Choosing the Right Kind of Paint for Your Dream Home

It's the festive time again! Many of you must be planning a fresh coat of paint for your house. The toughest question you will be grappling with will be what is the right paint for my house? We all agree that right paint can do wonders to your home. But choosing the right kind of paint is not only troublesome but mindboggling too. Sometimes you are confident about the colour, but not sure about the perfect shade. While at other times, the type of finish confuses you- whether you want a glossy finish or a 'not-so-glossy' one (because many a times you don't know the name of finish types).

Photo Credit: blog.builddirect.com

Paints should be easy to clean and should stay on the walls for long without blots. So, before you buy buckets full of paint, here are a few questions you should ask yourself:

Which 'paint type' do I want?

Basically there are two types of paints- water-based and oil-based. Water-based paints have low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and can be easily cleaned with water, whereas, oil-based paints are higher in VOC and need paint thinner or turpentine for cleanup. Oil-based paints give a more 'leveled' finish and gloss as compared to that of water-based paints but take longer time to dry than the latter. However, for Indian customers, the following paint terminologies are also important:

Distemper- This paint costs less and is a mixture of lime, chalk, colouring agents and water.

Emulsion- These high-quality paints are a mix of water (sometimes oil) and emulsifying agents. They give a matte finish to the wall and are easy to apply and wash.

Enamel- Also called lustre paints; enamels are durable and give an elegant look to your room.

What 'type of sheen' do I want?

High Gloss- As the name suggests, this type is ultra-shiny and reflects light from the surface. This is easier to clean and long-lasting and is good for the parts of home that are frequently touched like doors, cabinets, window trims and kitchen. But high-gloss paint for living room or bedroom would be too much of lustre.

Semi-Gloss- This type of sheen is good for areas that are affected by moisture, stains and drips like chair rails, bathrooms and kitchen.

Satin- Giving a velvety touch to the wall, this sheen is easy to clean and is good for kid's bedroom, family room and other high traffic areas. The biggest drawback is that the brush strokes are visible which reveals the flaws in the paint.

Matte (Flat)- This type of sheen reflects very less light and is difficult to clean. This is best for the less used parts of the house.

Eggshell- If you measure the types on a scale according to sheen, eggshell comes between satin and flat. It is named so because the finish is like an eggshell- flat and is less shiny. This is, probably, the most popular one and is the best for dining room and living room.

Photo Credits: Flickr Kincaid42

What 'paint colour' do I want?

Though choice of paint colour is always a personal opinion, we can still help you based on what type of look you want to give your room.

Subtle Look- If you want to give a subtle and calm look to your home, you can go for a monochromatic approach. Experiment with varied textures of the same colour and you will be surprised with the result. Hues like pink, yellow, lavender and blue are good for bathroom and bedroom.

Vibrant Look- A jazzed-up and vibrant look is full of life. Shades of gold, purple, orange and red will do the best. Try to use different colours on adjoining walls (like sharp yellow and orange) to create a striking visual contrast.

Elegant Look- Neutral colours are the best to give your room a sophisticated look. Nowadays neutral does not only mean white, it comes in a wide range like almond, beige and many more. Colour throw or splash also sets a subtle and posh tone in the room.

Above mentioned were some of the questions you must ask yourself to decide how exactly you want to paint your interiors. You can also make a room visually smaller or bigger by painting one wall darker than the others. A high ceiling can be painted dark to make it appear lower.

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