make an already dirty wall seem even worse.