Choosing sheen by surface
Ceilings: flat or matt
Low reflection reduces glare and helps disguise joints, patches and minor waviness, especially where windows cast light across the ceiling.
Living rooms and bedrooms: low sheen
A soft, practical finish that is more cleanable than flat paint without making every wall variation conspicuous.
Kitchens and bathrooms: specialised low sheen
Choose a washable system suited to condensation, grease and regular cleaning; bathrooms benefit from a mould-resistant formulation and effective ventilation.
Doors and trims: satin to gloss
Satin and semi-gloss provide wipeability and knock resistance without the strongest shine. Gloss gives a more reflective finish and shows preparation quality clearly.
The sheen trade-off
As sheen increases, the finish reflects more direct and raking light. That can sharpen the detail of well-prepared joinery, but it also highlights sanding scratches, dents, patch edges and uneven substrates.
Lower sheen scatters light and conceals more variation. However, a generic flat paint is not automatically suited to scrubbing or wet rooms. Product formulation matters alongside the sheen name.
Warning signs a finish choice needs reconsidering
- Strong window light exposes repairs and waviness that a high sheen will emphasise.
- A bathroom or kitchen has condensation, grease or frequent cleaning demands beyond a standard living-room paint.
- Doors and skirting boards are marked or washed often, making a delicate wall finish impractical.
- Existing glossy joinery has not been cleaned, de-glossed and primed for the new coating system.
Preparation and product system come first
Even the correct sheen will underperform over dust, grease, unsealed filler or incompatible old paint. Clean, repair, sand and prime the surface before assessing colour and sheen under the room's actual light.
Baku Painting uses suitable products from premium Dulux and Haymes interior ranges according to the substrate, room use and required finish. No single brand or sheen is universally best for every surface.