Choose eggshell for most walls. It offers the best of both worlds: a soft, velvety finish that hides minor wall imperfections, plus enough durability to wipe away scuffs and smudges. Flat paint is best reserved for ceilings, as it absorbs light perfectly but will stain easily and is difficult to clean.
For most interior walls, eggshell is the superior choice because it offers the perfect balance of a soft, matte-like appearance and essential cleanability. Flat paint is best reserved for ceilings, as its unreflective surface hides flaws beautifully but is nearly impossible to wipe down without scuffing.
When Would you Not Use Eggshell Paint? It would help if you did not use this finish in high-traffic areas or on constantly touched objects—for example, kitchen cabinets and bathrooms. Instead, you would use a gloss because it's washable and withstands moisture better.
Flat paint finishes are second to none when it comes to creating a rich, velvety look on the wall, but in the past this effect came with a price: The porosity of flat finishes made them more prone to staining and more difficult to clean, since washing and scrubbing often caused color change and burnishing.
Flat paint will always be better for builders and painters. It costs less, downplays flaws in drywall, and can be touched up easily without showing roller marks. In new builds, it is almost always used by builders and painters.
Eggshell paint is characterized by its lower sheen and velvety texture, which adds a subtle luster to walls without being too shiny. This eggshell finish is perfect for those who want to achieve a smooth, elegant look without the high reflectivity of glossy paints.
Warm, nature-inspired off-whites and "greiges" (a balance of gray and beige) are the most popular wall colors right now. Homeowners are moving away from stark, cold grays in favor of soft, inviting tones that make spaces feel cozy and bright.
Builders use flat (or matte) paint primarily because its lack of shine hides drywall imperfections, scuffs, and texture flaws. It is also highly forgiving for quick touch-ups without leaving visible overlap or roller marks. This makes it a highly cost-effective and efficient way to deliver a uniform finish.
Eggshell Paint
Eggshell finish, perennially popular with professional and DIY painters alike, has a low-sheen reminiscent of flat or matte, but it is infinitely more durable than its namesake.
Red is universally considered the hardest paint color to cover. Vibrant red pigments are highly transparent and inherently prone to bleeding through subsequent layers. Other notoriously difficult colors to cover include black, dark blue, dark green, and bright yellow.
Both are both popular for high-traffic areas and are considered the best for painting walls. Experts recommend choosing satin over eggshell when painting areas exposed to moisture, like bathrooms and kitchens.
Thanks to its matte look with a slight sheen, eggshell paint effectively hides imperfections, making it a favorite among interior designers. It's also ideal for interior walls, as it's easy to apply and doesn't show lap marks as prominently as higher-sheen finishes.
The five primary paint finishes for walls are flat/matte, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, and high-gloss. As you move up this list from flat to high-gloss, the paint becomes increasingly shinier, more durable, and easier to clean, but it also reveals more surface imperfections.
The glossier the paint, the more it reflects light. As a result, high gloss paint colors look darker on interior walls, while flat paint colors appear lighter. That's a significant reason why interior eggshell paint is so popular.
Use eggshell paint on interior walls in low to moderate traffic areas like living rooms, dining rooms, and family rooms where a balance between appearance and durability is needed. Avoid using it in high-moisture or high-traffic spaces like kitchens, bathrooms, or trim.
The best paint for interior walls is acrylic latex paint. It is water-based, quick-drying, low-odor, and easy to clean up. For general rooms like bedrooms and living spaces, a matte or eggshell finish hides imperfections, while a satin or semi-gloss finish provides the durability needed for high-moisture areas.
Beige tones, hues of white, and grey should be the colors of choice for your furniture, curtains, drapes, and other home accessories. Neutral colors not only give that plush look, but they also give you that warm feeling.
There are three main types of “impossible” colors: Forbidden colors. These are colors our eyes simply cannot process because of the antagonistic way our cones work, for instance “red-green” or “yellow-blue.”
Cool gray is being replaced by "mushroom" neutrals (warm taupes and greys with subtle green or violet undertones), warm earthy khakis, and soft, natural sages.
For bedrooms, flat paint is ideal for adult master suites where hiding wall imperfections and reducing light glare is a priority. Choose satin paint if you need highly cleanable walls, making it the better choice for kids' rooms, guest rooms, or bedrooms that double as home offices.
High-gloss and semi-gloss paints are the absolute easiest to clean due to their smooth, non-porous surfaces that actively repel dirt and liquids. However, because their shine highlights wall imperfections, they are best reserved for high-traffic areas like baseboards, doors, cabinets, and trim.
When it comes to an acrylic water-based eggshell, we would highly recommend Macpherson Acrylic Eggshell. It is a high-quality, durable emulsion paint that is suitable for internal wood and metal, as well any interior wall or ceiling.
Painting on a flat surface—whether laying a canvas horizontally or using a flat paint sheen for walls—prevents gravity from pulling wet paint into messy drips and helps create an even, light-absorbing finish that seamlessly conceals surface bumps and drywall flaws.
In most cases, you only need two coats of paint. However, a third coat is usually necessary if you are making a drastic color change (such as going from a dark color to a light one), painting over a porous/unprimed surface, or if you notice unevenness or "streaking" after the second coat.
To paint a ceiling flawlessly, start by removing light fixtures and covering all floors and furniture with heavy-duty drop cloths. Always use flat or matte ceiling paint, which minimizes light reflection and hides imperfections. Roll in manageable, overlapping sections, working backward from the room's main light source.