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Selecting right sheen or gloss of a paint is important. High gloss paints, semi gloss paints and ideas to use flat or matte paint for homes to hide flaws, highlight architectural features, easy cleanup and stain resistance are given here.

Home Decor : Color Basics : Choosing Right Sheen For Your Paint

Choosing Right Sheen For Your Paint

The sheen or the gloss level of the paint you choose for your room décor has quite an impact on the look of your room. It can be determined according to the function of the room and the aesthetic sense. Let's discuss the type of seens available in the market, though their names and gloss level can vary with the manufacturer:

Paints with flat or matte finish have no shine and thus hide little imperfections in the wall. However, they are not so stain-resistant though today paints with matte finish and high stain resistance also available in the markets.
Eggshell paints or velvet-finish paints have very slight sheen or gloss level, are soft and impart a warm look to the room and are easier to clean too. They are preferable for most bedroom and living room décor themes.
Paints with satin or semi-gloss finish can be used to highlight architectural details and focal points of the home and also in kitchens and baths as they are easy to clean.
Very high gloss or sheen paint are quite reflective and should be normally reserved for doors and trims and to create special effects.

Here are some tips on how to choose the optimum sheen level of your paint:

Higher gloss or sheen level generally means easy cleaning of the room or area.
These paints are suitable for amateurs as they distract the viewer from any painting imperfections.
Rooms and areas that need to be washed and cleaned often such as bathrooms and kitchens and where people visit most can use high gloss paints.
High gloss paints also have most stain resistant finish and are toughest when it comes to wear and tear.
You can use high sheen paints to highlight the focal point or a bold color scheme of the room such as kids' room or fantasy room décor.
For kids, one can use bright high sheen primary colors to make different patterns that look interesting such as polka dots.
Flat paints or paints with low sheen or gloss level are for professionals as they make the surface appear smoother and more uniform and are non-reflective in nature.
Flat paints are generally used in newly constructed homes or in areas that are not so frequently used in the homes.
For a vintage home décor, flat paints can be used to paint a wall near the fireplace to highlight it while warm earthly hues look quite beautiful on pillars or columns in old homes.
For an interesting dramatic effect, one can also use combination of different paint sheens.
One can consider a monochromatic room décor in two different sheens for an interesting customized effect such as in stripes, blocks or other geometrical patterns.