Although you clean the rooms in your house on a regular basis, you probably don't clean your walls. They are forgotten surfaces that don't serve a daily function, but they still collect dirt, dust, fingerprints, marks, and stains, especially if you have a busy household, small children and pets. Some people actually wash their walls periodically, but this can remove paint as well and dirt and grime. Over time, you'll need a fresh coat of paint to keep your interior clean and bright.

When it’s time for new paint, choosing the right paint will give you the best coverage and save you money. Good paint should wear well and provide easy cleaning and maintenance for the surface it covers. Consider these different paint options and design tips:

This ”lacquered" look provides high durability and easy cleaning. It’s a great choice for contemporary spaces such as kitchen and bathroom cabinets, interior doors, and trim. It’s ultra-shiny and reflects light, however, it does show imperfections on walls and ceilings.

Provides high durability and easy cleaning with a slightly lower sheen than high gloss. It’s good for kitchen and bathroom cabinets, walls and trim where moisture, spills, and grease stains are a problem. It is used less often as paint technology has improved and trends have changed.

Provides high durability and easy cleaning. With a velvety, soft finish, it works well in high-traffic area like foyers, hallways, family rooms, and children’s bedrooms. Satin paint is the most popular finish for our clients cabinetry, trim, & doors, but it can show roller or brush strokes with improper application.

Provides medium durability and cleaning and has only a slight luster. It’s most often used on walls in areas like living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms. However, some clients prefer to use it in areas such as the kitchen, bath or playroom that may have a risk of "splash" exposure, but still want a low sheen finish.

Provides medium-low durability and cleaning. Flat paint has the most pigment and provides the most coverage on walls since it doesn’t reflect any light. It works well in interior spaces that don’t get much wear-and-tear. Trends today make this a client preference. While it is not as durable, it is easy to touch up.

Although your home’s interior spaces get a lot of wear-and-tear from daily activities, your home’s exterior takes much more abuse from outdoor elements. Over the course of a year, your home’s exterior paint takes a beating from hot sun, rain, snow, wind, and pollution. These elements can quickly fade your paint, splinter your siding and wood trim, and damage your doors, gutters and facings. Your exterior will likely need to be painted more often than your interior to protect the structure of your home.