Which paint finish did you go w/ and why??

We are looking at BM Aura paints.

I was asked if I want: Eggshell, Matte, Semi Gloss, and Satin Finish.

So, a few questions...

What on earth is the difference? and Which is better, why?

Which did you go with, why?

Re: Which paint finish did you go w/ and why??

different finishes are more washable then others but i don't remember which ones- sorry I'm no help

Re: Which paint finish did you go w/ and why??

Posted by DaniRella

We are looking at BM Aura paints.

I was asked if I want: Eggshell, Matte, Semi Gloss, and Satin Finish.

So, a few questions...

What on earth is the difference? and Which is better, why?

Which did you go with, why?

Re: Which paint finish did you go w/ and why??

I tend to stick with flat in regular rooms, eggshell in the bathroom and I do semi-gloss on trim and doors.

I was an interior designer after college and that how we did it at work too.....

Re: Which paint finish did you go w/ and why??

Our ceilings are done in flat
Most rooms the walls are eggshell (easier to wash) and trim in semi-gloss (personal preference)
The kitchen and bathroom are BM Kitchens & Bath paint

Message edited 3/17/2010 8:43:42 PM.

Re: Which paint finish did you go w/ and why??

This is how I would rate them in sheen, with the top being the least and the bottom being most:
Matte
Flat
Eggshell
Semi-Gloss

I'm not really sure about Pearl & Satin finishes. (I've never used them myself.)

We have a matte in my master bedroom (our painter recommended using it.) I love the way it photographs and looks, but as others have stated, it shows dirt & oil and isn't easy to clean (fibers seem to stick to it rather easily when wiping down.) It also seems to "chip" easily.

We always use flat on the ceiling. I don't know if I can explain correctly why, but it has to do with light reflection...or rather lack there of.

Other than our master bedroom, our walls are eggshell. It tends to take a beating well. There's isn't a lot of sheen from light and it's easy to clean.

We use Semi-gloss on trim & doors. The sheen/reflection of light helps define it from the walls. Easiest to clean!!! (Lots of dirty hands touch doors & trim!)


I used Aura once and wasn't a fan. From what I understand, if you follow the specific technique, it works correctly, but if you're an inexperienced painter, it may not be the best idea to use it. It dries quickly, so you really have to watch that you don't overlap when you roll, otherwise it will take paint off. (It's less forgiving if you need to do touch-ups when you see drips, etc..)

In the past I've used Regal and was very happy with it. More recently we used the Natura and was impressed. No odor and the color & application was the same as Regal. AND we always use a tinted primer, regardless of the color!!!!!

Re: Which paint finish did you go w/ and why??

Our whole house is flat except for semi-gloss on the trims. I heard that flat hides blemishes that the walls may have better than other finishes.

Next time we have to paint, I will use egg shell or satin bc the flat shows everything (dirt and dings, etc) and I feel like we already need to touch up some high traffic areas and it's only been less than 3 years.

Re: Which paint finish did you go w/ and why??

We use eggshell for the reasons others posted. The old owners used flat in some rooms and when we repaint we will use egg shell-though we won't need to any time soon since it still looks pretty good, we just can't clean the few areas that need it.

Re: Which paint finish did you go w/ and why??

Semi gloss will show any imperfection on a surface because it reflects light (gloss) therefore creates shadows, my whole house was painted in semi gloss white when we bought it (including ceilings, it was awful!) I use the eggshell finish, it isn't as reflective, it literally has the sheen of the shell of an egg, and its easier to clean.

Re: Which paint finish did you go w/ and why??

We have eggshell throughout the entire house and I HATE it. I like the look, but if you try to touch up any spot you will SEE it, no matter what you do. When I got my furniture delivered they made this hole in my wall and the guy had to paint the entire wall because if you only touched up that spot you would see it. I have touched up here and there, and I am so mad. I even just tried to clean it and you see all the streaks. My girlfriend did the aura paint in eggshell and she went to go clean the wall because of her dog and she hates it also. I just painted my room matte, and I just touched up a spot and you don't see it. I have not tried to clean it because it is just freshly painted. But I would NEVER use eggshell again! Hope this helps!!

Re: Which paint finish did you go w/ and why??

I am choosing paint for our condo now and since it's a rental I want to make sure it's low maintenance.

The contractor suggested eggshell, semi gloss or satin. Satin is the middle ground of the three and that's what we're going with. Semi-gloss will show too many flaws and flat is virutally un-cleanable so satin it is.

We are using Glidden paint. parchment white for the main areas and pebble white for the bedrooms to make them a little warmer.

Both are very similar and they will be satin finish.

I didn't have a choice of more than Behr and Glidden since I have to use HD for the insurance but the contractor was very helpful in describing the differences.

I would love to go flat but there is no cleaning that.

Re: Which paint finish did you go w/ and why??

Matte is washable, flat isnt

Re: Which paint finish did you go w/ and why??

Message edited 3/18/2010 8:38:28 AM.

Re: Which paint finish did you go w/ and why??

We used eggshell. I just like the way it looks. I hate anything shiny & flat gets dirty too fast. I used high-gloss on the moldings.

Re: Which paint finish did you go w/ and why??

I used BM paint. My contractor said eggshell is the worst. I just hate it and I would never use it again. Like I said my gf had the same problem with the aura paint. So far, matte is great!!!

Re: Which paint finish did you go w/ and why??

wow i have the opposite problem with matte finish can't clean the walls with out streaking, touch the wall and it leaves a mark (BM) - so i switched to valspar eggshell no issues (washed the wall a few times with my magic eraser no streaks)

i used semi gloss for the bathroom.

Re: Which paint finish did you go w/ and why??

Are you hiring someone or DIY?

Our local Benjamin Moore dealer suggested the ben line of paints for DIY. I think it's because Aura needs a skilled hand. We've used ben eggshell for most of our house and I'm really happy with it. It went on well and it washes well. It changes color when you first get it wet to wash it but it dries out and there's no difference.

Our last apartment had flat/matte paint and it was impossible to keep clean and fingerprint free. A babysitter leaned her bag up against the wall and that even marked it up. I like the way it photographs but I would only suggest flat/matte in a low-traffic room.

Re: Which paint finish did you go w/ and why??

Re: Which paint finish did you go w/ and why??

I prefer eggshell because it has just the tiniest amount of sheen. It washes well, might need a bit of a scrub for tough spots (like the time my nephew threw oreos at my bedroom wall).
Matte walls are too flat - any imperfection will show up.
Haven't seen a sample of satin.

Semi Gloss I prefer for trimwork, like moldings, windowframes and sills. This is the easiest to wipe down.

Message edited 3/18/2010 12:26:28 PM.

Re: Which paint finish did you go w/ and why??

Re: Which paint finish did you go w/ and why??

we did eggshell bc that was what the only paint base the store had in stock for each color we wanted....so easy decision there

Re: Which paint finish did you go w/ and why??

we used BM Regal in Flat for our foyer, kitchen, living/dining and bedroom....magic eraser seems to get out any marks...my Mom doesn't like flat b/c she says it's hard to clean but I haven't had a hard time with it yet (of course it is just the two of us and we don't have any kids touching the walls so it's very rare that a spot gets dirty)...My inlaws did make some marks on a wall in the kitchen when they were visiting from banging their feet against the wall but magic eraser got it out... if I ever have a spot that looks weird from cleaning it I will just use some left over paint to touch it up....to me it's worth the effort b/c I like flat and matte paints the best...

Bathrooms we will use something different b/c of the moisture issues - I don't want water streaks and I'm not sure how flat paint holds up in a bathroom...

Moldings and Trim we haven't touched up yet but I am going to use what the builders used - I believe it was satin or semi-gloss

ETA: my walls are textured in what I think they call an orange peel so there aren't really "imperfections" b/c the walls are imperfect to begin with...so to me it makes flat paint look great...

Message edited 3/18/2010 1:40:26 PM.

Re: Which paint finish did you go w/ and why??

I went with BM matte everywhere because I prefer the way it looks and I have a bad habit of putting aesthetics over function.

FWIW, it's holding up fine.

Re: Which paint finish did you go w/ and why??

Re: Which paint finish did you go w/ and why??

flat enamel on all walls, and semi gloss on the crown molding.