What paint to use on walls? Decorating decisions

As we head for New Year and most people have a little downtime from work, as we all sit around in our living rooms, literally staring at the walls whilst trying to concentrate on Granny’s anecdotes – it’s time to redecorate. But do you know what paint to use on walls?

About six years ago, Copse Magazine (or Home & Decorating Magazine as it was then) published an article in association with Dulux Paints called “Matt vs Silk Paint – which to use“. Just a quick article looking at the difference between matt finish paint, gloss paint, eggshell paint, satin, and silk paint – it quickly became the most popular article on our website! It turns out that lots of people want to know what paint to use on walls.

In the articles we looked at all the different types of paint finish and explained which paint finish to use for different applications, effects, and surfaces.

Matt Paint

Matt paint (or Matte paint) is a water-based rough, more textured surface that is mostly used on walls. It doesn’t reflect light very much and it doesn’t cover up imperfections in the wall surface, but it does give a more warm, cosy finish and is the most popular paint finish for walls.

Silk Paint

Silk Paint is also water-based but has a tougher outer finish when dired. Silk paint tends to be used in kitchens and bathroom s and areas where there is a higher moisture level. Silk paint is easier to wipe than matt paint and so if your children like to draw on the walls, then you may want to select a premium silk finish paint like Dulux Endurance or similar.

Gloss Paint

Gloss paint is the shiniest finish of paint and mostly used on woodwork. It’s a solvent-based paint that takes longer to dry, but smoothes over imperfections on the painted surface.

Eggshell Paint

Eggshell paint is the inbetweener of paints. It gives a finished surface like an eggshell – halfway between matt and silk it reflects more light than matt paint, but not so much as to look too shiny.