My kitchen ceilings get a scrub once a year. Before I started washing them, I used to repaint them about every other year. Maybe not necessary in a brand spanking new house, but mine is two centuries old, and has been heated with wood or coal for that duration. Clapboard and around window and door jambs leak coal dust and ash dust. You'd never notice it from day to day, but over a year you would. Spider webs, greasy film lain down by cooking and a gas grate in the hearth, and black soot from oil lamps during power failures. I just put a strong solution of soapy water (laundry power works amazingly well for this) in a paint pan, and get a big, fluffy paint roller and roll it along the ceiling....let it do its thing for about fifteen minutes (you can see the grime letting loose). Follow that with a sponge cloth I rinse out often in clear water and you gotcha the cleanest, brightest nicest smelling kitchen you want. I can't believe people don't address this in an old house. The kitchen brightens up like someone turned on a light or opened the curtains. I don't do this in every room, but by gummy my kitchen is the heart of this home and gets heavy use and I want it pleasant.

I just used Aura Satin in Mascarpone and I really like how it came out. Kind of "glowy", not too shiny.

It's okay if you are willing to overlook what high sheen does to wall surfaces. Every flaw in every surface will now be amplified. Some designers don't even consider that. I think this look is fine in an older house with old wavy plaster walls that are probably not going to look that good no matter what sheen you use.

Hi Funcolors, I enjoy reading your very informative posts. I need your advice please. I am in total agreement about glossiness accentuating imperfections but here is my dilema. I want my exterior paint job to hold up as long as possible and people keep telling me semi gloss and high gloss will hold up longer then flatter finish, AND will not stay so glossy for long so could it be if we sacrifice seeing the imperfections then later on we will graduate to a satin in time and get far more longevity as well? I saw a man's house done with a fancy european paint in red with green trim, high gloss, not everyone's cup of tea, but for his house it was stunning! He says he paints every year to keep up the gloss as it does diminish. As you say every flaw sticks out but all in all with his architecture and plantings it is lovely. I on the other hand have a colonial revival 1910 house not all that old and want a slightly off white base coat with bright white trim. I live in CT zone 6, everyone here is advocating SW duration for longevity. My painter says it will cost a lot more money for the application of an oil primer rather then these self priming paints. I am willing to spend more if I get more time with the paint job and am seeking your experience for longest lasting exterior with best color to go along with this criteria. Do you also have a good blue color for porch ceiling? Thanks so much for all your input!