In the living room and dining room, opt for an eggshell or satin finish.
A satin finish delivers higher durability than an eggshell finish. It's scuff-resistant, making it a great choice for painting molding and walls in high-traffic areas such as living rooms, family rooms, dining rooms, kids' rooms, and entryways.
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.
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.
Find the Perfect Paint Finish
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.
Its balanced look makes it highly durable without being too reflective. If you were to ask an interior designer or painting professional, they'd likely tell you that satin is the glossiest sheen you should use on interior walls.
In the living room and dining room, opt for an eggshell or satin finish. It hides flaws and imperfections — especially on uneven walls — and makes the room look more high-end, which you definitely want when you're showing your house.
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!
Semi-gloss paint explained
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.
Flat paint works best in low-traffic areas, such as the master bedroom, a study, or a formal living room. “Be careful if you are someone like me who is constantly moving furniture around or has children with particularly grubby fingers—flat doesn't clean up quite as easily,” Henderson says.
Eggshell paint offers luster, rather than shine, making it a stellar option for your living room. To achieve a clean finish, eggshell and satin finishes are the standout choices. With just enough luster or shine, your paint colors will look crisp and fresh.
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.
Are Accent Walls Out of Style? With so many different design styles out there, you may wonder, are accent walls out of style? Accent walls are still in as long as they're done correctly. Avoid using a solid, bold color when designing an accent wall in your space.
When to Use Eggshell Paint. Eggshell is commonly used in living rooms and dining rooms, as it is durable and does not pick up dirt easily. If your walls have bumps or imperfections, an extra coat of eggshell can disguise them more easily than satin or high-gloss finishes.
What's the Difference Between Eggshell vs Satin? Eggshell and satin differ through the sheen of the finish that they offer. Eggshell has a lower duller sheen than satin and is close to a matt or flat finish that you find in a lot of emulsions. It is reminiscent of the shell of an egg — hence its name.
It all comes down to personal choice as to which is the best option for your project. As a guide, choose eggshell if you want a low sheen with a soft-touch finish. And for something with more luster, go for satin.
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.
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.
The more reflective or glossy the paint sheen, the more noticeable those imperfections will be. Conversely, flat or matte finishes absorb light, helping to hide bumps and bruises. So, paint with a flat finish is the most effective paint for hiding wall imperfections.
Tips for Choosing the Right Paint Sheen
The amount of gloss in your paint really comes down to what you're trying to accomplish with your paint. As a general rule, the higher the sheen, the more durable and easy to clean it will be. However, high sheens also show more imperfections.
Painting in a flat, matte or satin finishes will soak up light, while semi-gloss, high-gloss and lacquer finishes tend to reflect light, which make a darker room feel brighter and lighter, said Edith Gregson, partner at DJ Ireland Interior Architecture & Design, an interior design firm in Washington DC.
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.
Eggshell paint sheen works especially well for walls in bedrooms, living rooms, hallways, offices, and finished basements. It can even be used in higher traffic spaces such as kitchens and bathrooms or children's rooms, though satin is a more durable choice.