BRIGHT IDEAS: CHOOSING THE RIGHT INTERIOR PAINT SHEEN

Which interior paint sheen is ideal for my project?

This is a question we all ask ourselves when preparing for a painting project, and it's a question our customers ask us every week. The answer is simple: It depends!

In order to figure out what will work best, you first need to understand what a paint sheen is and what purpose it can serve beyond an innate aesthetic appeal. Let's start with some basic truths:

• A Paint "finish" and "sheen" are the same thing!
• Paint comes in a variety of sheens. You may already know this, but all of our paint products are available in more than one sheen.
• A paint's sheen refers to how much light its dried surface reflects. That reflectance is caused by resins which are ingredients in the paint which bind it together and provide structure and protection. The more effectively a paint's recipe causes its resins to settle on the coating's outer surface while it dries, the shinier the finished coating will be.
• The higher a paint's sheen is, the more durable it is. This is because a paint's resins are what provide its durability. The more its resins are able to encapsulate and protect its pigment molecules, the more washable and scuff-resistant the dried paint will be.
• The lower a paint's sheen is, the better it is at concealing imperfections across a smooth plane. This is especially important to keep in mind when painting large flat surfaces, like walls and ceilings. Ceilings, in fact, are almost always painted with the lowest sheens available--since they don't require the same wear and tear resistance as walls, trim, or cabinets.

What are the different sheens called?

Sheens have names. Here are the finishes our interior paints come in, with their names listed in order of reflectance from low to high:

• "Ultra Flat"
• "Flat"
• "Matte"
• "Eggshell"
• "Satin"
• "Semigloss"
• "Gloss"
• "High Gloss"

On one extreme, ultra flat paint looks and feels chalky--whereas high gloss paint appears glassy and is slick or squeaky to the touch.

Which sheens are best for which projects?

Now that we've got an idea of what a paint's sheen means, and what the different sheens are called, let's dive into what will work best on a given surface!

• Cabinets & Trim: Anything from satin to high gloss will perform best. You'll want to pick a durable product that's intended for cabinets and trim (like our ADVANCE® or INSL-X® Cabinet Coat), and if it's bare wood you'll need to seal it beforehand with a primer that will prevent the wood tannins from bleeding through.
• Walls: Most people stick to medium sheens like matte, eggshell, or satin. Use any of our interior house paints (like Benjamin Moore's Ben®, Regal Select®, or Aura®) on walls. They're exceptional products intended for exactly this kind of project. If you need something more durable, consider our COMMAND® or Scuff-X®. Lower sheens will be too hard to keep clean without rubbing the paint away, and extremely high sheens are often said to seem "too shiny". If you prefer a higher sheen, we suggest you consider applying orange peel texture before priming/painting, or sponging on a texture coat of paint at the end to help mottle the surface and conceal wall imperfections.
• Ceilings: The vast majority of painters choose something between ultra flat and matte paint for ceilings. Popcorn and orange peel textured ceilings are historically used for this reason as well--to hide imperfections. This is because any seams, tilts, or other non-uniform regions of the ceiling will stand out like a sore thumb with a higher-sheen paint. If you want a shiny ceiling it takes a lot of prep work to make it look good. The surface must first be smoothed and filled to an extreme level before it's primed and painted.

Although these suggestions are a good starting point, these are not hard and fast rules. We've seen some amazing high gloss wall/ceiling work, for example. These guidelines are simply the path of least resistance to success. It should be noted also that we've only suggested water-based products in this guide, since they're the most DIY-friendly. We do also carry oil and lacquer-based products, but these are usually best left to professionals for health & safety reasons, and also because they can be much more difficult to apply correctly.

Regardless of what you're hoping to achieve, we'll always be happy to provide as much help in this decision-making process as you desire. Nothing brightens our day like making sure that you leave our store excited and satisfied with the quality products and service you deserve. Call or stop by one of our stores to get started today!