Matt, silk, satin and gloss: choosing the right finish
Use matt on ceilings and most walls, a wipeable matt or silk in kitchens, bathrooms, halls and children's rooms, and eggshell, satin or gloss on woodwork. Sheen level is the trade-off: the shinier the paint, the tougher and more washable it is, and the more it shows every flaw underneath.
Sheen is a trade-off, not a fashion
Every finish sits somewhere on one line. At the flat end, matt scatters light, hides bumps and patched plaster, and looks calm. At the shiny end, gloss reflects light, wipes clean, resists knocks, and reveals every dent and sanding mark you left behind. Choosing a finish is really choosing where on that line each surface deserves to sit.
| Finish | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Matt | Ceilings, bedrooms, lounges | Softest look, least washable |
| Wipeable or durable matt | Halls, stairs, kids' rooms | Flat look with a scrubbable film |
| Silk | Kitchens, bathrooms, utility | Wipes well, shows wall defects |
| Eggshell | Woodwork, period trim, doors | Low sheen, forgiving, modern look |
| Satin | Skirtings, frames, radiators | Mid sheen, hard wearing |
| Gloss | High-wear trim, exterior joinery | Toughest, shows every flaw |
Walls and ceilings
Ceilings are matt, effectively always. Any sheen on a ceiling picks out the roller pattern and every ripple in the plaster, especially in the low winter light that comes through north-facing Teesside windows. Walls in bedrooms and lounges suit matt for the same reason. Where hands, bikes and dogs are involved, a durable or wipeable matt is the modern answer: it keeps the flat look but survives a cloth, which old-fashioned silk never quite managed to do gracefully.
Kitchens and bathrooms
These rooms need moisture tolerance and washability. A dedicated kitchen and bathroom emulsion or a good silk handles steam and splashes far better than standard matt, and resists the mould that likes a poorly ventilated Teesside bathroom in February. Extraction still matters more than paint choice. On cabinets, ordinary wall paint has no place at all, and a proper cabinet coating is the difference between a finish that lasts years and one that peels off the first time someone leans a saucepan against it, as the cabinet spraying page explains.
Woodwork: water-based or oil?
Oil-based gloss is still the hardest film, but it ambers over time, particularly in rooms without much daylight, which is why so many Teesside houses have skirtings that are technically white and visibly not. Modern water-based satin, eggshell and gloss stay white, dry within hours so two coats can go on in a day, and smell far less. They need thorough sanding of the old surface to key properly, and they are slightly softer for the first fortnight while they cure. For most homes they are now the better choice, with oil reserved for the most punished surfaces. The woodwork and trim page covers the preparation either way.
Outside, the rules change
Exterior walls want a breathable masonry paint that lets damp escape rather than trapping it behind a plastic-like film, which matters on the older solid-wall properties across the terraces. Exterior joinery wants a flexible coating that moves with the timber through wet winters and dry summers, since brittle films crack at the joints and let water in. Colour matters too: strong shades fade fastest on the sunny faces, and very dark colours on a south wall take real heat. The repaint cycle guide puts numbers on how long each choice lasts here.