DIY: Choosing the right interior paint

In our last DIY post on painting, we answered some common questions a novice painter might have. Now that you’re armed with the best painting how-to knowledge, it’s time to actually choose your paint and finish. As always, we have some great advice from the pros over at Waters & Brown Paint and Decorating that’ll leave you and your new tenants with picture-perfect walls.

Oil-based paint vs Latex

Ah, the age old dilemma. Truth is, there are pros and cons to each.

Choose the right paint finish

While the decision is ultimately yours, there are a few trends you should be aware of:

• Most people use a low-shine finish on walls in their apartments or houses. This is called an eggshell or flat finish, and works well for living rooms and bedrooms.
• Trims/baseboards are typically painted with a shinier finish called gloss or semi-gloss. This finish is much easier to clean than eggshell.This is a great option for baseboards as they tend to scuff easily.
• Bathrooms and kitchens are usually painted with a semi-gloss or satin finish because these areas are highly trafficked and therefore cleaned more often.
• Flat-finish paints are great for ceilings as they hide imperfections and aren’t very reflective. It’s better to use flat paints in areas that don’t get a lot of traffic because it’s much harder to clean.

Want more tips like these?

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