Stick with semi-gloss in high humidity, heavy traffic areas where ease of cleaning and durability are top of the list (think bathrooms). Go with a flat finish when it's all about creating a soft, inviting ambiance on walls that might not be so smooth (think living rooms).
In the living room and dining room, opt for an eggshell or satin finish.
Less shiny with a lower sheen than high-gloss, semi-gloss is still more glossy than satin and isn't advised for use on interior walls. It's ideal for woodwork in high traffic areas such as entryways, living areas, dining rooms, kitchens, powder rooms and children's rooms and playrooms.
Semi-gloss paints are fine for living room trim and window frames, but not the walls. Semi-gloss provide the greatest washability, but the shine enhances wall imperfections like bumps, patches, or unevenness in drywall.
Flat paint works best in low-traffic areas, such as the master bedroom, a study, or a formal living room.
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.
Eggshell paint is a good choice for living rooms, hallways and bedrooms.
Unlike satin, semi-gloss is rarely ever used on walls. Because of its higher light reflectivity, it shows every imperfection, highlights brushstrokes, and can appear slightly darker than the same color in a different finish.
Using a semi- or high-gloss can help enhance your space. Higher sheens are more reflective, giving the illusion of more light.
For paint that will provide decent durability without the reflectivity of high-gloss finishes, choose a satin finish. Cost: Eggshell paint is more cost-effective than satin paint. Homeowners looking to save at the paint store or repaint large areas are better off going with an eggshell finish.
Overall Best Choice: Satin
As a result of the added resins that give it this sheen, this paint is able to stand up to general cleaning and wear and tear. It's a good choice for most living rooms, since its look strikes a balance between the rich pigment of flat paint and the drama of high gloss paint.
Semi-gloss Finish
This paint finish is just glossy enough to make it easy to wipe clean, yet it won't look too shiny. One of the best paint brands with a wide selection of colors is Benjamin Moore.
Satin: Satin finishes are the most common interior paint finish. They have a velvety sheen and are easier to clean than flat and eggshell paints, which makes them a great choice for high-traffic areas like kitchens, playrooms, family rooms, bathrooms, and laundry rooms.
From the perspective of a Color Designer/Consultant, I typically specify eggshell on walls for multiple reasons that benefit the people who are dwelling in the home. Eggshell paint cleans easier, covers better, wears better, and lasts longer than flat paint.
Typically, we recommend using matte on walls in lower-traffic areas like master bedrooms, dining rooms, or living rooms that won't get dirty or scuffed up as often. Moreover, flat and matte paints are easier to touch up and apply, which makes them ideal for novice painters or DIY projects.
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.
SEMI-GLOSS
pros: Reflects a significant amount of light and is easy to clean. cons: Reveals every imperfection in your walls, every brushstroke, and the frequent “orange-peel finish” of a roller brush. where to use it: It's ideal for doors, trim, casework, bathrooms, and kitchens.
Semi-Gloss Paint
Although it does not cover the blemishes like flat does, it is much more durable. It is better to scrub and clean from markings while is tolerable to rooms with high moisture. Consequently, semi-gloss paint is great for high traffic and high used areas in your home.
High humidity doesn't allow the paint to evaporate adequately. There is too much moisture in the air, and as a result, the solvent has a hard time leaving the paint – and you get stickiness.
Semi-gloss paints are ideal for surfaces and fittings, such as doors, trim, window casings, door frames, baseboards, and even retouching and restoration of furniture pieces, cabinets, built-ins, etc. This type of paint also works well for rooms with high-humidity levels, such as kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms.
Semigloss is tougher than eggshell, so it will show less wear. It reflects even more light when dry, though, so if there are any imperfections on your walls before you paint, they'll stand out. Semigloss stands up the best to water and cleaning, so it's a good choice for a kids' bedroom or bathroom.
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.
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.