Deciding Which Type Of Paint to Use On The Interior Of Your Home

You're home is your central space; it's where you go when you're tired from a hard day of work. Each room has its own purpose, from eating to sleeping, relaxing to cleaning up. If you've decided its time to repaint one of these rooms, or the whole house, you want to make sure you get the right color and the right type of paint.

Many do-it-yourself decorators spend hours, even days, worrying over color choices. Do you go with blue? And if it's blue, what shade of blue? How many shades of blue? A matte finish, flat enamel or satin finish? The choices are enough to drive someone crazy.

Choosing Interior Paint Color

Choosing the right paint color for your interior isn't based just on the colors you like. There are several things to look at, before you go shopping:

- Size of the room - Before worrying about what color, look at the size of the room. A small room could benefit from a lighter color, making it feel larger. Darker colors make huge rooms seem cozier.

- Architectural details - Any molding, trim, brackets or columns should be taken into account. Do you like them? Do you hate them? Some colors will "hide" these details; others will highlight them. For instance, a dark color of paint will make white molding seem to glow, while a soft sky-blue will take some of the attention away from the molding.

- Function of the room - Function should weight greatly on what color or colors you choose. People react to colors in ways they may not even realize. Warm tones work well in living rooms, making them more inviting to guests. Red tones in a kitchen or dining room can increase appetite. Pale yellows, blues or grays are excellent for work areas and home offices.

- Furnishings - If you're working in a room that's already furnished, look around at the colors and tones inherent in those furnishings for your paint palette. Is there a favorite piece of furniture or art you like? Choosing an accent color in your furnishings as your interior paint color can bring a room together.

- Favorite colors - No matter what your room function is or the colors of your furnishings, you're the one who has to live there. Make sure the color suits your style. If you aren't sure what your "style" is, take a look in your closet. The colors you wear are generally those you like most.

Choosing Interior Paint Type

With six types of paint finishes, it can be hard knowing which one to use, but knowing what each does will help.

- Matte finish - Matte finish is also called "flat finish" or just "wall paint". It's one of the most commonly used on interior walls. It does reflect light, so it can be used to hide small cracks, bumps or other imperfections.

- Flat enamel - Flat enamels have a matte finish as well, but they stand up better to occasional cleaning. Halls and bathrooms are a good place for this type of interior paint.

- Satin finish - Usually used on widows, doors, ceiling or trims, satin finishes also work well for high traffic rooms. This type of interior paint gives a bit of gloss to the painted areas, and a velvety look. Satin finish paints can deal with cleaning and light scrubbing.

- Eggshell finish - Eggshell finishes add a very light sheen to the walls - like the shell of an egg. Medium traffic areas are excellent candidates for eggshell finishes.

- Semi-gloss - Easily cleaned, semi-gloss interior paints work well on doors, cabinets and trims. However, semi-gloss surfaces will show up any scratches or badly prepared surfaces, so be careful with pre-paint preparation work.

- Glossy - Glossy paints have a highly reflective quality, like enamel or plastic. A dramatic accent on cabinets, trim and furniture, they're usually not a good choice for the walls themselves. Like the semi-gloss, they really bring out imperfections, so be careful.

By paying attention to the function of a room, your likes and dislikes, and the type of traffic the room gets, you'll have a much better chance of choosing an interior paint you'll love. Good luck, and good painting!