One of the most simple, budget-friendly ways to give your home a new look is to freshen up your walls with a new paint color. Almost anyone can do this themselves so you are saving money by doing the project yourself.

Painting can be intimidating for new DIY-ers not knowing what painting products they should use from brushes to paint brands and finishes. There are a several different paint finishes to use depending on what kind of walls you are painting.

The 5 main interior paint finishes are:

• Flat – Also known as matte, matte/flat finishes are used on ceilings or walls in low traffic rooms because it doesn’t clean very well. Matte finishes do not reflect light which makes it suitable to hide imperfections like bumps or cracks in the wall.
• Eggshell – Eggshell Finishes have a touch of shine and reflects some light. This finish is easy to wipe clean which makes it suitable for moderate traffic rooms like bedrooms, dining rooms, and living rooms.
• Satin – This finish has a more smooth look with more shine than eggshell and can stand up to some rubbing and cleaning. This makes it a great finish for high traffic areas like bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, and hallways. Can also be used on window and door trim.
• Semi-gloss – This finish is slightly glossy with not too much shine and can handle repeated scrubbing and cleaning. This finish is mainly used on kitchen cabinets, baseboards and molding, and kitchen and bathroom shelving.
• Gloss – This finish is shiny and glossy and rarely used. Mainly used on furniture and woodwork.