BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Home Improvement What kind of paint to use for my room?

Hi, I was wondering if anyone knew what kind of paint is best for painting a whole room. There is gloss, semi-gloss, satin, and flat. this article says satin would be best, yet i still don't know what the difference is. Any suggestions?

It depends on what kind of room it is, and to some degree, the condition of the walls.

Usually i would choose a flat for the walls in most rooms, because it will hide flaws in the wall better than something shiny like a gloss or semi-gloss. In a bathroom though, you might want to do a satin or semi-gloss, and find a paint made for bathrooms, which can stand up better to moisture and retard mildew. Semi-gloss and gloss are great for doors and trim.

Hi Stella,

I agree - all those paint types can get confusing.

Unless you want your walls to scream SHINE, definitely stay away from semi-gloss and gloss paints.

Either a flat or satin paint is your best bet for walls. While flat is less likely to show any imperfections in your walls, the satin is much easier to clean. If your room will get a lot of people use - especially from kids, I would go for satin. I have 5 kids and have painted every room in my home for the past 20 years with satin paint and just love it. The sheen is very low -and, it's worth its weight in gold to me for the easy maintenance factor.

I always paint my ceilings with a flat paint. It has virtually no sheen and is low-traffic.

I only use semi-gloss on doors and trim.

So basically, when I'm painting a room I buy 3 types:

satin - walls
flat - ceiling
semi-gloss - doors & trim

Also, when you paint the room - do the ceiling first.

If you were going to paint bathroom or kitchen cabinetry you could use satin, semi-gloss or gloss - depending on how shiny you wanted it to look. Cabinets get a lot of fingerprints, so they definitely need a paint that is easy to wipe down.

Hope that helps!

Donna

I use satin paint the most, and I love it. You can scrub it, unlike flat. And you can cover it (if you repaint) easily. Doors and trim are probably better off if they are semi-gloss, but again you have to consider where you are painting. I think Donna knows her paint! But I use satin on the ceiling as well, I have a milky white that I use as my standard white so it works everywhere.

Not to change the subject, but does anyone know how to get that worn look when painting furniture?

Hi iwonder!

What kind of worn look do you mean? A faux finish like a crackle or wash or a sanded look or ?

I love painting furniture. What exactly are you painting? Care to share?