Paint Designer

The most durable and easiest to clean of all paint sheens, high-gloss paint is hard, ultra-shiny, and light-reflecting. Think appliance-paint.

High gloss is an excellent choice for an area that sticky fingers touch — cabinets, trim, and doors. High-gloss, however, is too much shine for interior walls. And like a Spandex dress, high gloss shows every bump and roll, so don’t skimp on prep work.

Practical application: kitchens, door, and window trim
Durability: very high

Suitable for rooms where moisture, drips, and grease stains challenge walls. Also great for trim work that takes a lot of abuse.

Practical application: kitchens, bathrooms, trim, chair rails
Durability: high

Has a yummy luster that, despite the name, is often described as velvety. It’s easy to clean, making it excellent for high-traffic areas. Its biggest flaw is it reveals application flaws, such as roller or brush strokes. Touch-ups later can be tricky.

Practical application: family rooms, foyers, hallways, kids’ bedrooms
Durability: high

Between satin and flat on the sheen (and durability) scale is eggshell, so named because it’s mostly a flat (no-shine) finish with little luster, like a chicken’s egg. Eggshell covers wall imperfections well and is an excellent finish for gathering spaces that don’t get a lot of bumps and scuffs.

Practical application: dining rooms, living rooms
Durability: medium

A friend to walls that have something to hide, flat/matte soaks up, rather than reflects, light. It has the most pigment and will provide the most coverage, which translates to time and money savings. However, it’s tough to clean without taking paint off with the grime.

Practical application: adults’ bedrooms and other interior rooms that won’t be roughed up by kids
Durability: medium-low