Woman's Wonderla

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 sheens 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.

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.

When you want to make your home a haven, making it your own is important. One great way to make it your own is with paint. So, choose some great paint colors for your home is a good place to start, but one of the basic considerations prior to the start of an impending paint project is to determine the ideal sheen, or gloss level for the paint job. Do not worry, this is not that hard to do. All you really need to do is thoughtfully review both the function and aesthetics of the space you are going to paint.

Ok, let's learn about sheen and gloss levels so you know how to choose them once you do evaluate function and aesthetics for the room or space. When it comes to sheen level, the higher the gloss level, the easier the surface is to keep clean. So, what does this mean to you when you are trying to choose a sheen level? Well, from a practical standpoint, any area that takes a lot of abuse. If you have an area with high traffic, or that requires frequent washing, a high gloss paint would be a good idea. The reason why is that these paints produce the toughest and most stain resistant finishes. It will make your life easier because you will be able to clean easier and less often.

Use high gloss in areas that are high traffic. This would be use high gloss paint in bathrooms, kitchens, hallways, and even in your children's rooms. Use high gloss colors to make your home beautiful and fun.

If you are a do it yourselfer and you have some imperfections in your walls or home, a dull paint sheen is a great solution. A dull paint sheen that will mask surface imperfections. Choose what is referred to as a flat paint, These paints are ideal for hiding imperfection because the non-reflective surface quality. You want to use these flat paints for low use areas, or any area you want to have look smoother and more uniform.

You can use flat paints to highlight the interiors of shelves, bookcases, columns, etc. A flat paint is a great way to add texture and depth to a space.

Sometimes you can use a high glass sheen and a flat paint sheen. A combination of two distinctively different paint sheens (i.e. flat partnered with high gloss) can also be utilized to produce dramatic effects within a designated interior space. If you aren't going to worry too much about functionality, and you want to think about aesthetics only, monochromatic sheen stripes, color blocks or other geometrical designs can be painted using one hue and two differing intensities or sheens. Basically, if an identical hue and two different sheens have been utilized within the same design, the end result produces an exciting customized pattern that uniquely personalizes a space. So, when choosing the right paint sheen for your home, think about things like your own personality, the use of your home, and what you like and don't like.

When you choose your paint sheen, no matter what the purpose, whether to hide something, or to enhance something, you want to consider both function and beauty so that you can choose the best paint sheen for the impending project.