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When it comes to painting the interior of your home, there are many different factors you have to consider. One of those factors is the type of paint you should use. There are many different types of interior paint and paint sheens.
If you find yourself overwhelmed or confused by all the different options, this article should help! Keep reading to learn which paint is most suitable for your particular painting project.
Here at Kind Home Solutions, there are two brands of paint that we use and recommend to all of our clients; Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore. Now there are lots of different paint brands out there, but these two stand out compared to the others for the exceptional properties and sheens they offer.
Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore offer different options or tiers of paint depending on a few traits. The most common traits are coverage, washability, and durability.
The four tiers of paint offered at Sherwin Williams are Emerald, Duration Home, Cashmere and Super Paint. Emerald and Duration Home will be your top tiered products, where Cashmere and Super Paint are mid-tiered products.
The three tiers offered at Benjamin Moore include Aura, Regal Select, and Ben Interior. Aura is going to be your top tier product, Regal Select and Ben Interior will be your mid-range tiered products!
Emerald is the best quality interior paint on the market! What makes it so special, you ask? For starters, Emerald is the most durable, washable and has the best final finish out there.
It also features:
There are just a few extra reasons why we love Emerald.
Emerald is offered in multiple sizes and sheens. Sizes range from a quart to a 5 gallon bucket. The sheens offered for Emerald are: Flat, Matte, Satin and Semi-gloss.
Duration Home is going to be a close second to Emerald! Duration has washability and durability similar to Emerald. Some other things that set Duration apart from the other tiers is that Duration has a high moisture resistance, so it’s great for bathrooms or kitchens.
It can also be ideal for high traffic areas like living rooms and hallways. Plus it’s the perfect paint to cover old stains and a super easy paint to clean if you get any new ones!
Duration Home does offer the same sheens and sizings as Emerald. Emerald and Duration Home are also the only two tiers that offer a Matte and a Satin finish!
These are our favorite paints to use for any type of interior paint projects.
Cashmere and Super Paint are classified under the same mid-range tier for quality, washability and durability.
Now they aren’t as highly rated as Emerald and Duration Home, but they both have qualities that set them apart from other mid-range products or brands.
Cashmere and Super Paint are both a great option for paint that isn’t too expensive, but will still be highly functional in your home.
Cashmere is going to leave a smooth and buttery finish that will make your walls look fabulous from any angle. It is also a great paint for a residential area where you can do gentle scrubbing and the paint will not burnish (when the paint gets scrubbed off or the finish is rubbed off).
Super Paint will leave a smooth and long lasting finish and it is very easy to apply. It is also a Paint & Primer in one, so it will cover well. Super Paint is definitely a great choice for new homeowners looking to upgrade the look of their home without spending a ton of money!
Super Paint does come in multiple sizes ranging from a quart to a five gallon bucket. Stores do not always carry all of the different sheens in the quart sizes, so it is a good idea to call your local Sherwin Williams to confirm they have what you are looking for.
Cashmere only comes in gallons and five gallon buckets and it’s important to note that it does not come in quart sizes.
Aura by Benjamin Moore is like no other paint on the market! Aura has an amazing Gennex Color Lock technology, which gives it the best looking color possible (richness of color) and on top of that, it has all the other qualities that Emerald has to offer.
It can be scrubbed without ruining the color and sheen, is mildew resistant, covers over other colors in fewer coats, and creates seamless touch-ups.
Aura does come in a few different sheens: Matte, Eggshell, Satin and Semi-gloss. Unlike Sherwin Williams, Aura’s lowest sheen in this particular product will be the Matte finish.
While Aura is an amazing product, here at Kind Home Solutions we tend to lean more toward the Sherwin Williams products for our interior painting projects.
Sheens and finishes are also something you need to consider when selecting a painting for your project. There is a misconception that sheen and gloss are the same (they kind of are, but they have some differences).
Sheen is more related to paint that is less shiny, which gives the color more depth and luster. Where gloss is super shiny and gives a very crisp look.
When selecting a sheen or finish painting for your project, you should consider where in the home you are painting…
For walls in the main living space, we recommend a Matte, Eggshell or Satin. We’ve found these to be the most popular.
For walls in a bathroom or kitchen, we recommend using a shinier finish so that it is more washable for you. This would include Satin and Semi-Gloss.
Ceilings are the one area of your home that we always recommend using a flat sheen. We recommend this because typically people don’t typically touch their ceilings or need to wash them for stains.
For trim, doors and cabinets, we recommend using a more glossy finish, which includes Semi-gloss and Gloss. This will ensure more durability and washability.
A good rule of thumb to follow is the shinier or glossier the finish, the more protected your walls or substrate is going to be.
To give a quick overview, here are the types of finishes from no shine or gloss to the most shine or gloss possible: Flat, Matte, Low-Luster, Satin/Eggshell, Semi-gloss, and Gloss.
We hope that this has provided you with the knowledge to choose your painting with confidence. Please feel free to give us a call if you have any further questions. We are here to help!