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Paint Sheen Guide: Flat, Matte, Eggshell, Satin and Semi-Gloss, Which Room, Which Surface, and What Each One Does to a Level 4 Wall
Drywall, Taping & Painting
Paint Sheen: Flat to Semi-Gloss, Where Each Goes, and the Rule That Ties the Shine of the Paint to the Level of the Drywall Under It
Sheen is how much light the dried paint reflects, and it is the single most common thing a homeowner picks wrong, because the showroom chip is 2 in. square and a wall is 100 sq ft of raking light. The rule is simple: the shinier the paint, the more it shows the surface under it. Flat hides a Level 4 wall; semi-gloss shows every joint on anything short of Level 5. Shine is also washability, which is why people want it in the kitchen and the hall. Here is each sheen, where it goes, and what it does to the drywall.
The sheens
| Sheen | Light reflected | Hides the wall | Washable | Touch-up | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flat | Almost none | Best. Hides joints, roller marks, old patches. | Poorly in cheap lines; marks burnish shiny. | Best | Ceilings, always. Low-traffic walls, formal rooms, older walls with history. |
| Matte | A little | Very good | Good in mid and premium lines; the washable flat. | Very good | Most walls in a house that is lived in. My default. |
| Eggshell | Low, like a shell | Good on Level 4; joints start to show under sidelight. | Good | Fair; touch-ups can show at an angle. | Bedrooms, living rooms, halls. The commonest wall sheen in Ontario. |
| Satin / pearl | Medium | Shows texture and joints on Level 4. Wants Level 5. | Very good | Poor; repaint corner to corner. | Kitchens and bathrooms if the drywall is up to it; kids’ rooms; trim in a softer look. |
| Semi-gloss | High | Shows everything. Level 5 only, and even then. | Excellent | Poor | Trim, doors, cabinets. Not walls, with rare exceptions. |
| Gloss | Mirror | Shows the brush strokes. | Excellent | No | Furniture, a lacquered front door, a designer’s accent. Not a wall. |
The sheen-and-level rule
The Gypsum Association finish-level standard says the level of finish should be chosen with the paint sheen and the lighting in mind, and the practical version is this: flat and matte are fine on Level 4; eggshell is fine on Level 4 away from big windows; satin and up want Level 5. If you have already got Level 4 walls and you want washable, buy a premium matte, which washes as well as a cheap satin and hides like flat. If you have your heart set on satin in the great room, tell the taper before he starts and pay for the skim coat. Level 4 vs 5.
The house I build: flat ceiling paint; premium matte on every wall; satin on bathroom walls, which are Level 5 anyway; semi-gloss enamel on trim and doors. One wall colour, one trim colour, and the whole thing touches up for a decade.
Where homeowners go wrong
- Semi-gloss on hall walls “so they wipe”. They wipe, and they show every joint, screw and roller mark. Premium matte or eggshell wipes too.
- Eggshell on a ceiling. The fixture lights it from the side and the whole ceiling shows its roller pattern. Flat.
- Two sheens of the same colour on adjoining walls. They read as two colours. Match sheen across a room.
- Touching up satin. It flashes. Satin and semi-gloss walls get repainted corner to corner or left alone.
- Choosing from the chip. Paint a 2-ft square on the actual wall and look at it at 4 p.m. and at night. Sheen changes the colour and the colour changes with the light.
Questions people ask
What is the best paint sheen for walls?
Matte in a mid or premium line: hides the wall like flat, washes like eggshell. Eggshell if the line’s matte is not washable. Satin only on Level 5 walls or in bathrooms.
What sheen for bathrooms and kitchens?
Satin or a premium matte that is rated for scrubbing; both handle moisture and wiping. If the bathroom walls are ordinary Level 4, matte. The fan matters more than the sheen for mildew.
Should ceilings be flat or eggshell?
Flat, always. A ceiling is lit from the side by every fixture and every window; any sheen shows the joints and the roller pattern.
Does sheen affect the colour?
Yes. The same tint looks darker and richer in a higher sheen and lighter and chalkier in flat. Sample in the sheen you will use.
Specify it on the quote
The scope the painting calculator writes names the sheen by surface, and the finish levels page covers the drywall side of the same decision.
Sources and further reading
- Benjamin Moore Canada: product data sheets for the primers and paints named on these pages: coverage per gallon, recoat times and the right primer for new drywall.
- Gypsum Association GA-214, Levels of Finish: the standard every “Level 4” and “Level 5” on a quote is supposed to mean. Free summary on the Gypsum Association site.
