You choose the colour carefully. You test the sample pot, live with it for a week and finally decide. Then the walls go up, the afternoon sun hits them, and the shade you picked looks like a different colour. Quite often the culprit is the finish. Two tins of the identical colour can look completely different, one soft and velvety, the other shiny and hard, so paint finishes for walls deserve as much thought as the shade itself.
Part of the interior design Chelmsford guides by Rachel Buscall Interiors. See all interior design guides.
What follows is general guidance. Always read the manufacturer's advice on the product you buy, because each range behaves a little differently.
What a Paint Finish Actually Changes
Sheen is simply how much light bounces off the surface. A flat or matt finish scatters light, so the wall looks soft and deep. A shinier finish reflects more light back at you, so the colour looks brighter and the surface looks harder.
That has two consequences. Shinier paint shows every bump, patch and roller mark, because light catches on the unevenness. Matt paint forgives them. And shinier paint is generally easier to wipe, while matt tends to mark more readily and can burnish if rubbed too hard. Almost every choice you make comes down to balancing those two things: how forgiving the wall needs to be, and how much wear it will take.
Matt and Flat Matt: The Soft, Forgiving Choice
Matt is the finish of calm rooms. It gives the richest, most velvety colour, absorbs glare and hides the small flaws in older plaster, which makes it a natural choice for living rooms, bedrooms and dining rooms. Deep colours look especially luxurious in a good matt, because there is no shine to break them up.
It is also the usual choice for ceilings, where you want the surface to disappear. The trade-off is durability. Matt walls in busy areas can scuff and show fingermarks, so think twice before using them beside light switches, along a busy hallway or in a child's room. Many ranges now offer a more washable matt, which is worth asking about. If you are still deciding on shade, my guide to choosing a colour scheme for your home comes first.
Eggshell and Satin: The Working Middle
Eggshell has a gentle, low sheen, like the surface of its namesake. Satin sits just above it with a little more glow. Both are the workhorses of the house. They stand up to cleaning far better than matt, and the sheen is subtle enough to look refined.
They suit kitchens, bathrooms, boot rooms, hallways, stairs and children's rooms, wherever walls get touched, splashed or scrubbed. In a bathroom, a mid-sheen finish copes better with steam and condensation, and it wipes clean more easily. My guide on how to design a luxury bathroom covers the wider room. The same finish is a popular choice for skirting boards, doors and panelling, as it holds up to knocks and gives a crisp line without looking too glossy.
One caution. Because these finishes reflect more light, they need decent preparation. Fill and sand the wall well, and expect any lumps to show.
Gloss: Use It on Purpose
High gloss is the most dramatic finish and the least forgiving. It is hardwearing and very easy to clean, and on woodwork, doors, window frames and furniture it can look sharp and classic. A glossy front door or a lacquered wall in a small cloakroom or dining room can be striking, if the surface underneath is perfect.
On large walls, gloss is a brave choice. It will reflect every lamp, window and imperfection, and the effect can be hard to live with in a big room. If you love the idea, I'd suggest trying it on a smaller area first, such as a panelled section, a single door or the inside of a bookcase.
Older homes deserve a particular mention. Walls in period properties are rarely perfectly flat, and a finish with any real shine will exaggerate every ripple in the plaster. A good matt or a very low sheen keeps those walls looking soft and characterful, which is usually what you want. Save the shinier finishes for the woodwork, where the surface is smoother and the wear is heavier.
Preparation matters just as much as the tin. Even the best finish will look poor over a dusty, patched or unsanded wall, so budget time for filling, sanding and priming before the topcoat goes on.
Paint Finishes for Walls: A Quick Room Guide
As a starting point, rather than a rule, this is how I would approach most homes:
- Living rooms and bedrooms: matt or flat matt on walls, for a calm, rich look.
- Hallways, stairs and landings: a washable matt, or eggshell, for busy walls that get brushed past.
- Kitchens and bathrooms: eggshell or satin, for easier cleaning in damp or splash-prone areas.
- Children's rooms and utility spaces: eggshell or a washable matt.
- Ceilings: matt, to keep the eye on the room below.
- Woodwork, doors and panelling: eggshell, satin or gloss, depending on how traditional or crisp you want the finish.
Test the Finish in Your Own Light
Sheen and light are in constant conversation. A finish that looks velvety in a shop can turn flat and chalky in a north-facing room, and a mid-sheen can glare in a room full of sun. Paint a large sample board, or a generous patch on the wall, in the actual finish you plan to use, and look at it in the morning, the afternoon and by lamplight. My article on how to layer lighting in a luxury home shows how artificial light changes what you see after dark.
The best schemes use more than one finish. Matt walls with eggshell woodwork is the classic pairing, because the subtle contrast adds definition without a single extra colour. If you would like a hand pulling colour, finish and light together, you can talk through my walls with Rachel before the first tin is opened.
Rachel Buscall Interiors
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