Sheen is the measurement of the amount of light reflected from a painted surface. It’s the gloss or shine of the paint finish or lack of it. The higher the sheen the more reflective reflective the surface will be. It may seem like picking a sheen is a minor consideration, but from a design perspective it can be as important as the colour. Sheens influence how a space looks and feels. Paint sheens also play a role in the functionality of paint in terms of how it resists to wear and tear and how easy it is to clean.
Are All Paint Manufacturer Paint Sheens The Same?
No, so choosing a sheen can be confusing because you can’t assume that an eggshell paint will be the same across the board through all manufacturers. What one company chooses to call eggshell, another company may deem as satin. To make matters more confusing, some manufacturers use names for their paints that are different than the common industry standards. Instead of semi-gloss they may use low gloss.
Talk to the salesperson at a paint store about the characteristics of their particular paint sheens or ask your painter who will be familiar with the sheen level of the products they use.
If you’re more confused than ever about paint sheens, don’t worry we’ll dive into deeper detail.
Types Of Paint Sheens
Most paint sheens are available for interior or exterior use. Here are some of the options in order of the paint starting with no sheen and ending with the highest sheen paint called gloss.
- flat, may be called ultra flat
- matte, may be called velvet or ulti-matte
- eggshell, may be called low sheen
- satin, may be called pearl, silk or low luster
- semi gloss, may be called soft gloss
- Gloss, may be called high gloss
Flat And Matte Paint Sheens
A true flat paint has no visible sheen and therefore no reflection. It can help conceal minor surface imperfections. This is why flat is commonly used for ceilings. The drywall on ceilings tends to be less than perfect and you don’t want lights reflecting off of every flaw. Some companies have a paint they call flat, but it’s has some sheen so it’s not a true flat. Painters will often seek out what’s deemed as a “dead flat” paint for ceiling application.
Matte paints have a bit of sheen, but less than eggshell. The lower reflection is helpful in concealing minor imperfections so it can be a good choice for older walls that are not in good shape or walls with drywall issues.
Matte walls are a popular choice of interior decorators. The sheen doesn’t absorb or reflect too much light so what you see is a truer representation of the colour. It has a velvety looking finish which is especially noticeable in deeper colours.
Improved technology has created more durable flat and matte paints, with some of them being deemed as washable. However, you may still notice burnish marks after washing, especially when viewing from an angle. These sheens are not the best choice for areas with high traffic or abuse. Their more porous nature (more so in flat paints) can make it difficult to remove stains and they don’t hold up as well to abrasion as a quality eggshell paint. A benefit to flat and matte sheen paints is that they are more forgiving when trying to do touch ups.
Eggshell Or Low Luster Paint Sheens
Eggshell or low lustre is a step up in sheen compared to matte, but lower than satin or pearl. It may not look that different from a matte sheen when viewed straight on, but even from a slight angle you can see that it has more sheen.
An eggshell sheen is the most commonly used and versatile paint for interior walls because it offers a balance between aesthetics and practicality. Technology advancements have created high-quality eggshell paints that can be very durable.
Satin Or Pearl Paint Sheens
As satin and pearl sheens have been introduced to the market with increased durability they become the norm of the home decorating trend for doors and trim work. It’s a softer sheen than the typical semi-gloss that used to be used. It still has enough sheen to highlight architectural details and give them some sheen contrast between eggshell or matte finish walls. Satin and pearl can be used on walls, but it will enhance any drywall issues, irregularities or flaws.
Low gloss is a sheen some paint manufacturers offer. It has a sheen slightly higher than pearl or satin and slightly lower than semi-gloss paint. It’s another option that is suitable for trim work and doors.
Semi-gloss Paint Sheen
Semi-gloss paint has a lot more sheen than eggshell and is a step up in sheen from pearl or satin. It has a fair bit of reflection, but has good resistant to dirt and scuff marks and is easy to clean. It used to be the popular choice for trim work and doors but has dwindled in popularity in favour of satin and pearl finishes.
Kitchens and bathrooms were commonly painted with semi-gloss because it was the best finish for washing off food stains and could withstand the humidity in bathrooms. There are now plenty of high-quality lower sheens paints that can be used in these spaces. Semi-gloss is still be the best solution in high-grease areas like commercial kitchens or where trim work receives a lot of abuse.
High-gloss Paint Sheen
High gloss is the highest sheen of all the paints. It’s extremely shiny and highly reflective. It can be a bold and glamourous look, think of a shiny black piano as an example of a high gloss finish. Any flaw will be enhanced so proper surface preparation is a must, it needs to be near perfect. When dry a gloss finish would show every brush and roller mark. The best finish will be achieved by a person experienced in spraying paint. Surfaces that you may see a gloss finish on in a home are cabinets and front entry doors.
Paint Sheen Properties
Lower Sheen Paints
- can help hid surface imperfections
- can be more user friendly to apply
- easier to touch up
- less washable
- can hold onto stains
- not as durable
- lower reflection, shine and glossiness
- gives a truer appearance of a colour
Higher Sheen Paints
- can enhance surface imperfections
- can show brush and roller marks
- can be difficult to touch up
- stands up better to washing
- more stain resistance
- increased durability
- higher reflection, shine and glossiness
- can be harder to see true colour when there’s a lot of reflection or when viewed at angles
Everything above is not a hard and fast rule when it comes to paint sheens. The quality of the paint can greatly affect its durability regardless of the sheen level. A high-quality matte paint will hold up to wear and tear better and be easier to clean than a low quality eggshell paint.
The characteristic properties of a particular paint may allow it to level out better and therefore not show brush or roller marks as much. It may touch up better or have some additive that makes it more scuff-resistant or mildew resistant regardless of the sheen.
What Are The Most Common Choices For Interior Paint Sheens?
An eggshell sheen remains the most common choice for the interior walls of a house and a satin or pearl sheen for trim work and doors. Matte has become more popular. It can even be used in a bathroom thanks to innovative paints like Benjamin Aura Bath And Spa matte finish.
Sheen choice can be a matter of personal preference, some people find shiner surfaces attractive and others prefer a matte look. The intended use of the space should be taken into consideration as well as aesthetics when it comes to choosing a paint sheen.
Examples Of Sheens Used In Home Interiors
The photo below shows walls with an eggshell sheen paint and a semi-gloss on the trim work. The increased reflection can be seen on the trim work.
Completely white interiors have been a trend for the last few years. In this home the walls have been painted with durable matte paint and a satin sheen paint has been applied to the baseboards.
The interior of this modern home has a matte sheen on the walls and pearl sheen on the trim work, baseboards and doors. It depicts the subtle and soft look the owner wanted to achieve. These lower sheen finishes don’t draw attention so they allow the other décor to equally be a part of the overall design.
This rancher has detailed interior trim work and crown mouldings. The homeowner didn’t want a lot of reflection that occurs with semi-gloss paint. A pearl sheen paint was used on the trim work and doors. It offers durability and a bit of distinction from the eggshell sheen on the walls.
Choosing Paint Sheens For Exterior Surfaces
When choosing the sheen for exterior painting it is important to think about the practical considerations of the paint and not just the aesthetics. A flatter paint will hide imperfections better but it can hang onto more dirt and won’t hold up as well to abrasions and scuffs. A higher sheen paint will be easier to wash and you’ll find that dirt won’t adhere or stain the surface as easily.
A higher sheen may not be as appealing on surfaces with patterns or texture. This is why wood siding and stucco are usually painted in a flat sheen. A lot of James Hardie Board siding or cement fiber board has a wood texture pattern which will be highlighted if it’s painted in a satin sheen. Some people do not like the way it looks and opt to use a flat sheen. A quality flat paint will offer better durability than cheap one, but overall it won’t hold us as well as a quality satin finish. To repel water and dirt, especially on horizontal surfaces like window sills, the trim on house exteriors is most commonly painted with a satin or semi-gloss paint. In the next section below are examples of a Hardie Board house painted in flat and satin sheens.
Examples Of Sheens Used On Exterior Surfaces
A decorator specified the sheen choices for this house exterior. They wanted a flat sheen paint used for the siding which gives an overall softer look to the house due to the lack of reflection. A high-quality flat paint was used, but it will be more prone to scuffs and dirt retention in comparison to a higher sheen paint of the same quality.
When looking down the siding at an angle you can see there is no visible reflection in the flat paint finish.
This next house is also painted in a dark blue colour, but in a satin sheen. Notice the reflection on the Hardie board siding and how it highlights the texture of the siding. The benefit of the high-quality satin sheen paint on this house is the increased resistance to dirt and stains.
The reflection on the brown siding of this house is very noticeable even when viewed from straight on. This is an example of how sheen levels can vary between paint manufacturers. Notice how this higher sheen paint takes on a “plastic” look. It is a satin paint, but would be considered a very high level of sheen for a typical satin paint. It’s leaning closer towards being a semi-gloss.
The modular home below has Hardie board siding and wood shingles painted with a satin sheen paint and the trim has a stain applied which has a flatter sheen. In the photos it’s hard to see, but the siding has a bit of a sheen to it. However, this particular paint manufacturer’s version of a satin has a lower sheen than what is typical of many other satin sheens.
Exterior doors are commonly painted with satin sheen paint. It adds a pop of contrast and boldness in comparison to the siding surfaces of the house which tend to be painted in a lower sheens.
The satin sheen of high-quality paint will offer a more durable, scuff-resistant surface that frequently used doors will benefit from. It also holds up well to being washed or wiped down.
The Hardie board siding and trim work of this home was painted with flat paint. The builder did not want any sheen in the products being used.
These cedar shingles are stained, generally stains have little to no sheen to them. It’s a subjective opinion, but a paint product with a higher sheen would not be an aesthetically pleasing look. The extra reflection and shine would highlight all the texture in the wood.
This modern style farmhouse exterior is painted entirely in a light off-white colour. It’s not easily seen in the photo, but it’s a satin paint that has been used. It’s probably not as noticeable because the siding is vertical versus long stretches of horizontal Hardie board where a higher sheen would be more detectable when viewed from an angle.
Sheen Affects How Paint Colours Are Perceived
Using different sheens can create shifts in depth and colour perception. Sheen can be used to highlight architectural features, for example contrasting higher sheen paint on trim work with flatter or lower sheen paint on the walls. This contrast will be noticed between the two surfaces due to the difference in reflection, even if the same colour is used on the walls and the trim work.
In the room below the decorator chose a monochromatic colour scheme. To give contrast between the surfaces the walls are painted in a matte sheen and the baseboards and trim work are painted in a satin sheen.
In higher sheens there is more light reflection so the colour looks brighter. It reflects available light whether its natural or artificial. The light bounces off of the finish and skews how you see the colour. Lower sheen paints absorb the light. If you pick a colour and have a sample of it painted in three different sheens, for example flat, eggshell and satin you may not see as much difference looking at the samples straight on, but the difference at any other angle can be quite dramatic.
Why You May Want To Consider Using Lower Sheen Paints For Darker Or Vivid Colours
In dark or intense, vivid colours the sheen of a paint will become more noticeable. These types of colours require a large volume of tint which increases the sheen of the paint. It’s something to keep note of. If you don’t want a lot of extra shine go down in the level of your paint sheen. This is why more often than not a dark feature wall will be painted in flat or matte paint, even if the rest of the room has been painted in eggshell.
The dark chocolate wall below may have looked too shiny in a higher sheen paint. To keep the soft look of the room a matte paint was used.
This vibrant purple bedroom below was painted with a matte sheen paint. In a higher sheen paint may have looked garish and have too much reflection.
Below is a summary guide describing the properties of paint sheens and their most common use for interior and exterior applications.
