Hey everyone! Today we're going to talk about paint sheen.
once you decide on your paint color your decision-making process is not over much
like choosing a grout color after your tile selection you have one more choice
after you've selected your paint color in fact I guarantee your painter or
paint mixer will ask you what kind of finish do you want for your paint in
other words paint comes in a variety of levels of shine most manufacturers offer
at least four different levels of shine from matte or flat paint which has no
shine all the way through to a high gloss finish which usually has a lot of
shine the key thing to remember is this matte finishes will absorb light and
high gloss finishes will reflect light the more Sheen the more durable and
wipeable the paint is so let's review what sheen to use and where here I have
Benjamin Moore's sheen chart Sheen levels apply to both interior paint as
well as exterior paint and they work the same way let's focus on the interior
paint category starting with the very top which is called flat this finish has
no shame whatsoever and is difficult to clean because of it a little bit of dust
or dirt or oil on your hands will mark it up it will also absorb the most light
in most cases flat ceiling paint is the only place I would recommend using this
Sheen level as a close second option the next level on the chart is the matte
finish I love using matte finishes on walls especially for older homes where
the wall surfaces may have some imperfections the matte finishes will
hide those imperfections it's important to note that matte finishes are still
difficult to wipe down and clean so if you've got little kids with sticky
fingers if they hold on to the wall as they walk up the stairs for instance or
pets that like to shake their fur when they come in from the rain Oscar you
know who I'm talking about you may want to level up the sheen so you can easily
wipe these areas down on a side note Benjamin Moore now has a washable matte
finish it's worth the extra cost just saying
next up on the sheen chart is eggshell it's my go-to usually for all the
reasons Matt should not be used the sheen is ever so slight but now we head
into the categories where light starts to reflect off the paint satin Sheen or
in some cases it's called pearl definitely has a more visible shine to
it I love using satin finishes on wood finishes like kitchen cabinetry built-in
cabinetry paneled walls and even architectural details like trim
baseboards and interior doors I love the contrast of having a matte finish on the
walls and a slightly shinier finish on the trim especially if it's a more
modern setting it makes things like cabinetry and doors easier to wipe clean
too and now we get into the glossy er side of things semi-gloss is my go-to
when I have very detailed architectural moldings with intricate profiles that I
want to highlight the lighting in the room will reflect off these various
profiles and really showcase the moldings I also love it on bathroom
vanities for a little extra cleanability and a little extra sparkle and finally
we come to high gloss in this case Benjamin Moore's high gloss finish is
both an interior paint as well as an exterior paint and there's no better
place to use a high-gloss finish than on your home's front door because it's open
to the elements the high-gloss finish will be much more durable and that extra
shine will help make your entrance the main focal point of your home I love a
high-gloss black paneled front door it's classic one other thing to note the
sheen level will change the color of your paint slightly this can be seen
here in the fan deck so these first few pages here have all the different Sheen
levels for three different colors and the colors are the exact same color all
the way through except that the Sheen level changes so you can see that
there's a difference between the matte finish of this paint color versus the
high-gloss finish of this color the two blacks are the exact same color the two
Gray's are the exact same color and the two whites are exactly the same but the
Sheen level will change the way you see that color so just something
keep in mind so here's your takeaway the basic rule of thumb for choosing paint
chain is the higher the Sheen the higher the shine and the more durable and
wipeable the surface becomes choosing the right Sheen will depend on the type
of surface and how you want light to reflect off that surface look for ways
to mix various Sheen levels to enhance or minimize details in your home thanks
for watching this interior design tip I'll have lots more design tips coming
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you don't miss the next video if you have any other questions about paint or
paint sheen leave them in the comments below and if you found this video
helpful please hit that like button thanks again for watching and happy
painting everyone