You're thinking hard before you begin painting your living room. Choosing the right color, choosing the right materials, and even more importantly, choosing the finish is crucial for the appearance of your walls and ceilings.
If we first think about the aesthetics offered by a finishing paint or how to paint our living room : other criteria are even more important.
We can first think about the durability of the paint on your support (washability), the maintenance required depending on the finish chosen (matt, satin, glossy or velvet), but also depending on the visual effect that we want (reflection of light, masking imperfections, etc.)
As you will have understood, choosing a paint for your living room will have a certain influence on the durability, maintenance and atmosphere that you will give to your living room.
This guide will therefore aim to demonstrate the differences between matte, satin or velvet paint finishes.
Our different paint finishes
You've heard about the different paint finishes, but don't know much about them? Now's the time to understand the differences between the different finishes we offer.
Matte finish, an elegant appearance
Matte is a finish that is always recommended for a ceiling, regardless of the room (except in a kitchen or bathroom). It is a finish that will give you an elegant appearance. Imperfections will be reduced because they are less visible thanks to this finish.
Be careful, however, that the washability of your paint will be reduced with a matte finish. It will therefore not be the ideal finish if you have pets, or if you have young children in particular.
If your living room is spacious, using matte paint will create a cozy atmosphere in the living rooms or dining rooms.
The satin finish, a luminous piece
Satin is an aspect that will reflect light better: it is without a doubt the finish that will allow you to reflect and diffuse light.
When it comes to painting a wall, satin (or velvet, if you don't have one) is often the material you'll use. Satin has some definite advantages.
If you live in an area with high humidity, be aware that satin is the most durable fabric for humid rooms. Its superior washability in this type of room is well-established.
In a room that is subject to a lot of use, such as a living room where you will spend a lot of time, satin is ideal for maintaining durability over time.
It is also a finish to favor if the brightness of the room is an important factor for you.
Satin is undoubtedly the ideal finish if you want to achieve a bright and modern ambiance in your living room. This observation also applies to all rooms in the house: whether it's a living room, a bedroom, or any other surface on which paint can be applied (wood in particular).
Velvet paint, a happy medium
Velvet is a finish that falls between satin and matte in terms of both appearance and characteristics.
Increasingly used in interiors, velvet stands out for its ability to offer moderate light reflection and with superior washability to matte paints.
Another advantage of velvet is its shiny appearance, which is less pronounced than a satin finish. Satin is often criticized for its excessive shine, which is not always desirable for homeowners planning renovations.
Choose the finish according to the brightness of the room
The finishing paint will have an undeniable impact on the atmosphere you want to create in your living room.
Not all of them will have the same effect on the brightness and light in your room.
Matte for a soft look
Matte paint is ideal for adding a calming feel to a living room. If your room is large, matte paint can be applied without too much impact and, above all, without the fear of losing brightness.
Our advice on choosing a finishing paint is also important, depending on the condition of your surface. If your walls have visible imperfections that are difficult to cover, repainting with a matte paint can be beneficial because it will mask any imperfections due to its less luminous appearance.
Matte finish is not necessarily recommended for wall applications, although technically it doesn't pose any problems. Matte paint, on the other hand, is best suited for ceiling applications.
Satin and velvet, the most used finishes
This leaves little room for doubt, satin and velvet are the most used paint finishes.
Satin is the aspect that will most accentuate the brightness of the room and if for you this is an important criterion, then use rather light colors to accentuate this point (white, beige or a light gray). The slightly shiny aspect offered by a satin paint will have an impact on the perception of space, thus allowing the size of the room to visually enlarge.
However, we recommend that you thoroughly prepare your living room walls before applying a satin finish paint, particularly because of the gloss it creates. Defects related to the surface will be more visible.
The glossiest paint finishes are not the most valued, because the lacquered appearance is often criticized and feared in an interior: even more so in a living room like the lounge.
