Choosing Paint Sheen Room by Room in an Older Chicago Home

Most people pick a paint color first and treat sheen as an afterthought. In an older Chicago home that order is backwards. Plaster walls, earlier coats, and tall windows that throw light sideways across a room all mean the sheen you choose changes what you see as much as the color does.

Here is how the five common sheens behave, where each one tends to belong, and what to ask before the crew opens a can.

What does sheen actually change?

Sheen is how much light the dried paint reflects. A flat finish scatters light in every direction, so the wall looks soft and even. A gloss finish bounces light back in a sharp sheet, so the wall looks hard, bright and slick. Between them sit eggshell, satin and semi-gloss, each a step shinier than the last.

Two practical things follow from that. First, the shinier the paint, the more it shows every bump, roller mark and patch underneath, because raking light catches each tiny change in the surface. Second, the shinier the paint, the better it usually stands up to a damp cloth, since a tighter, harder film gives dirt less to cling to.

Older plaster makes the first point matter more. Plaster walls are rarely dead flat. They have gentle waves from hand troweling and hairline cracks that have been patched before. A flatter sheen forgives all of that. A glossier sheen advertises it.

Where does each sheen belong?

There are no laws here, only habits that tend to work. Use this as a starting point and adjust for how your household lives.

• Flat: ceilings, and low-traffic walls in rooms like formal living rooms, dining rooms and adult bedrooms where you want the calmest possible surface. It hides the most, but it marks more easily and is harder to wipe clean.
• Eggshell: the common choice for living rooms, bedrooms and most main walls. It has a faint glow, hides moderate imperfection, and tolerates a light wipe.
• Satin: hallways, stairwells, kids' rooms, and entry areas where hands and bags touch the walls. It cleans more easily than eggshell and still reads as a wall rather than a shiny panel.
• Semi-gloss: trim, baseboards, door and window casings, and sometimes kitchen and bathroom walls. It is tough and wipeable, and it makes crisp trim lines stand out against calmer walls.
• Gloss: used sparingly, often on a front door, a built-in, or a piece of furniture where a lacquered look is the point. On a large wall it is rarely forgiving.

How should you handle kitchens and bathrooms?

These rooms deal with steam, splashes and grease, so a wipeable finish earns its place. Satin is a common wall choice in both. Semi-gloss suits the trim, the window casing and any painted cabinet-adjacent surfaces. Plenty of people use eggshell on bathroom walls too if there is good ventilation and a working exhaust fan.

The bigger issue in an older bathroom is the surface underneath. If paint is peeling near the tub, or the ceiling shows stains, sheen is not the problem. Moisture or old failed coats are, and they need sorting out before any new finish goes on.

What about trim, doors and woodwork?

Older Chicago homes tend to have a lot of woodwork: wide baseboards, picture rails, crown, paneled doors, built-in cabinets. A step or two shinier than the walls is the usual pairing. Semi-gloss trim against eggshell walls gives a clear line between the two and makes the millwork read as a deliberate feature.

Some owners prefer a softer, more period look and choose satin trim against flat walls. The point is the step between the two sheens. If walls and trim are the same sheen, the room can look unfinished, even with a good color.

How do you test a sheen before committing?

Sample boards beat paint chips. Chips are printed and flat. A painted patch on the actual wall, or on a board you move around the room, shows you the color and the sheen together under your real light.

• Look at the sample in morning, midday and evening, and with lamps on.
• Check it from an angle, not only head on. Raking light is where sheen shows its hand.
• Run a damp cloth over a dry sample if the room will take a beating.
• Put the samples for walls and trim next to each other to judge the step between them.

If your walls have been patched, look at the sample near the repair. That is where a shinier sheen will either hide it or call attention to it.

One more practical point. Walldecor's published prep plan includes a choice of low-VOC paints. Low-VOC lines generally come in a range of sheens, so ask the crew what is available in the color and finish you are leaning toward.

A short checklist before the painters arrive

• Lean shinier where hands and grime collect.
• Make trim a step or two shinier than the walls, on purpose.
• Keep ceilings flat unless there is a reason not to.
• Test samples on the real wall, in the real light, near any patches.
• Ask the crew to flag any surface problem a different sheen would only hide.

If you are weighing sheens for a room or a whole house, Walldecor's interior painting page explains how a job runs, or call (773) 960-2273 and talk it through with the crew. They are experienced with helping clients make the most informed decorating and painting decisions.