If you are wondering where to use eggshell paint, let us tell you that thanks to its durability, this type of paint works well with medium-traffic areas, such as living rooms and dining rooms. Thanks to the fact that it's easy to clean and maintain, eggshell paint is a reliable option for playrooms and kids' bedrooms.
Where to Use Eggshell Paint. Eggshell paint is ideal for walls in medium-to-high-traffic areas, such as bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms, and dining rooms. While generally used on walls, eggshell paint can also be used on trim, molding, and skirting boards.
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.
Eggshell paint is known for its smooth, velvety finish that provides a soft, elegant look to your walls. It's also highly durable, making it ideal for high-traffic areas like hallways and living rooms. One of the benefits of eggshell paint is that it is highly resistant to stains and dirt, which makes it easy to clean.
The downsides of eggshell paint
Albeit less expensive than other types of paint, eggshell paint will most likely require a coat to spruce the room up much sooner than satin paint would, for instance. It is also rather challenging to freshen up the look of the walls just where it's needed.
Interior eggshell paints are moisture resistant which makes them ideal for use in bathrooms and kitchens where condensation levels are high.
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. On the other hand, reflective sheens draw the eye upward and can detract from the rest of the room. Another benefit of a flat finish is that it doesn't scuff easily.
Homeowners often opt for eggshell paint in living rooms, dining room, and bedrooms, where a bit of sheen is desirable for visual interest and maintaining a clean look. Additionally, eggshell paint tends to hold up well over time, providing a durable and attractive option for various interior spaces.
If you're wondering, does eggshell paint need a primer, it's worth knowing that it's actually self-undercoating, so you can get a great finish from just two coats. It's why so many choose eggshell paint for skirting boards as it is quick and easy to apply.
Eggshell paint offers a soft sheen that adds elegance and is more washable than flat paint, making it ideal for moderate-traffic areas. However, it shows imperfections more than matte finishes and lacks the durability of glossier options, so it may need more frequent touch-ups in high-traffic areas.
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.
If your woodwork is sealed or previously painted, to achieve the best finish, apply one coat of quick-drying Intelligent ASP (All Surface Primer). The correct undercoat for wood will depend on your chosen topcoat and should be applied before two coats of eggshell or gloss finish.
Living Room: Satin or eggshell works well to balance elegance and practicality. Kitchen: Choose semi-gloss for easy cleaning. Trim and Cabinets: High-gloss for a striking finish.
Match Complementary Shades: Pair eggshell hues with complementary colors like soft blues or gentle greens to enhance the overall aesthetic. Use Neutrals: Incorporate neutral colors such as beige or gray to provide a versatile backdrop that allows eggshell tones to stand out.
Because of its durability and sheen, satin is perfect for walls in high-traffic areas or spaces that require frequent cleaning. To achieve its higher sheen, satin has more binders than eggshell paint, which enhances its durability, elasticity, and scuff resistance.
Color Considerations
We all know that lighter colors emphasize imperfections while darker colors hide them. This also has to do with light and reflection. Lighter colors reflect more light while darker shades absorb it.
Eggshell is always an interior designer's preferred paint finish, which is why we 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!
Eggshell paint reflects some light, giving it a more toned-down luster than matte, but it has less resin in the formula than satin, so you won't get that high-gloss effect. Eggshell paint is more durable than flat or matte paint but less durable than semi-gloss or high-gloss.
When to Use Eggshell Paint. Eggshell is commonly used in living rooms and dining rooms, as it does not pick up dirt easily. Pro tip: If your walls have bumps or imperfections, an extra coat of eggshell can disguise them more easily than satin or high-gloss finishes.
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.
Woven roller covers are more shed-resistant, so they're better for gloss and semi-gloss finishes, which can highlight lint left over from the roller. For flat, eggshell, and satin finishes, knit roller covers do the job more efficiently. For consistent control and smooth finish, we recommend microfiber roller covers.
Apply two coats using a brush or roller. A third coat may be necessary depending on the colour of the topcoat and the original surface colour. To achieve an even finish, make sure you lay off in one direction for the final coat. Modern Eggshell is touch dry in two hours and can be recoated in four hours.
Eggshell Paint Finish
This makes it a great choice for cabinets in high-traffic areas like a kitchen or bathroom. The slight sheen helps to protect the surface from scratches and dings. This makes it more resistant to wear and tear. Another benefit of eggshell paint finish is that it is easy to clean.