Stop guessing. Get a clear, room-by-room plan for your next painting project. No account needed. Everything runs in your browser.
Select a room, choose a finish, and add it to your plan. You can add as many rooms as you need.
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Here is a quick look at each finish type and where it works best.
Hides wall imperfections well. Hard to clean. Best for low-traffic areas and ceilings.
Soft, low-luster look. Washes better than flat. A solid all-purpose choice for most rooms.
Slight pearl-like sheen. Easy to clean. Works well in rooms that get regular use.
Shiny and tough. Wipes clean easily. The go-to for trim, doors, and wet areas.
Very reflective and hard-wearing. Shows every wall flaw. Best for accents and trim only.
Kitchens and bathrooms deal with moisture and grease. Hallways and kids' rooms take bumps and scuffs. Living rooms and bedrooms are gentler. Match the finish to what the room actually goes through.
Higher sheen means easier cleaning but also more visible wall flaws. If your walls have patches or texture, stay at eggshell or below. Save the shinier finishes for trim and doors where the surface is usually smoother.
Most professional painters use two or three finishes in a single room. Walls might be eggshell while trim and doors are semi-gloss. This gives you the best of both worlds. A clean look on the trim and a forgiving finish on the walls.
Always test your finish on a sample board or a small wall section. Sheen can look different under your actual lighting. What looks soft in the store might look shiny in your hallway. A two-foot square test patch saves a whole-room mistake.
Flat or matte is the standard for ceilings. They do not get touched or cleaned often, and flat paint hides the small imperfections that are common on ceilings. Some people use a flat white ceiling paint with a slight tint to soften the room.
If you are painting over a glossy surface, you need to sand it or use a deglosser first. Paint does not stick well to shiny surfaces without prep work. Skipping this step is one of the top reasons new paint peels or chips within months.