Unless you’re a paint expert or a hardcore DIY and home decorating enthusiast, all the different paint finishes and their meanings or what they will end up looking like on your walls can get a little lost in translation. That’s why I asked 6 interior designers and stylists - in other words, the pros that have to pick out paint day in and day out - what paint finish is best for walls and ceilings in their opinion and what their go-tos are.
While the best paint ideas, including the perfect paint finish, will largely depend on the particular room you’re looking to paint, the experts have spoken and almost unanimously agreed on the same best paint finish for walls – and it’s perfectly in line with the current paint trends, too.
When it comes to ceilings, there’s a little bit more variety in their favourites. But that is to be expected as it will largely depend on the shade you’d paint the ‘fifth wall’ - as the ceiling is often referred to - and whether you’re sticking to the same colour as the walls in the name of the colour drenching technique - when you cover or 'drench' all the surfaces in a room in the same colour - or going for something more contrasting.
What’s the best paint finish for walls?
Unlike the ideal paint finish your kitchen walls should be, for the majority of your home, most interior designers and stylists recommend a matt finish instead and reach for it the most themselves when deciding on wall paint for their homes and work projects.
‘My go-to paint finish for walls and ceilings is always matt,’ says Claire Garner, director of Claire Garner Design Studio. ‘Traditionally, finishes with a slight sheen were used for durability, but modern formulations have come a long way. There are now some incredible matt ‘modern’ and ‘intelligent’ finishes that offer both durability and a beautifully soft, chalky look. It’s more liveable, understated and provides the perfect backdrop for a scheme, allowing the details of a space to truly shine.’
Laurie Davidson, interior stylist at Stylemakers, agrees but admits that either a satin or eggshell finish is better for busier areas or ones with condensation such as hallways, bathrooms and kitchens, ‘I prefer a matt look where possible, but in a busy family hallway, for example, a satin finish can help to disguise those knocks and scrapes a bit better. I love texture, so for me, a matt, chalky finish is my go-to and I love clay paint, too.'
Setting Plaster is one of Farrow & Ball's most popular paint shades in 2025. And it looks super stylish in the brand's matt finish called Estate Emulsion. No wonder it's one of the paint colours interior experts swear by.
The TikTok-viral Dulux Egyptian Cotton paint shade is the perfect neutral and looks the best in the matt finish. Dulux's matt paints are very highly regarded and this one is almost magical as it changes colour quite drastically, depending on the lighting.
As Laurie mentioned, clay paint is excellent to use on walls because it provides a little bit of texture, as well as a chic matt finish. Earthborn's off-white shade Hopscotch is the the brand's colour of the year for 2025 and a neutral like this looks perfect with a clay paint finish.
What’s the best paint finish for ceilings?
If you’re trying to figure out what paint finish to put on your ceiling, the first thing this will depend on is the colour. For a colour-drenched look, just stick with the same paint (and paint finish) as on the wall.
But if you’re going for a dark, dramatic ceiling to make a statement and draw the eye upwards (as is the current home decor trend), Enass Mahmoud, founder of Studio Enass, recommends opting for a gloss finish.
‘When it comes to painting ceilings, I tend to use a gloss finish, especially for darker tones, this is because it reflects beautifully against ceiling lights and gives a more luxurious feel to it,’ she explains.
As demonstrated on the image above, a dark purple ceiling can look stunning - especially as the purple colour trend is coming back. And the plum aubergine Adventurer shade from Little Greene in the Intelligent Gloss finish - a tough, washable paint that provides a 90% level of sheen - would look perfect on a ceiling.
If you wanted to go for a matt ceiling instead - as many interior experts prefer to do, especially when colour drenching - a similar option to Little Greene's Adventurer (which also comes in a matt version, though) is Lick's Purple 03. Only available in a matt or eggshell finish, Lick's paints have really perfected the art of matt paint. And this particular shade is so beautifully rich and deep!
At the end of the day, there is always room for creativity and experimentation. And what paint finish will work for your home largely depends on the specific room you’re making over and what shades you’re going for, as already mentioned. What is your go-to paint finish? And have these recommendations surprised you?
