Since kitchens are such a busy part of a home and often need extra cleaning, a satin or semi-gloss finish is the best options. Satin and eggshell finishes are commonly believed to be the same, but in fact, satin is a bit shinier. Satin finishes are easy to clean and good at standing up to mildew, stains and dirt.
On average, semi-gloss oil-based paint is the most durable finish for kitchen cabinets. Because of its sheen, semi-gloss paint can reflect light and remain durable for a long time.
While there are many types of paint to choose from, the best paint for kitchen cabinets is typically semi-gloss, gloss or satin. Matte is not practical in kitchens and baths where you will need durable paint you can easily clean.
Since glossy finishes are the quickest to show scratches and stains, matte finishes are ideal for those who want to hide their furniture's imperfections. On the other hand, cabinets with a matte finish absorb light instead of reflecting it. As a result, this finish will not help your space feel bigger.
The best paint for kitchen walls and ceilings, if you wanted to select only one sheen level for all the paint, is eggshell, with satin coming in second. Satin, while a little more durable than eggshell, shows more flaws on the painted wall or ceiling.
They wipe up quickly and easily, which can make them attractive for some busy kitchens. Satin and eggshell - Both have a very slight shine and they hold up well to cleaning. Matte/flat - Reflects little light, making it great for covering up imperfections on the surface.
Although both matte and eggshell paints are durable, eggshell finishes tend to be the more durable of the two.
The amount of light reflected, imperfections shown, and durability. The less light reflected, the less durable the finish; however, fewer imperfections are shown. Matte will reflect little to no light, satin retains a pearl-like sheen, whereas semi-gloss and gloss finishes reflect the most light.
This ultra sleek finish is trending now and most households are opting for matte finish for their kitchen cabinets. They do not reflect any light and are perfect for traditional-style kitchens. Designers consider matte cabinets to be chic and a good choice for people who are looking for a stark change.
Satin is the best finish for painting kitchen cabinets if you want to play with color but you want to keep a sense of elegance and liveliness to the space.
While satin finishes tend to be fairly durable in high traffic areas, they're not as durable and versatile as semi-gloss against mildew and mold. Kitchen cabinets in high moisture environments can, therefore, do better with semi-gloss paints.
Cabinet paints are applied to cabinetry products when the desired look is an opaque-colored finish. A painted cabinet finish on tighter grained types of wood like Maple will result in a smooth finish. On coarse-grained wood like oak, the grain texture will be partially visible under the finish.
Lacquer offers a superior clear coat shine, water-resistant, breathable and chip resistant type of finish which is a best choice for kitchen cabinetry. One big advantage of using lacquer paint on kitchen cabinets is that it is very fast drying and this makes it easy to apply a second coat.
Many professionals now use latex paint, citing the improvements to the formula and the as-good-as finish they can get on most surfaces. We actually prefer a third type of paint for cabinets, the hybrid enamel.
A polyurethane varnish finish can cut down on the wear and tear of kitchen cabinets, help keep them looking new and extend the life of the cabinets. Polyurethane works best on unfinished wood but can also be painted directly onto painted surfaces.
Gloss has a higher sheen, also sometimes called lustre, than satin which means that it has a higher reflective level, commonly twice as high as satin. While neither hides imperfections, a gloss surface reflects more light which means it will highlight flaws more than a satin finish.
Satin finishes are a bit glossier than matte. This kind of finish is durable and easy for cleaning, making it applicable to various home areas. Besides the interior walls and ceilings, the satin finish can also be used outside due to its more resilient nature.
Satin and flat are types of finishes that the final layer of paint will show. Satin is more glossy-looking paint, while the flat is a matte coat with no shine. When you choose a color from the paint store, the clerk or attendant will add the color pigment and a gloss medium.
You can't really go wrong with eggshell finish on your walls. Sometimes called satin finish, eggshell has slightly more luster than a flat finish, but you won't be left with shiny walls. It also resists stains better than flat and can be wiped with a wet rag.
Flat paint costs significantly less than eggshell, satin, or semi-gloss. If I were building a new home, I would want eggshell painted on my walls. Eggshell is wipeable, and is also stronger on the walls than a flat paint.
High Gloss
The most durable and easiest to clean of all paint sheens, high-gloss paint is hard, ultra-shiny, and light-reflecting. Think appliance-paint tough. High gloss is a good choice for area that sticky fingers touch -- cabinets, trim, and doors. High-gloss, however, is too much shine for interior walls.
As already mentioned, lacquer is the toughest of the two, though both leave hard, durable surfaces. Generally, the most common reason for favouring lacquer is simply that it wears better. Varnish can look very beautiful when applied correctly, but it doesn't have the same longevity.
Despite being available in variances, polyurethane is more durable. It is thick and leaves a strong coating. Lacquer is thin and penetrates the wood surface. It is also durable but susceptible to scratches and discoloration after some time.
If you want something that is going to be durable and provide you with more style options, polyurethane is probably the way to go. This finish is essentially just a form of liquefied plastic until it dries on your furniture, floor, or other high wear areas like tabletops, banisters, and cabinets.