How to choose the right paint for the right room

Paint is a mix of four ingredients: resins, solvents, pigments and additives. Different make ups of these ingredients will give paint varying performance characteristics such as mould-killing and stain-blocking properties.

Whether you’re painting a bedroom, bathroom, sunroom or garage, you will need to make sure you have picked the right type of paint for that location in your house.

Getting the colour palette on point is only half of the process, you’ll also need a paint that will work with the functionality of the room.

Although a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen are both classed as interior spaces, they have vastly different conditions. Make sure the paint you select has been developed with your room’s purpose in mind.

You can choose from water-based paints that are available in a myriad of colours and sheens. Water-based paint can be applied in just about every room in your home, including exteriors and woodwork trim. Water based paints will also be much easier to use, are low in odour and are super simple to clean.

Top points to remember

Bathrooms – A bathroom is a wet area; moisture should be your first concern when applying a fresh coat of paint on your walls, with aesthetics being second. Moisture affects your bathroom walls in two ways: Firstly, the steam from baths and showers will gather on the walls. Secondly, water directly from the shower, bath, or sink may contact the walls, which can lead to mould developing.

Hallways – Is your house a busy place? Maybe you have pets who love to live indoors with you? A high traffic area like a hallway or entrance will need something durable. It will have to stand up against scuffs and more general wear and tear than other areas. The amount of light this spot gets may also impact the paint choice you make.

Childrens Bedrooms or Playrooms – Where there are children, there are little messy mishaps. Drawings on the wall, food splatters and just about anything else you can think of. To keep your paint looking better for longer, choose a kitchen and bathroom paint with mould resistance, anti-bacterial additives and a tough finish. Should you need to clean your walls it’s best to use a non-abrasive cleaner.

Paint finishes for different rooms

‘Sheen’ refers to how a paint looks when it is dry. This factor will also steer you to the right paint for various rooms in your home. In Australia there are four basic sheens when it comes to choosing the right paint.

Matte – Sometimes known as ‘flat’ finish, it is the most common paint that is used on walls and shows a velvety kind of texture. Hiding blemishes well, this paint is low glare but it can be a little challenging to clean.

Satin – Similar to eggshell, a satin finish has a little more gloss. Some paint brands will offer one or the other and sometimes both as a variation.

Semi-gloss – Most commonly used in kitchens, laundries and bathrooms, this paint facilitates washability and moisture resistance.

Gloss – You will notice that this type of light reflecting paint is most often seen on  cabinets, doors and trim. Highly durable and easily to wash this paint really brings out the details in your home.