Where to use different paints

FORGET about what colour you’re going to paint your walls for a moment.

Before we even get on to the fun stuff (if colour choices bring you joy, which for me they do), we need to discuss the best types of paint sheen for the different pockets of your home.

The paint sheen on your bedroom walls will be vastly different from that of your bathroom. The same goes for your living room and hallway.

So let’s jump right into getting you all clued up on the different types of sheen for your humble abode.

Matte paint

This is a great paint for low-traffic areas like your bedroom or living area (depending on how much traffic you have going through these rooms, of course).

Matte paint also feels muddier and colours can show up darker than they seem in the tin.

The upside: The best thing about matte paint is that it hides surface imperfections.

So if your wall is older and looking a little rough or uneven, matte paint is your friend.

The downside: Stains can be hard to remove from matte paint, so it’s a terrible choice for places like hallways or kids’ rooms, where scratches and stains are likely to occur (or crayons end up all over the walls, if your little one is artistically inclined).

Satin paint

Satin is the all-rounder of the paint world and it’ll work in most rooms that aren’t wet.

It has a bit of gloss to it, but nothing too over the top.

It’s my paint of choice when I work with my interior decorating clients because it ticks so many boxes.

The upside: It has more depth than matte paint does, so it works well in leaving a room feeling warm and inviting, even if the paint colour is on the cooler side.

The downside: You won’t hear me say a bad thing about satin paint. Sure, it isn’t as stain resistant as a gloss paint, but it is truly divine.

Gloss & semi-gloss paint

Gloss paint is like Charlize Theron in that new J’Adore commercial; cover it in water and it’ll still look amazing.

This is a great paint for any wet rooms like bathrooms, ensuites and laundries. High-traffic areas will benefit from gloss or semi-gloss paints too.

The upside: Gloss paint is so easy to clean and stains come off without much elbow grease.

It tends to bounce light around a room too and appears more reflective.

It’s great for use on doors and trims as well.

The downside: Like kids, drunk people and leggings… gloss paint never lies.

It will show up imperfections on your walls.

So if you have an older surface with chips, lumps and bumps, I’d steer clear of gloss.

Winning at paint choices

The moral of the story is that your home will benefit from a variety of paint sheens.

Now that you know the best ones for the different pockets of your home, the only decision left is colour.

— Chris Carroll, realestate.com.au