Flat: ceilings since they do not usually get dirty
Satin: walls because it's washable
Semigloss: trim for sheen and a little pop

Timely topic for me. Also, what about eggshell?

I'm doing the beadboard in semi-gloss. I don't like flat paint, but still need something pretty and washable above the bb.

I don't think I've seen satin before.

Flat for ceilings to absorb sound
Satin for walls
High gloss for trim because it's easy to keep clean and I like the richness of it and the way it catches the light

Flat for ceilings.
Satin for walls.

Flat for bedrooms, foyer, hall, and living room.

Satin for kitchen and bath. Including the ceilings.

Flat ceilings, satin baths and kitchen, eggshell (actully, SW Cashmere low luster) for the rest.

Well I am in the minority and say Satin for trim, doors, cabs etc. Flat for ceiling and hallways, Bathrms and kit eggshell.

I also think it greatly depends on what wall texture one might have.

Eggshell ; for walls
Semi-gloss ; for all woodwork, beadboard, built-ins, cabs

I put semi-gloss on most of my ceilings in the new house of ours- Stunning !!

I'm clueless. :) Why does flat paint absorb sound? Is it thicker or something?

Generally we're using eggshell on walls, semi-gloss on ceilings. Our trim is wood so no paint there. We deviated in two rooms: the dining room is all semi-gloss, and the library is flat (gave the truest reading of the red we chose, and we didn't want any reflection at all from the walls to cast a pink glow onto the white ceiling).

I don't like any sheen to my walls and so I have always used flat. Recently I've been using BM matte which is not quite flat. I have smooth walls.The areas that previously had wallpaper now have eggshell.
I use semi gloss for trim.
I no longer have children at home and I have no animals, so wear and tear is pretty light.

I love flat, but be forwarned, my dark flat, even on the ceiling shows any touch, even like a wool duster for cobwebs. I am having to redo where I used flat. Don't know if light flat shows also. Beautiful but fragile. Just something to consider.

Oakleyok, could flat absorb sound better because it is softer than eggshell etc? It doesn't bounce light off as much, so it makes sense to me that it wouldn't bounce sound off as much. Think sound against glass vs. sound against flat paint.

I use:
Flat on ceilings
Matte (BM) on kitchen and bathroom walls
Flat on all other walls
Semi on trim

For some reason builder used semi in all closets and we've kept them that way, but don't think I'd do that myself.

Bodica, you're right, builder put flat in bathroom and where one's knee touches the wall there is a big spot from skin oil. We will be repainting soon in lighter color, matte or eggshell finish.

I really think it depends on the color being used. If a flat paint is used in a dark color on a wall that could be leaned or brushed against, it will burnish. Burnishing happens when a wall is brushed just slightly, leaving a mark that requires painting to remove it. I used a satin when using a dark color(red), w/charcoal primer. ;o)

I used to like flat paint for walls and ceilings, but I've switched to eggshell for both. Love it. I have stained trim and the eggshell gives the walls more depth and bounces the light around. I have smooth plaster walls and ceilings - no texture. (Love that too.)
Diane

Why does flat paint absorb sound? Is it thicker or something?

Oakleyok, Bigdoglover is correct. The harder and shinier a surface is, the more sound bounces off it. So when we want to get rid of feedback, like in a home theater, we use rugs, draperies, books, and so on to absorb sound. I used to sing and play my guitar for a living and I'd get it all set up and it would be fine for several nights, then some club owner would do something like move the jukebox, and boom, I'd get feedback. The jukebox was absorbing sound, but the wall behind it was reflecting it. It can be really sensitive.

~~

I also think it greatly depends on what wall texture one might have.

Acountryfarm, could you elaborate on this please? I have, I think they call it, orange skin texture on my walls -- little smooth bumps. I have the LR in a semigloss right now (what was I thinking?) and hate that. Now I'm wondering if I should go to a flat, or an eggshell, or a satin?

I'd always been under the impression that all walls were flat paint but kitchens and baths. My dad was a builder and that's how he always did it. But now I'm not so sure any more.

I really prefer flat paint on walls if they're plaster or drywall, and if they stay fairly clean. But when I was painting over paneling, I used satin - I think that wood looks better with a little gloss, but not much.

Semigloss on ceilings will show all drywall imperfections with time. Beware!!!

Semigloss on ceilings will show all drywall imperfections with time. Beware!!!

Yeah, but...we have moldings and plaster medallions on the ceilings too. Decided we wanted to highlight those and if a few flaws showed too, well, that's the beauty of an old house.

Our decorator wanted us to go high gloss, but I couldn't convince DH... :)

Here we normally use:

Flat for ceilings and walls
Semi gloss for trim and wood work

Matte or egg on ceilings and walls. Sometimes flat for the ceiling but it's not a rule for me. Entirely depends on the brand, some brand's eggshell gloss levels are too shiny to use on walls or ceiling.

I think it's kind of old school thinking that higher gloss levels have to be used in kitchens and baths. Again, depends on the brand but there's a healthy sized list of paint brands that have a matte that is at the very least washable and many even tip toes close to being scrubbable.

Pretty much can have it however you want it these days. Meaning you don't have to predicate sheen choice entirely on function, you can chose sheen strictly to meet your own aesthetic, design plan.

The product selection we have to chose from is incredible. Modern paint technology really isn't all that old -- when you stop and think about what we have to chose from to paint our homes and how convenient it is to obtain, it's truly amazing.

"For some reason builder used semi in all closets and we've kept them that way, but don't think I'd do that myself."

Oh, I forgot. I used semi-gloss in my closets! It does reflect light a little bit in the dark closet. Also one never really has the desire to change the paint color repeatdly in the closets and the walls stay cleaner with semi-gloss. Cobwebs and dust don't stick.

I don't think it is "old school" thinking to use semi gloss in the kitchens. A lot of older homes like mine do not have exhaust fans built in and with lots of frying the walls get greasy and need to be washed frequently. Flat may be "washable" but I think (and of course I may be wrong) that flat traps grease more than semi-gloss and would need more frequent washing. And semi-gloss is just easier to wash with the sponge gliding right across it rather than sticking and needing 'elbow grease' to wash the walls.

mclarke says"Flat for ceilings to absorb sound "

This taken from another site.

The problem is that the only two things that deaden sound are mass and distance. There are three acoustic things one might try to do with paint, you can try to block the sound from entering the next room, you can try to absorb high-frequencies or you can try to diffuse high-frequencies. I think you'll find that paint is poorly-suited to all three of these activites.

Semi-gloss or gloss for trim, flat for ceilings and all walls, is what I prefer. I painted my home in medium shade colors. I like flat for these mediaum and darker tones. In my last home I painted our 2 story family room in eggshell and hated it, at night, the light refected off the shinier dark walls. I also didnt like that it showed every imperfection. Our Florida home has the orange peel walls and IMO the flat looks much better on a bumpy surface. Recently, I picked a non sherwin williams color at Lowes. They have a washable flat paint which I am really pleased with. Flat does have some draw backs but I prefer the matte results on the walls. My kids are trained well, and do not touch the walls....its the neighborhood kids I have to tell not to touch the walls:)

I have just recently painted my kitchen and hallway walls in SW Duration Matte. I really like the finish and it is very easy to clean. I used to do walls in eggshell but now that I have used the SW matte I think I will stick with that sheen from now on in most rooms.

eggshell on all walls, flat on ceilings and semi gloss on moldings

Semigloss on walls.

Gloss on trim.

We're messy and we have animals. Never know where someone is going to throw up.

I once did a room in all gloss. Everyone who saw it loved that room. It did show every bump in the old plaster walls but that was just part of the charm.

Flat looks best on both walls and ceilings imo, however flat isn't very practical for walls as I've yet to find that is scrubbable and truly flat. There are some that say flat and scrubbable, but I've not found them to be flat.

Flat hides a mulitude of imperfections in walls/ceilings because light doesn't reflect off of it like other ones do. The more shine the more reflections and easier it is to see imperfections.

I like eggshell and satin for walls due to ease of cleaning when pets/children/adults put their dirt on them.

Semi-gloss I only like for trim.

Gloss - too shiny for me.

I love gloss on trim.

You don't see it in home decor magazine spreads because it causes problems with the photographer's lighting -- but in real life (where I live MOST of the time, LOL), I think it looks wonderful.

Oops, sorry. I should clarify what I said.

I don't think it is old school to make those traditonal sheen choices for kitchens and baths, I do think it is old school to think one HAS to.

Flats aren't scrubbable, rarely washable. Flat, you wipe gently and then touch up. That really can be a sweet way to deal with wall boo boos that happen from living in your house. Flat is not a bad deal.

However, it is the MATTEs that I was talking about. A good many of them are rough and tumble and can take regular wiping and cleaning. SW Duration is a good example. Pittsburgh Paints Accent Colors in matte is another -- that's been a reliable choice for me for darker colors in bathrooms in the past. SW hadn't been able to do dark colors in Duration Matte.

Supposedly Ben Moore is coming out with a new kitchen and bath paint that addresses that nagging problem of water whitening that so many people are experiencing with the modern formulations. That is a needed solution and am looking forward to checking it out.

So, the buffet of paint and sheen choices out there is huge and every one should be able to find and do whatever they want in this day and age. It's like Burger King! You really can have it your way.

I love high gloss used in unusual ways too. Done right, it will stop you in your tracks and make you go "WOW".