Paint Sheens Explained

Paint is such an amazing part of the design and really helps set the palette of any home or space that is being created. Its important to remember not to get too caught up in the selections when it comes to your walls as neutrals are typically best. Neutrals will allow you to bring colors in with other finishes like cabinets, flooring, tiles, etc and staying neutral will help when you are decorating and furnishing as that will be where you can really bring in color. Doing accent colors on feature rooms or walls is also a great idea to help define a space or specific area but don’t get too carried away. 

Sheen is the effect that the paint has as it pertains to how it appears, whether that's more glossy or flat or somewhere in between like an eggshell. You can use the same color paint and depending on the sheen, it will look completely different and impact the product and space that it is applied to in a unique way. It is VERY important to consider sheen when selecting a paint color. 

On our current home, we Used SW Alabaster on both the walls and millwork and doors. However, we used different sheens to create subtle contrast while keeping things streamlined. Walk into any home and you will likely see that the trim is a different color than the walls, but it does not have to be that way if you carefully select the right sheen.

Here are a few basic sheens, there are some in between but these will get you started:

• Semi gloss

• Gloss

• High gloss

• Flat

• Eggshell

Glossier will be shinier, flat will be more “dull”, eggshell is more of a flat look, just think of what an eggshell looks like and that will help you picture it. 

We used a low-sheen latex (flatter) on our walls, and used a semi gloss oil-based paint on the millwork and doors. While the color was the same, the sheens were different so it provided a very nice and seamless transition in aesthetic that was not too pronounced. There is nothing wrong with choosing multiple colors, but the point of this is to point out that you can achieve contrast through sheen.