Boring paint question-Do you use satin, eggshell or flat

[eddy]

So we put up a sample of SW sea salt. I love the color. But it is too shiny. We picked out satin, which is normally what we always use. The people before us must have used eggshell. I am thinking we might go down to a flatter paint. But it is harder to clean blah blah.

What do you normally default too and why? This is for our living room and bedroom.

I told you this question was boring!

[FastHands]

Our whole house is in satin and I like it. Although, I will say that I live in a humid climate, and my freaking paint never dried (5y later!) -- if you rest anything against a wall, even a piece of poster card stock, for more than like an hour, it fuses with the paint and pulls the paint off when you move it. Idk if that is the paint, the technique, or what, but it's maddening.

[Deleted]

I use flat. People say its hard to clean but I've never, ever had an issue with that in 6 years. I have always used Valspar paint and it's a great product.

I think the flat finish makes the walls sort of recede? I dunno.

[sangria]

Our whole house is eggshell

[jane6672]

I do satin in the kitchen, because I want to be able to wipe things down.

Otherwise, eggshell.

[purrbox]

Eggshell. I have an easier time getting marks out with my magic eraser with eggshell than I do with flat paint.

[TrickyBob]

Sept 30, 2013 7:43:25 GMT -5 FastHands said:

Our whole house is in satin and I like it. Although, I will say that I live in a humid climate, and my freaking paint never dried (5y later!) -- if you rest anything against a wall, even a piece of poster card stock, for more than like an hour, it fuses with the paint and pulls the paint off when you move it. Idk if that is the paint, the technique, or what, but it's maddening.

I'm betting you have oil based paint under your current paint. Non-oil based paints don't stick to oil based and though you can paint over oil based, there is a good chance it is just going to peel right off your wall. Usually it bubbles and starts coming off. 

[eddy]

Awesome this is helpful.

Satin be gone!

[lightbulbsun]

All of my walls are flat or eggshell. I use satin or semigloss for trim.

[candreco]

Flat in living spaces, eggshell in kitchens/baths, semi-gloss for trim.

[papie]

Eggshell. I prefer the look of flat but it leaves shiny spots when you clean it.

[FastHands]

Sept 30, 2013 7:45:52 GMT -5 TrickyBob said:

Sept 30, 2013 7:43:25 GMT -5 FastHands said:

Our whole house is in satin and I like it. Although, I will say that I live in a humid climate, and my freaking paint never dried (5y later!) -- if you rest anything against a wall, even a piece of poster card stock, for more than like an hour, it fuses with the paint and pulls the paint off when you move it. Idk if that is the paint, the technique, or what, but it's maddening.

I'm betting you have oil based paint under your current paint. Non-oil based paints don't stick to oil based and though you can paint over oil based, there is a good chance it is just going to peel right off your wall. Usually it bubbles and starts coming off. 

It's possible, but we used the primer/paint they told us to use when you don't know what's underneath. Maybe it's not that simple though. Luckily the paint is spotless other than little marks where something rested against it.

[dirtyred]

Sept 30, 2013 7:45:34 GMT -5 jane6672 said:

I do satin in the kitchen, because I want to be able to wipe things down.

Otherwise, eggshell.

Ditto.

[atarianna]

I cannot stand flat paint. It scuffs so easily and you can't clean it at all. I do eggshell everywhere and satin in bathrooms with excessive moisture.

[rex]

Eggshell.

[auntie]

Matte or eggshell in bedrooms and baths.

Trim is satin and semi gloss.

[Deleted]

i like my paint shiny. even on imperfect walls. i think we usually use eggshell. maybe a semi-gloss in the kitchen and bathrooms? i think it wears better and i like that it reflects light and stuff.

[adlove]

We have SW Sea Salt in the living room in flat. I love love the look of the flat but it really does scuff so easily. The upside is that flat is super easy to touch up. In the nursery I wanted the look of flat but with durability and went with eggshell. I wiped a poop explosion off the wall the first week our baby was home so I'd say eggshell is the best of both worlds.

[eddy]

Sept 30, 2013 8:48:25 GMT -5 adlove said:

We have SW Sea Salt in the living room in flat. I love love the look of the flat but it really does scuff so easily. The upside is that flat is super easy to touch up. In the nursery I wanted the look of flat but with durability and went with eggshell. I wiped a poop explosion off the wall the first week our baby was home so I'd say eggshell is the best of both worlds.

What do you love about the look in flat? Sea Salt is such a pretty color because it can reflect in so many hues, blue, green gray. I am interested if you noticed a difference between the eggshell and flat as far as color.

It came off too icy blue looking in the satin.

[janegold]

I like eggshell. I accidentally bought flat once for some furniture I painted and it has been nothing but a headache.

[LLL]

eggshell

[nomad100]

Walls: Flat enamel for everywhere but baths and kitchen. For those rooms, we use satin since it is easier to clean.
Trim: Semi-gloss.

[adlove]

Sept 30, 2013 8:52:39 GMT -5 eddy said:

Sept 30, 2013 8:48:25 GMT -5 adlove said:

What do you love about the look in flat? Sea Salt is such a pretty color because it can reflect in so many hues, blue, green gray. I am interested if you noticed a difference between the eggshell and flat as far as color.

It came off too icy blue looking in the satin.

I think the matte just looks rich. I still get a variation of colors in my house (that color is used in several spots) and I think maybe not having a glare of light reflecting off makes the color look more saturated. I'm no expert lol so that's just how I feel it looks in our home. Great color choice though!

[Deleted]

Ours is all semi gloss. It's shiny but not too shiny. It reflects light really well and works for us. We have no children so we don't worry about hand prints.