Choosing color and finishes room-by-room

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Choosing a paint color is a major decision. To give you some guidance, Services Plus breaks down some of the most popular choices for each room. For more information, request an interior color consultation today.

You want to paint a room, but you don’t know which color to pick. It’s a common problem that many homeowners run into. After all, there are thousands of different possibilities out there. But paint choice is a very important decision, because color can affect the mood of a room and shape your décor possibilities. To get a better sense of your interior paint options and learn more about color theory, schedule an interior color consultation with Services Plus.

Bedroom

For the bedroom, most people decide to go for muted or neutral colors. Soft blues, greens and purples can help make the room feel calm, creating a restive environment that’s ideal for a good night sleep.

The bedroom should be your safe haven, so choose a color that feels relaxing to you.

Living Room

The living room is where everyone gathers, and it’s also the room where you’ll be spending most of your time. Neutral wall colors tend to be popular here, such as white, gray or beige. These shades help the space feel more light, airy and open. Neutral hues also allow you to add color and creativity with furniture and décor.

Kitchen

The kitchen is a great place to use warm colors, such as yellows, reds and browns. Bright tones can help energize the space, whereas subdued tones make it feel cozier. For a clean, modern look, consider an all-white kitchen with pops of vivid color to draw visual interest.

Bathroom

When it comes to color schemes, bathrooms are often the most flexible. Neutral walls pair well with more colorful tiles, floors and décor items, while a bold splash of color can let you showcase design flair without overwhelming other areas of the home. When it comes to a bathroom for the kids, bright hues are a great way to inject a little fun.

Find the Perfect Paint Color

Homeowners have many color options for interior painting projects, but it’s important to remember that your own preferences are the most important guide. Learning more about color theory during a consultation with a design expert is a great way to ensure results you’ll love for years to come.

DIFFERENT FINISHES:

Have you ever touched up the paint in your home only to find that the color looks completely different? Surprisingly enough, it may not be the color that is off. Paint also comes in a variety of finishes that give your walls a different look depending on the amount of sheen mixed into the paint. When choosing a paint finish, it’s important to consider the area/room you are painting.

If you thought choosing the color was difficult, choosing the right wall paint finish may be just as confusing. Here are a few simple tips to help you make the right choice for your home. Each finish offers a different level of reflectivity and durability.

Paint finish comes in four general categories:

Flat Finish — Also known as Matte Finish
Washable Flat
Eggshell Finish — Also known as Satin Finish or Low-Luster Finish
Gloss Finish

While these are the general terms that surround the varieties of paint finishes for homes, there are several degrees within each one, such as a Dead Flat Finish, Flat Enamel Finish, Pearl Finish, and High-Gloss Finish.

Flat/Matte Finish

If you are looking for a well-saturated wall that has rich results, you’ll want to go with a flat finish. Flat paint is the most forgiving finish with the best color payout. If you need to cover imperfections, patching or joints, flat paint can absorb light, making your dings and flaws less noticeable. Note that this kind of paint finish has no sheen to it. The drawback to a flat finish is the lack of durability. Flat paint needs to be cleaned carefully, as scrubbing may remove some of the paint. This can cause an uneven or patchy look on the wall. Best places to use flat paint: ceilings, low-traffic areas, and rooms that don’t require extensive cleaning.

Durability: medium to low

Washable Flat

Washable flats come only as Premium Flats, like Sherwin-Williams Cashmere Flat. In addition to offering all the great attributes of a flat paint, like hiding imperfections and having good color saturation and durability, a washable flat also allows for easy touchups, and is washable and burnish-resistant.

Best places to use Washable Flat paint: general living spaces.

Durability: medium to high

Eggshell/Satin Finish

Eggshell finish is one of the best home paint finishes to use in areas where you’re more likely to wash and scrub. Eggshell has a subtle sheen that gives your room a great coloring, but it is faint enough to still hide imperfections. This finish reflects light and has a low-angular sheen. It doesn’t have the chalky appearance of a flat paint or the sheen of a semi-gloss. Eggshell finishes appear truest to the color of the swatch when they’re applied to the wall. Eggshell has one other feature that makes it a favorite for homeowners, too: Its strength allows it to dry just a bit harder than other paints, which helps the paint protect itself from environments that have more moisture in the air. Eggshell finish is also resistant to mildew, stains and dirt, and is a good finish for washing walls.

Best places to use Eggshell paint: living areas, kitchen, entryway, mudrooms, laundry rooms, bathrooms, playrooms, kids’ rooms, and other high traffic areas.

Durability: medium to high

Semi-Gloss Finish

Semi-gloss finish has a higher sheen, typically 40-70% more than other types of paint finishes. Semi-gloss finish is known to reflect light and have a beautiful glow, without being too shiny. Most durable of the finishes, semi-gloss holds up well in humid environments and is extremely easy to clean.There’s a basic rule when it comes to paint finishes: The greater the shine, the more durable the paint will be. However, the higher the gloss, the more imperfections will show on your walls.

Best places to use Semi-Gloss paint: wood trim, kitchen cabinets and doors.

Durability: high

Room by Room: Choose the Best Finish for Your Most Important Areas

Knowing the differences between each of the major home paint finishes is just the first step, though. How do you make sure you’re choosing the right one for your home? There are many kinds of paint finishes, and each one provides distinct advantages and addresses a specific need.

Thankfully, it’s not a difficult task if you enter into it with an understanding of the basics:

For the kitchen: Because this room is highly trafficked and tends to get messy, you want to choose a decorative paint finish that also allows for easy cleanup. For this reason, choose a paint with a high gloss or semi-gloss finish.
For the dining room: For the classiest room in the house, you want a type of paint finish that will hide any imperfections that may be present in the drywall — and since this is a less-used room than some of the others, durability doesn’t have to be your number one priority. For this reason, an eggshell finish is probably your best bet for the dining room.
For the living room: Your living room sees a lot of, well, living! To accommodate the foot traffic and the loving ministrations of your young ones, consider a satin finish for your living room. It stands up to higher levels of abuse and is easier to clean than some of the other types of paint finishes.
For the bedroom: Although you likely think of your bedroom as your sanctuary, it’s probably not one of the most highly-trafficked areas of your house. As such, it won’t need a paint finish that’s quite so durable. You can consider colors available in flat or matte finishes, which saves you money on materials and provides some of the highest-pigment options you’ll find.

Naturally, matching your paint finish to the color is also important. If you’re targeting darker, richer colors for a particular room in your house, consider stepping down your paint finish to the next-lowest sheen. The colorant in paints adds sheen of its own, so take that into account. Higher-sheen paint finishes also run a bit higher, cost-wise, so consider this as you’re ironing out your budget.

To begin the first step of your home painting project, contact Services Plus today to schedule an in-home consultation and free estimate.