The short answer: matte or eggshell for most walls, satin where walls get touched and washed, semi-gloss for trim, doors, and cabinets, and flat for ceilings.

Matte vs Eggshell vs Satin vs Semi-Gloss Paint: Which Finish for Each Room

The colour gets all the attention, but the finish decides how a wall behaves once you live with it: whether it hides the dent from the vacuum, survives a child with a crayon, or shows a shiny patch where you touched it up. The trade is always the same. Flatter finishes hide flaws and touch-ups; shinier finishes wipe clean and shrug off moisture. This guide compares the four finishes most people choose between and tells you which to use where.

By Nakashima M. · Published September 25, 2026

Key points

The trade-off: Lower sheen hides wall flaws and touch-ups. Higher sheen cleans more easily and resists moisture, but shows every bump.
Most walls: Matte or eggshell in living rooms and bedrooms; eggshell or satin in hallways, kitchens, and children's rooms.
Wet rooms and wood: Satin or semi-gloss in bathrooms; semi-gloss on trim, doors, and cabinets; flat on ceilings.
Names vary: One brand's eggshell can be shinier than another's satin. Compare the gloss numbers on the product data sheet, and test a sample.

The finishes at a glance

Finish	Looks	Hides wall flaws	Washes clean	Best for
Flat	No shine at all	Best	Poorly: rubbing can leave shiny spots	Ceilings, low-traffic walls
Matte	Almost no shine, soft and deep colour	Very good	Fair to good, depending on the paint line	Living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms
Eggshell	A faint glow, like the shell it is named after	Good	Good	Most walls, including busier rooms
Satin	A soft, visible sheen	Fair	Very good	Hallways, kitchens, children's rooms, bathrooms
Semi-gloss	Clearly shiny and reflective	Poor: shows every bump	Excellent	Trim, doors, cabinets, wet areas
Gloss and high gloss	Mirror-like	Poorest	Excellent	Doors, furniture, statement trim

Most homes need only three of these: one for the walls, semi-gloss or satin for the woodwork, and flat for the ceilings. The hard decision is the wall finish, and that is where matte, eggshell, and satin compete.

What sheen actually measures

Sheen is how much light a painted surface reflects back at you. The industry measures it with a gloss meter, in gloss units, and the Master Painters Institute (MPI) groups the results into seven standard gloss levels. The names on the can are marketing; the gloss level is the number behind them.

The MPI gloss levels. Eggshell and satin overlap between 20 and 25 units, which is why one brand's eggshell can look like another's satin.

MPI level	Common name	Gloss at 60 degrees	Sheen at 85 degrees
G1	Flat, matte	0 to 5 units	Up to 10 units
G2	Velvet, low-sheen matte	Up to 10 units	10 to 35 units
G3	Eggshell	10 to 25 units	10 to 35 units
G4	Satin	20 to 35 units	35 units or more
G5	Semi-gloss	35 to 70 units	Not specified
G6	Gloss	70 to 85 units	Not specified
G7	High gloss	More than 85 units	Not specified

Brands add names of their own, such as pearl, low lustre, or velvet, and they do not all sit at the same point on the scale. If you are matching an existing wall or comparing brands, look up the product data sheet, which usually lists the gloss in units, rather than trusting the word on the label.

The trade-off: hiding flaws vs cleaning

Every step up in sheen buys durability and costs forgiveness. A glossier film is harder and smoother, so dirt sits on top of it and wipes off. The same smoothness reflects light off every dent, patch, and roller mark. The MPI puts it plainly: low-gloss coatings are ideal for masking surface defects, and high-gloss coatings highlight them.

Moving right along the scale, each finish cleans more easily and forgives less.

So the question to ask of any wall is which problem it will have more of: flaws, or dirt. An old plaster wall in a quiet bedroom has flaws and little dirt, so go flatter. A smooth new wall in a hallway where bags and hands brush past has the opposite problem, so go shinier.

Low sunlight raking across a painted wall, showing patched dents and roller marks clearly on a satin section and barely at all on a matte section beside it — Side light is the honest test. The shinier half shows every repair; the matte half hides them.

Each finish in detail

Flat and matte

Flat reflects almost no light, so the colour looks even and deep and the wall looks smoother than it is. Benjamin Moore's finish guide notes the catch: stains are harder to remove from low-sheen paint, and constant rubbing can cause burnishing, the shiny patch you get from scrubbing one spot. Matte sits a touch higher and many premium matte lines are now made to withstand washing, so matte is no longer only for rooms nobody touches. Check the label for a scrub or washability claim.

Eggshell

Eggshell is the default wall finish for a reason. It has enough sheen to wipe clean, not enough to show every flaw, and it suits almost every room in the house. If you want one wall finish for the whole home, this is it.

Satin

Satin has a visible sheen and better stain resistance than the lower finishes. It is the sensible choice for walls that get handled: hallways, stairwells, kitchens, children's rooms, and bathrooms. The price is that it shows wall flaws and roller marks, so it rewards careful prep and even rolling.

Semi-gloss

Semi-gloss is hard, smooth, and easy to wipe, which is why it has long been the standard for trim, doors, and cabinets. On a whole wall it usually looks too shiny for a living space and turns every patch into a highlight. Use it where wood takes knocks, and where water splashes.

Which finish for each room

Room or surface	Recommended finish	Why
Living and dining room walls	Matte or eggshell	Soft light, hides flaws, occasional cleaning
Adult bedrooms	Matte or eggshell	Low traffic; the calmest look
Children's rooms	Eggshell or satin, or a washable matte	Hands, crayons, and scuffs need wiping
Hallways and stairwells	Eggshell or satin	Bags, shoulders, and hands brush the walls
Kitchen walls	Eggshell or satin	Grease and splashes need wiping
Bathrooms	Satin or semi-gloss, or a paint made for bathrooms	Humidity and condensation; look for mildew resistance on the label
Ceilings	Flat	Hides flaws where light rakes across; rarely touched
Trim, doors, and baseboards	Semi-gloss or satin	Hard wearing, easy to wipe
Kitchen cabinets and furniture	Semi-gloss or satin, in a cabinet or enamel paint	Constant handling; needs a hard film

A laundry room follows the bathroom rule, since it gets humid; our laundry room layout guide covers the rest of that room. If you are painting a rental, match the existing finish so your touch-ups disappear when you move out.

Touch-ups, burnishing, and repainting

Touch-ups show more as sheen rises. A dab of satin on a satin wall often dries as a slightly different sheen from the wall around it. Flat and matte blend best. Keep leftover paint from the same can, and feather touch-ups out with a small roller rather than a brush.
Burnishing is a flat-paint problem. Scrubbing one spot on a flat wall can polish it into a shiny patch. Clean low-sheen walls with a soft cloth and mild soapy water, and do not scrub.
Going over a glossier finish needs prep. New paint grips poorly on semi-gloss or gloss. Clean it, then sand lightly or use a deglosser before you paint.
The same colour looks different in different sheens. A shinier finish reflects more of the room and light, so the colour can read richer and more changeable. Test the exact colour in the exact sheen you plan to buy.

Illustration of five blue-green painted sample boards leaning against a wall, the window reflection growing from none on the left to bright on the right — One colour, five sheens. Test the finish you will actually buy.

How to choose

Old walls with patches, dents, or uneven plaster?Go matte, and pick a washable matte line if the room gets touched.
A busy room where walls get wiped every week?Eggshell or satin.
A bathroom without a strong extractor fan?Satin or semi-gloss, or a bathroom paint with mildew resistance.
Trim, doors, or cabinets?Semi-gloss, or satin for a softer look.
A ceiling?Flat, almost always.
Still between two finishes?Paint a large sample of each, look at it in side light, and choose the lower sheen if the wall is imperfect.

Finish is only half of a paint decision. If you are still choosing the colour, try it on your own room photo first; our ChatGPT room design workflow shows how to test one colour at a time, then confirm it with a real sample on the wall.

Frequently asked questions

Is eggshell or satin better for walls?

Eggshell suits most walls because it cleans easily without showing many flaws. Satin is better for walls that get touched and washed often, such as hallways, kitchens, and children's rooms, but it shows dents and roller marks more.

What is the difference between matte and eggshell paint?

Matte has almost no shine and hides wall flaws best. Eggshell has a faint glow and is usually easier to wash. On the MPI scale, flat and matte finishes sit at up to about 10 gloss units at 60 degrees, and eggshell at 10 to 25.

What paint finish is best for a bathroom?

Satin or semi-gloss, because they resist moisture and wipe clean. Some brands also make paints for bathrooms in lower sheens with mildew resistance. Check the label, and run an extractor fan during and after showers.

What finish should trim and doors be?

Semi-gloss is the standard for trim, doors, and baseboards because it is hard wearing and easy to wipe. Satin gives a softer look and is still durable.

Should ceilings be flat paint?

Almost always. Flat paint hides the flaws that show up when light rakes across a ceiling, and ceilings rarely need cleaning. The exception is a bathroom ceiling that gets wet, where a moisture-resistant paint is the better choice.

Can you use matte paint in a kitchen?

You can if you choose a matte line that is labelled washable or scrubbable, and avoid it right behind the hob or sink. Otherwise eggshell or satin is easier to keep clean.