Which paint should I use where?
Finish and location decide it — and using the wrong one usually means repainting within a year.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 20 min
- Read
- 2 min
Short answer
Matt emulsion for ceilings and low-traffic walls, a washable or soft sheen for kitchens, bathrooms and hallways, and eggshell or satinwood for woodwork. Full gloss is durable and shows every imperfection.
Paint is chosen on colour and fails on finish. The finish decides whether it can be wiped, how much it shows flaws, and whether it survives condensation — and those are what determine how long it lasts.
Step by step
- Choose the finish for the room's job.Matt hides imperfections and cannot be scrubbed. Sheen finishes are washable and show flaws more. That trade-off is the main decision.
- Use matt emulsion on ceilings and quiet rooms.Bedrooms, living rooms, ceilings. It hides an uneven surface well and there is little to wipe off.
- Use a washable or soft sheen in kitchens, bathrooms and hallways.Anywhere with steam, grease or hands on the walls. Bathroom-specific paints also resist mould, which matters.
- Use eggshell or satinwood on woodwork.Skirting, doors, frames. More durable than emulsion and less unforgiving than full gloss. Gloss is the hardest wearing and shows every dent and brush mark.
- Choose water-based over solvent for woodwork.Modern water-based paints are nearly as durable, dry far faster, smell much less and do not yellow. Solvent-based gloss yellows noticeably in a few years, particularly out of daylight.
- Use the right primer for the surface.Bare wood, bare plaster, metal and tiles each need a specific primer. This is a separate decision from the topcoat and it is where adhesion failures come from.
- Use masonry paint outside.It is formulated to flex and breathe. Interior emulsion on an exterior wall traps moisture and peels within a season.
- Buy better paint than feels necessary.Cheap paint covers poorly and needs more coats, so it is often more expensive by the time the wall is finished — and it wears faster.
Tips
- Test pots on a piece of card rather than the wall, then move the card around the room. Colours change enormously with light and with the wall they sit against.
- Bathroom and kitchen paints genuinely resist mould and moisture. In a room that steams up, it is worth the extra.
- Buy all the paint for a room in one go and check the batch numbers match. Batches vary slightly and it shows on a large wall.
Questions people ask
What paint should I use in a bathroom?
A bathroom-specific or soft sheen emulsion. They resist moisture and mould, which ordinary matt emulsion does not in a room that steams up.
Should I use gloss or eggshell on woodwork?
Eggshell or satinwood for most purposes — durable enough and far more forgiving of imperfections. Gloss is hardest wearing and shows every flaw and brush mark.