would you use satin paint for a kid-friendly entryway & hallway?

[caedmyn]

We're having our entryway and a connected hallway redone and I'm not sure what paint finish I should ask for.  The same contractor did our living room with semi-gloss paint after I said I wanted washable paint, and it is definitely too shiny.  I wish I knew what finish was in our hallway currently, because it washes ok and has a little shine but not too much, but I don't know.  Is satin too shiny also for walls, or would it be a good balance between shine and washable-ness?

[fairfarmhand]

Satin, yes

[Guest]

Yes, I like satin. 

[Ali in OR]

I think ours is satin. Not shiny. I don't wash walls much but have wiped off marks before.

[Katy]

I think satin is still too shiny.  I choose eggshell finish for walls.  It's a little washable, but if it's too bad you can touch it up without doing the whole wall and you won't see it after it dries.

[Pawz4me]

Eggshell is my preferred finish for walls, but if the line of paint you're using doesn't have an eggshell then I suspect satin would be fine.

[Corraleno]

If you want some washability without too much shine, I would go with eggshell. IMO satin is still pretty shiny — that's what I use on woodwork. I actually prefer to use matte on walls, and I use dead flat on ceilings. Benjamin Moore's matte is pretty washable IME.

 

[alisoncooks]

I generally do satin for woodwork and eggshell for walls -- even with kids. (But I'm also known to tell my family to "stop touching the wall!" so there is that...)

[kbutton]

We use satin, and we're messy, but if you really do touch up, eggshell might be fine. We don't touch up like we should, so satin it is. 🙂 

[kbutton]

Oh, and microfiber rags seem to really help with dirt and scuff marks. I was astonished how much better it cleaned my walls than a regular rag. 

[Suzanne in ABQ]

I agree that semi-gloss is too shiny for most walls, with the exception of a bathroom.

The difference between eggshell and satin is minimal, and will vary from brand to brand. In my experience, most paints come with one or the other option, but not both.

If the hallway doesn't have any windows, you'll be fine with either one (lots of light equals lots of reflection).  If your kids are prone to running their dirty paws down the walls as they walk, you need something that's highly scrubbable. The paint salesperson should be able to direct you to their best product for your needs.

[cjzimmer1]

I had my walls painted in satin but to be honest, with 6 kids and the amount of dirt, marks, mess left on the wall was incredible.  I painted everything but the ceilings in semi-gloss.  The scrubability is amazing.  I value clean walls far more than I worry about shine and honestly after a little while you don't really notice the shine anymore (but the dirt always bugged me). I honestly can't imagine using anything less than satin with young kids.

[Spryte]

Eggshell or satin, but I have found the higher quality paints are more washable.

If you’re buying at a paint store, definitely talk to the sales person - they can tell you. I have a fondness for Benjamin Moore, their Aura paints are very washable.

[Islandgal]

I suggest Benjamin Moore semi gloss.

Wanted to add that many times my children have used the walls as their art canvas😂, and we have managed to remove their masterpieces without any paint damage.

Edited January 23, 2020 by Islandgal

[Lady Florida.]

25 minutes ago, Islandgal said:

I suggest Benjamin Moore semi gloss.

We're painting our whole house in semi-gloss. That's what our realtor told us we should do. I don't know if that's because it's what's popular now, or it just makes the walls look cleaner. Either way we followed her instructions because she's good at getting houses sold fast. 

Of course OP, you're not asking about painting to sell so take my post fwiw.

[Murphy101]

I’ve never found anything to beat the washability of semi-gloss. It’s the only thing I’ll use unless it’s ceilings.  Could not care less about the shine factor.