5 Things To Know About Paint Finishes According to An Expert

Today we’ve been talking about how paint can make a big impact, for relatively little money and on any space. It’s one of the most visually impacting aspects of a home and can even go so far as making or breaking its design. With that in mind, besides color selection and combinations, knowing what finish works best for which room is key. We’ve asked the advice of Paintzen‘s Senior Director of B2C Sales and Certified Color Consultant, Meghan Stewart. Here are the top 5 things she says you should know about paint finishes:

1. Matte is a beautiful option but not appropriate for all spaces: Eggshell is a finish that allows you to easily wipe down and clean surfaces all while protecting the paint job from the dangers of humidity or moisture. Best used on kitchen and bathroom walls because of this reason, it’ll allow you to properly clean mold, grease, dirt and more! While historically there hasn’t been a matte finish that works for kitchen and bathrooms, certain paint brands are now coming out with matte paints that are specially made for kitchen and bathrooms.
2. The right paint finish and color can make a small room look larger: For smaller spaces, always go lighter and use an eggshell on the wall, because eggshell doesn’t absorb light, but rather light bounces off of it, so it’ll make the room look larger.
3. Be careful with using glossy or satin finishes on ceilings: A rule of thumb for ceilings is to always use flat finishes (with kitchen and bathrooms being the exception) because imperfections are highlighted on ceilings when light hits them. The higher the sheen, the more noticeable imperfections, waviness, or unevenness of the ceiling will be.
4. Limewash and Roman clay type paints will cost you extra: Although it provides a very high-end and unique look, any homeowner should know that using limewash and Roman clay type paint is a pricey and labor-intensive installation and, if you ever want it removed, that’ll also be an expensive process. Because you can’t simply paint over that, it’ll need to be completely sanded down and primed before regular paint can be installed on top.
5. Painting your whole home will give it a refresh: Every 5-7 years is when someone should repaint. It’s always a good idea to hire professional painters so you know that you’re receiving high quality and professional work. They are the experts and will be able to help you define your scope of work, paint colors and finishes and advise on how to best go about tricky or damaged areas! Additionally, they’ll handle the procurement of all of the paint you need and get the work completed for you in a timely and efficient manner.