Paint sheen can be an overlooked component of paints for homes and commercial properties. Paint sheen makes a major impact on the overall look and feel of the interior designs. Sheens for paint have various options… such as eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, gloss, and more! Picking the right paint sheen makes all the difference in the look and feel of a space. In this post, we'll go over the different paint sheen levels available, and when you might pick one over the other.
Introduction
Different sheens are chosen, along with paint colors, for different parts of a home or business. This could be trim, ceiling trim, mouldings, baseboard, walls, bulkheads and other architectural features of a building.
You can find various paint sheens available for different colors of paint.
Selecting the correct paint for your property is done through the utilization of paint draws, which are sample paints on pieces of paper. The paint draws can be compared with your interior design specification or general home design to ensure you are picking the right color and sheen!
Paint draws are a great way to showcase the difference between sheens.
Most commercial and multi-residential project necessitate submission of paint-draws for review from a consultant or interior designer. This way, paint sheens can be matched as best as possible, as different manufacturers, sheens, and colors can look different in different light, on different substrates, and with different application methods.
Flat or Matte Paint Sheen
This paint sheen is not going to reflect much light at all. Dark colors are often flat as they look best that way.
Flat or matte paint sheens are typical for walls and ceilings. This finish is ideal for hiding surface imperfections and is commonly used on walls and ceilings.
Photo Above: Matte or flat paints are great for darker colors.
Satin Paint Sheen
Can also be known as ‘pearl finish’ and is a durable finish for high-traffic areas, but used in lieu of semi-gloss where excess light reflection is not desired.
This is a pretty common paint finish for millwork, walls, and cabinets. A satin paint finish has slightly more reflective property than a flat/matte paint sheen.
Eggshell Paint Sheen
A very popular paint finish that has a soft polished look (like an eggshell!). Can reflect small quantities of light.
This is a pretty common paint finish for walls. Generally a safe choice and a good mix between durability and shiny aesthetic. Roughly right in the middle of paint sheen levels.
Semi-gloss Paint Sheen
Paint finish that is about second in terms of quality of shine, and has a generally reflective quality to it.
Common place paint finish for trim, baseboards, doors, millwork and can make items pop from surrounding colors.
If you are looking to brighten up a space, like a small bathroom, a semi-gloss can help to achieve that look and feel from reflection of light from light fixtures. Semi-gloss can be used with metallic style paints for a unique look to mimic metals or alloys. This sheen level is the most typical for baseboards for instance. The sheen provides a nice reflection of light which can highlight unique designs of various baseboards, and provide durability.
Photo Above: Wall trim makes for a common use-case for semi-gloss sheen paints.
High-gloss Paint Sheen
High gloss paint sheen is going to give the highest reflection of light and can even give metallic looks under right paint choice/considerations.
High-gloss paint can make for great accent paint on millwork, trims, and ceilings. Again high-gloss paint sheen is perfectly suited to mimic metallic surfaces and makes a great contrast with eggsheell, satin, or matte finishes.
Durability of Paint Sheens
Generally speaking flatter (less light reflection) paints, and eggshell paints are going to be less durable due to the nature of less additive(resin or other). So higher gloss paints with more additive(resin or other) can be more durable. But the uniform high gloss sheen of high gloss or semi gloss paints can show more imperfections.
This is generally why you might see higher gloss paint sheen levels for things like baseboard and cabinetry, where durability and resistance to stains or spills is warranted.
Flatter paint sheens are best for larger swathes of surfaces, like walls and ceilings, as they provide a more natural dissipation of light throughout a room.
Summary
Overall paint sheens and colors are a matter of personal preference! Don’t get stuck up on these overall descriptions. Get creative and have fun!
Some professional painter’s standards like MPI have other guidelines which might have to be followed for sheen. Or some codes, projects, or jurisdictions might necessitate specific requirements based on components being painted.
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