DIY Monday: Choosing Paint

I assume we've got several different levels of skill among Swoon Studios DIYers. Some know more than others about different subjects, which is why I try to cover a variety of skill sets. This week I'm focusing on the beginners in the group and we're going to talk about paint.

Starting a painting project without knowing anything beyond what color you want can be a dizzying process. You get to the paint counter with your trusty swatch that took you a week to decide on the color. You're ready to give the person who'll mix your paint this important decision and they start asking questions. Oil based or latex? Semigloss, flat, eggshell or satin? Indoor or outdoor? WHAT?

Take a deep breath and let me try to explain.

First, oil based or latex. Oil based requires paint thinner or turpentine to clean up, so I usually stick to latex, which requires water to clean up. Sometimes, however, it's better to use oil based - especially when painting a piece of furniture that needs to be water resistant or that will take a lot of wear. It takes a little longer to clean up, but sometimes it's worth the work.

Second, indoor or outdoor? Well, sometimes that's pretty self explanatory. If you're using inside on walls, use indoor. If you're painting your front door or outside trim, outdoor. Sometimes, though, I have the same situation as above where I want a particularly durable paint on the item I"m painting. In that case I might use outdoor paint for that project as well.

Lastly, the luster. The terminology may differ, but the concept is the same: do you want a high gloss or no gloss to your paint. Our home was painted with flat paint. An entire home in flat paint. And I HATE it. I can't clean it. It seems to hold the dirt. I like a little sheen so that I can WASH the walls when they get dirty. I also like the way the light reflects off of walls with a little sheen. For that reason, I choose a satin finish for walls. I tend to go toward a semigloss for woodwork - again because I prefer the sheen and it's easier to clean. Also, a good rule of thumb to remember is the shiner, the more durable. Some people choose a shinier finish in kitchens and bathrooms for that reason.

And if you forget everything I've just told you, ASK. Usually there's a helpful guide to finishes at the paint counter and it's not often that the person mixing the paint can't answer your question. I've found myself helping them on occasion when they've been stumped, so you might just run into someone at the counter that can give you help as well.

That's the basic skinny on choosing paint. I can't help you with choosing the color, but maybe this will make the process a little easier.