Searched for this subject, but didn’t find anything. What’s the lowest paint sheen I can get away with in a kitchen? I’m planning on BM Satin for the walls (including a wall next to the range). The ceiling connects to the dining and living room with no bulkhead, and today the (young) guy at the BM store said I could use flat for the whole ceiling.
I’m no chef, but I will be removing steamy dishes from the microwave. Let’s assume I won’t be turning on the vent fan unless the smoke alarm is going off. Can I get away with the flat ceiling in the kitchen? How about the satin? Thanks everyone
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I buy Dunn Edwards paint and they have various sheens -- Flat, Low Sheen, Satin, Semi-Gloss, High Gloss. I used Low Sheen in a kitchen and it was fine.
It's an "in the trade secret" or at least that what a painter friend of mine commented when he and I talked about this very subject. According to him, you don't want high sheen anything on the ceiling because it will amplify any and every mistake you make before and after you paint.
Thanks guys. I wouldn't worry too much about low sheen, but am I asking for trouble with flat? It will definitely hide the imperfections, and that's great in the living and dining, but after a few years of occasionally cooking something on a burner will I have a greasy, unwashable, unprepable mess that will never take paint again?
I think it depends on your cooking patterns. A little bit of steam or the occasional burnt roast won't require cleaning the ceiling nor will it damage the paint. So, if that's the case, use a flat paint to hide flaws. Better yet, use a washable flat (such as Benjamin-Moore's matte).
Frying, however, is probably responsible for most "grease" build-up on cabinets, vent hoods and ceilings. If you do a bit of frying, you may want to consider a more washable sheen, such as eggshell. Anything more than eggshell on the ceiling starts to look garish, to my eye.
Down the road, if you want to re-paint and there's grease on the ceiling, there are pretty good oil-base primers that will seal it up and hide any grease spots.
By the way, my own kitchen ceiling is flat white. I painted it about 10 years ago. We fry occasionally (about every other week) and the ceiling looks just about as good as when I first painted it.
There is information about what paints to use that is no longer valid. Years ago, flat paint could not be washed, this hasn't been the case for a long time but the old standards still get cited. The sheen is now a matter of personal preference and the look you want to achieve. The higher the sheen, the more any imperfections in the walls and ceiling will be highlighted. Roller marks can also be easy to see. A flat sheen will absorb rather than reflect light. Because of this, you don't see roller marks or uneven surfaces. If you want a nice flat looking wall or ceiling surface, go with a flat sheen. If you want a perfect looking surface with satins, semi-gloss or gloss, you have to do some significant prep work and step up your application techniques.
I used some of the new BM matte wall paint a while ago, the expensive stuff. I'm an experienced painter. It was the worst paint I've ever used, every stroke of the roller showed no matter how many coats or what nap. I returned the unused and got my money back. Since I was out a days work because of the problems with this paint, I decided to get a less expensive paint. I bought some Ace ceiling white at $9.99 a gallon. It's the best flat white ceiling paint I've used. Great coverage easy to apply, no marks. The flat wall paint was very good, too. I still use BM satin oil Impervo for traditional looking trim. I don't like the new acrylic Impervo. Satin trim on flat walls has a nice clean look. It's my recommendation for any room.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Thanks hammer1. I'll relax now about the flat ceiling in the kitchen... but now I can start wondering about whether I should go with BM or not...