Interior Paint Finish Types: A Step by Step Guide to Painting Your Walls, Ceiling, Kitchen, and Bathroom

For those of you who are reading this article about how to select the right paint finish, I welcome you! You are among a rare group of people who think interior painting is an art.

“Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” ~ Winston Churchill

This step by step guide will help you in choosing the right interior paint finish types and will give you a clear idea about which paint to high gloss finishuse for bathroom, ceiling, kitchen, or bedroom walls.

Flat and Matt Finishes are Excellent for Ceilings:

People who love to decorate their ceiling with a little unique paint should choose a flat paint finish. Flat finish is great for ceilings. In reality, most ceilings are not exactly straight or smooth and paint can cause streaking, which is easily noticeable on ceilings. For those who don’t have a truly flat ceiling you can add a little bit of sheen to the paint, which gives brilliant results. Another important thing is to use an easily washable finish on the ceilings; eggshell or matt finish work the best for ceilings that require regular cleaning.

Eggshell and Satin Finishes are the Best for Woodwork:

Eggshell finish is mostly used for interior walls, kitchens, and bathrooms. Since it has an angular sheen level, you can get a good washable surface. Satin finish is great for using on woodwork like trim, windows, and doors. Semi gloss paints can also be used in bathrooms, kitchens, hallways, and woodwork. But the use of semi gloss paint finish as interior paint finish is slightly outdated nowadays.

Painting Front Rooms or Entryways:

High gloss finish is ideal for front entryways. Your home will look fancy if you have large white front entryways with well painted side windows all encased with eggshell sheen, for example. Most of the time, front rooms off of entryways look better if you use alkyd or oil based formulas.

This is all about how to select the right paint finish. You can follow these rules while choosing the right interior paint finish type for your project. For outside painting, you could benefit from using a low luster finish.

An important warning: the sheen level provided by the manufacturers and even the lines from the same manufacturer may differ. You may need to be careful while choosing the right paint finish types.  It is recommended that you paint a small sample area on one wall to test the color and sheen before painting the entire room.