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​Selecting the Right Interior Paint for Your Home

Photo by Cindi B.Jones

Walking down the paint aisle at your local home improvement store can be an experience that is both exciting and overwhelming. With so many great colors to choose from, just choosing the right color for your space can feel like a big task. Then you have to consider details like the paint brand, line, and finish. Today we’ll look at how you sort through all those different paint lines to find the perfect option for your home’s interior.

Paint Finishes

The first decision you’ll need to make is what type of paint finish (or sheen) you want for your walls. Paint finish tells you how glossy your paint will be once it dries. Different brands use different terms to classify the finishes they offer, but the most common are:

  • Flat: A non-reflective appearance that helps hide surface imperfections.
  • Matte: A flat finish that is great for hiding surface imperfections, while its angular shine helps make walls smooth and washable.
  • Eggshell: Most commonly used sheen level in homes, durable, cleanable sheen level.
  • Satin: Slightly gloss, this finish offers the benefits of a richer look.
  • Semi-Gloss: This lustrous, durable finish is perfect for areas that get cleaned frequently.
  • High-Gloss: A durable finish with a highly reflective surface once dry.

How much scrubbing or exposure to moisture your walls will have typically dictates what type of finish you should use. Glossier finishes hold up better to lots of moisture or scrubbing, so a satin or semi-gloss finish is more appropriate for kitchens, bathrooms, children’s rooms, and hallways. Depending on the line of paint you use though, you may be able to use less glossy finishes, even flat ones, on rooms that usually require satin or semi-gloss paint.

Most paint brands make different lines of interior paint. While you may wonder if all paint isn’t pretty much the same, there are actually differences in their formulations. Mid- to high-grade paint lines are typically made with higher quality materials and come with additional benefits like stain-blocking technology, zero VOC’s, better coverage, and superior washability. No paint will offer every single one of these benefits though. You will need to choose which features are most important for how your room will be used. For example, if you’re painting a bathroom and want a finish with less shine, you should select a line like Benjamin Moore’s Aura Bath and Spa paint that offers all the benefits of a semi-gloss in a matte finish.

Hopefully, this makes the process of selecting a paint line and finish easier the next time you tackle an interior painting project. If you’re still feeling unsure about picking the right paint for your space or live in the central Connecticut area and want put your project in the hands of our professional paints, just give us a call.

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