Choosing the right sheen doesn’t have to be complicated. Although there are many uses and benefits of all paint sheens, eggshell paint offers a variety of advantages making it a good choice to use throughout a home.
Eggshell paint is an interior paint that has a higher gloss than flat paint and a lower gloss than satin paint. In fact, there are generally 5 paint sheens: flat (sometimes called matte) paint, eggshell, satin, semi gloss, and high gloss.
There are many pros to using eggshell paint and this paint can often be used in many areas of the home.
Benefits of Using Eggshell Paint
Eggshell paint finish is a beautiful low luster paint sheen. The soft glow from this paint finish makes it a great choice to use throughout many interior spaces. It has a smooth finish, cleans easily, and hides surface imperfections.
Smooth Finish
There is a reason eggshell finish is called eggshell. This paint possesses a slight shine, similar to an egg. Eggshell sheen applies smoothly, with minimal brush strokes, although rollers are suggested.
Greater Cleanability
Eggshell handles cleaning better than a flat or matte finish. The slight sheen makes eggshell paint washable.
A damp cloth and low pressure should be enough to remove any surface stains or scuffs.
However, use caution as it is not as durable as sheens with more gloss.
Where Should I Use Eggshell paint?
Eggshell paint works exceptionally well for mid to low traffic areas, along with all areas of the home. However, everyone has a preference when it comes to the shine of a paint sheen, and many times this is a deciding factor when painting.
Rooms that need some durability but also have existing scuffs and wear and tear are great places for eggshell paint because they can help hide imperfections on walls.
Some paint companies suggest using higher gloss paint, such as satin, in rooms like kitchens, bathrooms, and other high traffic areas of your home instead of eggshell.
Hides Imperfections
Paint with less gloss absorbs light meaning it will not reflect light like a high gloss paint. This allows eggshell paint to camouflage blemishes on walls.
Eggshell paint is better at hiding wall texture and imperfections than high gloss paints and is more durable than flat or matte finishes.
Less gloss also allows for seamless touch ups.
How Eggshell Paint Differs From Satin Finish
As already mentioned, another paint sheen that is commonly used throughout all areas of a house is satin. Eggshell versus satin are the most commonly compared paint sheens. Satin has a slightly higher sheen than eggshell and comes with pros and cons.
Satin paint has more sheen than eggshell paint. Satin offers a slight shine, whereas eggshell paint has a subtle sheen.
Higher gloss paints mean that they are not as effective at hiding imperfections as low luster paint sheens. Because eggshell paint only has a subtle sheen, it offers a greater ability to hide wall imperfections and textures than satin paint. (The paints that are best at hiding imperfections are flat or matte paint finishes.)
Satin paint is slightly more durable than eggshell paint, making it easier to clean and more scuff resistant.
Places that often need more durability are kitchens, bathrooms, and other high traffic areas. Because of the glossy sheen, satin paint is also able to withstand more moisture.
In addition to durability, some people prefer the glossy look of satin paint over eggshell paint. If you prefer a paint finish with a shine, a satin finish might be the perfect choice for you.
Final Thoughts
Eggshell paint is widely used as an interior paint sheen across many areas of a home. Eggshell paint finish is the perfect sheen for all interior paint colors.
One of the best things about it is that an eggshell finish offers the ability to hide surface imperfections. This low luster paint sheen is more durable than flat or matte finishes making it easy to clean.
Overall, an eggshell sheen is a great finish to use throughout a home!