Paint is one of the most important elements of your home's interior. It can make or break a room, so choosing the right type of paint for each space is worth choosing.

Paints come in different finishes and textures, which have other effects on how light reflects off them. For example, flat paints are great for hiding imperfections on walls, while eggshell and satin finishes will give you more glossiness without being too shiny.

To help you decide which paint is best for each room in your house (or apartment), we've compiled this guide on choosing interior paints!

Types of Interior Paint

The first step in choosing the right type of paint for your home is to determine what type of surface you're painting. You can use an oil-based or latex interior paint if it's wood, metal, or glass (such as windows). However, acrylic or enamel is better for working with plaster walls or ceilings.

If you want to keep things simple and use water-based paint that doesn't require special preparation beforehand (like a primer), look no further than our premium line of Benjamin Moore Advance Waterborne Interior Paints! These premium paints offer superior performance while minimizing VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

Latex Paint

Latex paint is the most popular type of interior paint. It's also the most versatile, as it can be used on almost any surface and comes in a wide range of colors.

Latex paints are easy to apply, low-odor, and quickly dry (fewer fumes). They're also very durable--they resist fading and cracking over time, so you won't have to repaint your walls every few years like oil-based paints.

The biggest downside of latex is that it doesn't stick well to some surfaces like wood paneling or brick; if your home has these types of surfaces, then consider using something else instead!

Oil-Based Paint

Oil-based paints are the most durable but can be challenging to work with. They're best used on surfaces that need extra protection, such as high-traffic areas or in kitchens where grease and water are common.

Advantages:

• Oil-based paints have a rich, smooth finish.
• They're easy to clean up with soap and water.

Disadvantages:

• They take longer to dry than latex paints- about 24 hours versus 4 hours for latex- so you need to plan your painting project accordingly!
• Best uses: If you want your walls or cabinets to look their best for years without needing any touchups, oil-based paints are the way to go!
• Oil paints have a strong smell so you need to air the place a longer period of time.
• Oil paint is much harder to come by for architectural (residential) coatings and is more associated with industrial coatings nowadays due to environmental concerns. 

Acrylic Paint

Acrylic paint is a water-based paint usually used for interior walls, furniture, and other surfaces. It's one of the most popular types of interior paint because it has many advantages over other paints. Acrylic is easy to apply, dries quickly, and can be used on almost any surface, including woodwork, plaster, and masonry.

Acrylic also has some disadvantages compared with oil-based paints: it may turn yellow over time; it doesn't adhere well to rough surfaces such as concrete block walls; it will not withstand heavy scrubbing or washing (although this isn't an issue if you're using acrylics indoors); some people find that fumes from acrylics are irritating to their eyes while others find them pleasant enough not worth worrying about at all!

Enamel Paint

Enamel paint is a durable, high-quality paint perfect for interior walls and ceilings. It can withstand moisture, making it ideal for bathrooms or kitchens. The main advantage of enamel paints is their durability; they're resistant to stains and scratches, so you don't have to worry about your walls getting damaged while you're busy cooking dinner or cleaning up after your kids' messy art projects.

Enamel paints come in many different finishes--from flat to glossy--so you can choose one that best suits the look you want in your home (or office). They also come in various colors, so there's plenty of variety when choosing an aesthetic direction!

The main disadvantage of enamel paints is that they tend not to be very breathable: since they're designed specifically for use on interior surfaces like walls and ceilings rather than outdoors where air circulation is more prevalent (like with exterior siding).

This means there may be some issues with condensation forming on top if there's too much humidity inside during winter months when temperatures drop below freezing point outside - but this isn't usually enough reason alone not to buy one since most people won't notice unless they live somewhere extremely humid year round such as Florida where humidity levels are high due rainforest climate conditions."

Considerations When Choosing Interior Paint

Before you choose to paint, there are some things to consider. The most important thing is to ensure that the interior paint you choose will suit your home and lifestyle.

The first thing to consider when choosing interior paint is the sheen of the finish. A flat or matte finish will create less glare than a high gloss one, which can be distracting in some rooms but great for others (like kitchens). Consider an eggshell or satin finish instead of full gloss if you want something more subtle.

Another thing to consider when choosing interior paint is color--you want it to be light enough! It would be best to consider how much coverage each coat will provide before purchasing any paint cans from your local hardware store or big box retailer like Home Depot/Lowes/etc.

Sheen is Typically the Number One Consideration

The sheen of paint is typically the number one consideration when choosing interior paint. The sheen describes how much light is reflected off of a surface and how much light penetrates into it. Low sheens will hide substrate imperfections but lack washability, while higher sheens reflect more light off substrate imperfections but have more washability.

Low-sheen paints are generally used in rooms where you want to conceal flaws in your walls, such as textured walls or cracks in plaster. High-sheen paints are used on smooth surfaces like ceilings because they give a brighter look to rooms without hiding any imperfections on the wall itself (since there aren't any).

Ceiling paint is beefed-up primer; it's designed to cover holes and cracks so that when you add another layer of topcoat later on, there won't be any visible signs left behind by those imperfections!

Matte Finish on Walls

Matte finishes are ideal for walls, as they can disguise minor imperfections in drywall surfaces. If your walls have a matte finish and you're painting over a previous coat of paint, consider putting two coats of primer on the walls first. Manufacturers have developed scrubbable matte finishes that will allow crayons to be removed without damaging the paint coating

Satin Finish on Trim

The LRV measures how much light is reflected from the paint's surface. A higher LRV means more light will be reflected, giving your trim a brighter appearance. You'll want to choose an exterior latex paint with an LRV between 50 and 65 for your trim work. Benjamin Moore's Scuff X and Sherwin Williams' Scuff Tuff are two popular products in this category; both have an LRV of 55-60, making them good options for use on trim.

Exterior latex paints also tend to be easier to clean than interior paints, so if you're planning on painting your windowsills or other hard-to-reach areas inside your house (or if you just don't want to deal with any messes), consider using an exterior product instead!

Additional Considerations

There are a few additional considerations to consider when choosing the right type of paint for your home.

You should pay attention to the LRV (Light Reflective Value) of any sheen level you select. The higher an eggshell or satin finish has an LRV, the more light-reflective it will be--and vice versa for flat paints. If there's not much natural light coming into your space, consider using an eggshell or satin finish instead of flat so it looks light enough. You can also use lighter colors on walls with lower ceilings; this will help make them seem taller by reflecting more light onto them!

Another thing to remember is whether stains can be removed easily from different surfaces--especially if pets or children are living with you! For example, oil-based enamels (like those used on wood) tend not only to provide excellent coverage but also last longer than latex ones do because they're harder wearing; however, these types may not always come off easily when mistakes happen, like spilling something onto them accidentally later down the road due to their chemical composition being stronger than other kinds' counterparts'.

Conclusion

When choosing the right type of interior paint for you, don’t hesitate to contact us for all your painting needs and let the professionals help.