What Paint Is Best For Walls?

What Paint Is Best For Walls?

When choosing the best paint for walls, emulsion paint stands out as the superior choice amongst paint types for walls due to its water-based formula that offers easy application, quick drying times (2-4 hours), and low VOC emissions.

Finding what paint is best for walls is crucial, and this decision can make or break the look of your space. In this article, we’ll discuss the different types of paints you can use for painting walls, the various paint finishes available, and which paint finish is best for different rooms.

Emulsion paint used on wall in living room

What Type of Paint Should be Used on Walls?

Before we get into what type of paint is best for walls, let’s look at all the types of paint available for interior walls.

Main Types of Paints for Interior Walls

When choosing paint for interior walls, it’s important to understand the different types available and how they perform. The main categories are:

  • Emulsion paints (water-based paints): Emulsion paints are the most common type used for interior walls in residential and commercial spaces. They’re water-based, meaning they use water as a solvent, which makes them easier to apply and clean.
  • Oil-based paints: These paints use solvents such as turpentine and mineral spirits, making them more durable but slower to dry. They offer a smooth finish that’s wear-and-tear resistant.
  • Acrylic paint (also known as latex paint): Acrylic paint is technically a type of water-based paint, but differs from basic emulsion in terms of composition and performance.

Reasons to Use Emulsion Paint for Interior Walls

One of the main benefits of emulsion paints is the ease of application. Emulsion paints are far easier to apply than oil-based or acrylic paints because they have a smoother consistency. As a result, you can easily use rollers or paint brushes to apply the paint. Also, you’ll need fewer coats of paint to cover your surface.

Emulsion paints have fewer VOC (Volatile-organic compounds) than oil-based paints. VOCs are the toxic fumes released by interior paint. It’s what gives the paint its unpleasant odour. With fewer VOCs, emulsion paints are better for our environment and the air quality inside your home.

Finally, emulsion paints are relatively quick drying. For example, if you decide to transform your walls with oil-based paint instead of emulsion paints, you’ll have to wait at least 24 hours for the paint to dry instead of 2-4 hours with water-based paint. So, if you need to use your room the same day as painting, you can ask your painter to use emulsion paints.

Types of Paint Finishes for Walls

Now that we’ve covered the paint types you can use for your walls, let’s talk about paint finishes. Paint finishes refer to the level of shine given off by a type of paint. For example, glossy paints have a higher sheen level than matt paint, making them look more reflective.

Emulsion paint is available in a wide range of finishes, including:

  • Flat paint: This type of paint has no sheen. Although it’s completely matte, it has a velvety smooth finish that absorbs light and creates a rich, understated look. It’s excellent for hiding wall imperfections and surface irregularities. However, it’s not as washable or durable,  and is prone to scuffs and marks. This paint type is best for the walls of low-traffic rooms like formal living rooms or bedrooms.

  • Matt paint: This type has a very low sheen and a soft, chalky finish. Matt paint is popular for its classic, elegant look, perfect for the walls in living rooms, dining rooms, and master bedrooms. It can hide imperfections better than shinier finishes, and touch-ups blend easily with the surrounding area. However, it’s less durable than glossier options.

  • Satin paint: This paint finish has a mid-level sheen, which is more reflective than matt, but not shiny. Its smooth and slightly glossy surface reflects light softly. It’s also more durable and easier to clean than matt or flat finishes and is moisture-resistant, making it ideal for kitchen and bathroom walls. However, surface imperfections and marks are also more obvious with this finish.

  • Eggshell paint: Has a low to mid-sheen between matt and satin. Its appearance is subtle and velvety, with a slight shine, resembling the surface of an eggshell. It’s more durable than matt, but not as reflective as satin or gloss. This paint type is suitable for walls in high-traffic areas, woodwork, and trims.

  • Semi-gloss paint: This paint finish gives off a noticeable shine. Its sleek and polished finish reflects a significant amount of light. It’s highly durable, easy to clean, and moisture-resistant, making it great for walls in kitchens, bathrooms, and utility rooms. Because of its shiny finish, it highlights imperfections and requires thorough prep for a smooth result.

  • Gloss paint: This paint finish has a very high shine with a reflective and smooth appearance. Gloss paint is often used to create contrast or highlight architectural details like doors, window frames, skirting boards, and metal surfaces. It’s extremely durable and washable but requires a smooth, well-prepped surface and easily shows flaws.
Bedroom walls painted in white and orange paint

Best Type of Paint for Walls by Room

So far, we’ve established that emulsion paints are typically the best paint for walls. But the paint finish you should use for your walls will depend on the room you need to paint. When choosing a paint finish for your interior walls, consider a few things before making a decision:

  • What’s the room used for
  • The style of the room
  • What type of paint will be used on the ceilings and woodwork (skirting boards, doors, and window frames)
  • The colour you want to paint the walls with

You must consider all of these things to ensure you choose wall paint that complements your decor and serves the function of your space. If you want the best paint colours and finishes for your residential or commercial project, consult a local painter and decorator.

Best Paint Type for Bedroom Walls

One of the most popular finishes for a bedroom is a matt emulsion. It gives a lovely, soft, and smooth finish, making it great for bedrooms when you want to create a luxurious look on surfaces. There are several reasons for this: For starters, the low sheen of matt makes it better at hiding imperfections in the wall, compared to higher-sheen paints like silk or gloss finishes. So, when you use matte paint in your room, the surfaces will appear smoother and more uniform.

Professional painters will point out that one of the drawbacks of a matt finish is that it’s less durable than higher-sheen finishes. However, bedrooms tend to be low-traffic areas in the house. As a result, your walls won’t get scuffed or dirty that much. Matt paint is the best choice for bedroom walls because it’s a finish that’s easier to touch up than other finishes and blends well with the surrounding area.

Now, we’ve narrowed it down to a matt paint finish for your bedroom walls. But if you head to your local DIY shop, you’ll still find hundreds of matt paint options for your walls. Here’s our top pick: Harmony paint by Tikkurila. We recommend it because it’s a tough matt and gives protection from finger marks and scuffs. Also, it’s very washable and has the best washability level.

Best Paint Type for Living Room Walls

At Millennium Contracts, we typically recommend an eggshell finish for living room walls. The look of eggshell paint is similar to the surface of an eggshell. It has slightly more sheen than matt paint but still has a soft and low-profile finish. The low sheen is perfect for creating an elegant and sophisticated effect.

Beyond the looks of eggshell paint, it’s highly resistant to stains and dirt. As a result, living room walls painted with eggshell will be easy to maintain. Also, eggshell paint is relatively durable, which makes it suitable for high-traffic rooms like a living room. So, you won’t have to repaint your walls often to keep a fresh look in your room. Finally, the low sheen of eggshell paint makes it good at hiding imperfections on your surface.

When it comes to actually choosing a living room emulsion paint with an eggshell finish, you are spoilt for choice. If we had to pick one, it would have to be the Dulux Easycare Washable & Tough because it’s highly durable. In fact, Dulux designed it to be extra efficient at withstanding everyday wear and tear, like scuffs and dirt. So, it’s ideal for high-traffic areas like living rooms, especially if you have children. Also, Dulux offers this paint in a wide range of colours, so you’ll easily find a colour that suits your personal style. 

Best Paint Type for Kitchen Walls

Satin paint is the best paint for kitchen walls. Its high sheen value makes it more resistant to dirt, scuffs, and moisture. Kitchens are one of the most traffic- and moisture-heavy areas of the house. Using satin paint on walls will prevent your freshly painted walls from peeling and cracking. Also, satin is a very durable paint finish, far more durable than flat and matte finishes. That means it stands up well to gentle scrubbing, making satin-painted walls easy to clean. 

Dulux Diamond Interior Acrylic is our favourite satin paint to use on kitchen walls. It provides increased durability and resistance to stains. It’s also quick-drying, so it’s excellent for painting a kitchen you’ll need to use ASAP.

Lots of different coloured tins of paint on a table

Choosing the Best Brand for Interior Wall Paint

As professional painters and decorators with decades of experience, we have one piece of advice I’d give to DIY-ers—AVOID cheap paints. Here are some of the issues you may encounter with lower-quality paints: 

  • Needing more coats of paint to get a good quality finish. That’s because cheaper paint contains fewer pigments and binders (ingredients that give paint its power to cover surfaces) than high-quality paint brands. Because cheap paints contain less pigment, the colour won’t look as good.
  • Because cheap paint has less pigment and binders, the finish is more likely to be uneven. So when you finish painting, you’ll probably find yourself wondering whether the roller marks will go away when the paint dries (sadly, they won’t!).
  • Your paint finish won’t be as durable. So, your painted walls will start fading, peeling, and cracking and will need to be repainted sooner than expected.
  • Cheaper paint products tend to have a limited choice of colours and sheens. So, you’ll have a limited selection of products to choose paint from.

If you’re wondering what paint brands to avoid, here are some I’d steer clear of:

  • Crown paints
  • Johnstone’s paint
  • Wickes paint
  • Homebase paint
  • B&Q paint

So, based on all of the above issues, it’s always a safe bet to use a quality paint brand for your walls. We’ve tried and tested virtually every paint product on the market, and these brands achieve the best results:

  • Farrow & Ball – A brand we regularly use; here’s a sample of a completed paint job in Dulwich.
  • Dulux
  • Tikkurila
  • Little Greene
  • Paint & Paper Library
  • Zoffan
Sign saying too long; didn't read

TLDR (Too-Long-Didn’t-Read)

Emulsion paints are our recommendation for the best wall paint.

That’s because when it comes to painting, few paints are as easy to apply, quick drying or low in VOCs as emulsion paints. Also, emulsion paints come in a variety of paint finishes, ranging from soft sheen to high sheen levels.

Here are the paints I recommended to use in each of your indoor rooms:

  • Bedrooms: Tikkurila’s Harmony (matt finish emulsion)
  • Living rooms: Dulux Easycare Washable & Tough (eggshell finish)
  • Kitchens: Dulux Diamond Interior Acrylic (satin finish)

But, no matter what paint you choose for decorating your walls, avoid using cheap paint brands. Always prepare your wall for painting by completing preparation tasks like sanding, filling, and priming the surfaces. Following these steps will ensure each coat of paint adheres and covers your walls well.

Choosing Professional Painters and Decorators for Your Walls

Painting the interior of your home or business? Achieving a long-lasting, high-quality finish takes skill, precision, and proper preparation. Hiring professional painters and decorators like Millennium Contracts is often the smarter choice for several reasons.

Proper Surface Preparation

A quality paint job begins long before the first coat is applied. Professional painters know how to identify and repair wall imperfections, fill cracks and holes, sand surfaces for proper adhesion, and prime areas that need sealing. Skipping or rushing this step often results in peeling paint, uneven colour, or visible flaws.

Smooth, Flawless Application

Professional painters and decorators have the tools, techniques, and experience to apply even coats without drips or patchy areas, cut sharp edges, and avoid roller marks and brush streaks. This results in a clean, polished finish that’s not so easily replicated without training.

Painting and Decorating Advice

Not sure whether to go for matt, silk, or eggshell paint for your walls? A professional will assess your space, lighting, and usage to recommend the best paint type, finish, and even brand and product for durability and appearance. 

Efficient and Hassle-Free Completion

Painting a room, or an entire property, can be time-consuming and disruptive. Professional teams can be relied on to work quickly and efficiently and deliver on agreed timelines. They’ll also keep your space clean and tidy to minimise disruption to your household or business.

High Quality Results

By using the right materials and proper techniques, professionally painted interiors usually look better and last longer. They’ll help avoid poor coverage, premature fading, and chipping or cracking of your walls, giving you peace of mind to enjoy high-quality results.

Are you seeking to have your walls professionally painted? Contact Millennium Contracts for a free quote today.