How do you choose the paint sheen for each room?
Sheen is how much light the paint reflects. Higher sheens show dents, patches and roller marks more, and they are usually easier to wipe, although how well a wall cleans also depends on the paint line. Most rooms land on flat for ceilings, matte or eggshell for bedrooms and living rooms, eggshell or satin where walls get touched and washed, and semi-gloss for trim and doors. Whatever you pick, it belongs in the written scope next to the color.
What are the sheens, from dullest to shiniest?
Flat or matte, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, gloss. The names are not standard across brands. One company's eggshell can look close to another company's satin, which is one reason the line and the product name matter as much as the word on the can.
What does sheen change on the wall?
Sheen changes two things. How the wall cleans: on a shinier finish a fingerprint usually wipes off without leaving a dull spot, though the paint line matters as much as the sheen. And what the wall shows: light skims across a glossy surface and picks out every patch, ridge and seam, while a flat finish hides them.
So the wall's condition matters as much as your taste. An older wall with a lot of patching usually looks better in a lower sheen. Smooth new drywall can carry more.
Eggshell or satin?
Eggshell has a soft, low glow and hides more of the wall. Satin is a step shinier, usually holds up better to wiping, and shows more of the surface underneath. Bedrooms and living rooms tend to look better in eggshell. Rooms where hands are on the walls all day lean toward satin.
Which sheen goes where?
- Ceilings: flat. It hides the small waves in drywall and doesn't throw glare.
- Bedrooms and living rooms: matte or eggshell.
- Kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, kids' rooms: eggshell or satin, in a product rated for washing, and for moisture in bathrooms.
- Trim and doors: semi-gloss, for the hard knocks and the wiping.
- Cabinets: usually semi-gloss or satin in a product made for cabinets.
Painting cabinets? Read what a kitchen cabinet painting process should include.
Why does the sheen need to be in writing?
Because the same color in two sheens doesn't look the same on the wall. If the estimate names only the color, the finish is whatever the painter had in mind, and you find out when it is on the wall. Touch-ups are the other reason. A patch in a different sheen shows up as a shiny or dull spot as soon as the light hits it. Before you sign, ask the painter four things: which brand, which line, which color, which sheen.
Your scope names the paint brand, line, color and sheen, so you know exactly what goes on the walls.
See the other lines a painting estimate should include.
Questions
Can I use one sheen for the whole house?
You can, but walls and trim usually do better in different sheens. Trim takes knocks and wiping that a matte finish handles poorly.
Is flat paint washable?
Some flat paints are sold as washable. Check the product's cleaning guidance rather than going by sheen alone.
Is the paint included in your price?
Yes. The paint is included in the price, and your written scope names the brand, line, color and sheen.
See the job together. Then put it in writing.
Massachusetts. MA HIC Registration #654835.