For me, satin is way too glossy, I never like any glare on the surface.

Egg shell is my go to, a nice finish, but todays matte finishes are very durable compared to years past. Love a matte finish, looks like suede. Good Luck!

I still much prefer matte for walls and ceilings and maybe satin for the trim. Color drenching IMO should all be the same sheen to enhance the illusion

I have only house painted in recent years with Farrow and Ball. Their dead flat is incredibly cleanable. But, I don't know if Aura matte compares. Is matte not flat?

We will only stay in this home a few weeks out of the year and I can stand something that isn't my usual preference, but I don't want it to look like a lip gloss factory.

@Lyn Nielson - When you are not color drenching do you use matte on walls and eggshell on trim?

Yes, I do. Aura is great for high humidity rooms too. A great choice for a bathroom.

if it were mine, I'd paint the ceiling and the walls matte, eggshell for the trim and doors. the vanity cabinet too. Brass hardware would fancy it up a bit.

Your tile will look great with that lighter paint color... use Salmon/shrimp colored towels if you want to enhance the pinky/orange hue.

Gloss accentuates every little flaw in the surface, IMPE. I prefer eggshell as well. It's not shiny, and it's not chalky like most flat/matte. Satin comes close.

I have used Benjamin Moore paint exclusively for over 15 years.

I love the Aura paint and used it in Hale Navy (satin) on a piece of furniture.

But it chips quite easily.

The newer line of Scuff X (comes in matte, eggshell, satin & semi) is my favorite of their interior paints.

The matte has about 8% gloss, and the satin is perfect (IMO) for doors and trim.

We painted our lower level with it over 5 years ago. It's a walkout to the beach & lake.

With 17 grandchildren (and their friends) there's not one ding or smudge yet!

I've used aura matte a lot lately. Very easy to clean and no reason not to use in bedroom.

Agree with other opinions, do matte on the bedroom walls and ceiling and satin on the trim. You won't regret the matte. It's a beautiful finish.

I always like the advance on the trim, usually in satin.

For the bathroom, the aura bath and spa is really, really good and worth it for bathroom with shower.

Scuff X is also really great, esp for trim. Be aware that you kind of need to go down a level in the scuff-X to get the sheen you want (Kind of like sizing down in clothes :) ). The scuff-x satin has almost the sheen of a semi-gloss, etc.

The Scuff X satin is listed as "20 – 35 @ 60° for sheen, whereas the semi is 40 – 60 @ 60°, so quite a bit higher. (All listed on the TDS sheets.)

As with everything paint, your lighting will have a big effect.

We have A LOT of trim work, and IMO, the satin is very low key, but has a beautiful feel and is not prone to chips, or metal marks, etc.

Aura matte is 3-5 @85 vs. Scuff X matte at 8-15 @ 85, so personal preference.

Even though I have heard scuffx, Advance, and Aura bathroom are great, I unfortunately need to stick with just plain Aura because I'm super chemically sensitive and know plain Aura doesn't trigger a reaction.

I saw sheens in the store today, and reminded myself this apartment has ugly flooring and tile I'm not changing. I need to make it not worse and be easy to clean when I move because I won't paint again. So now I'm thinking:

* Bedrooms - Matte walls and ceiling. Eggshell trim, doors, radiator.

* Hallways - Eggshell walls, trim, and doors.

* Bathroom - Matte walls and ceiling, eggshell door and door frame. (No real trim in there and tile from floor to 2/3rds up the wall.)

* Kitchen - Eggshell walls, splash, trim, and doors

Talk me out of this or into this, please. My husband would be grateful to not have to think about it this weekend. :)

You want Ben Moore

Aura Bath and Spa in Matte

Aura Bath & Spa: Specifically designed for bathrooms and humid environments, this paint has a luxurious matte finish that resists mildew and doesn't show water spots or streaks after steaming, even though it's matte.

For trim.......Satin finish. "Advance" Ben Moore.

I have matte on my dining room ceiling, and I really hate it. All my other ceilings are either the same color as the walls, or are a flat white. My dining room, ceiling was just painted a year ago, and its a huge mistake, and is going to be redone, again, in the spring. I would choose flat ceilings, and eggshell paint, and satin for your trim.

@Kendrah, I also have a lot of allergies, so I completely understand using what you know is safe for you.

I agree with @cat_ky, that "flat ceilings, matte or eggshell walls, and satin trim" makes a very nice contrast. It's nice that your BM store has sheen samples for all the paint lines.

IMO, BM Advance is now "old school", and not worth the extra time and trouble for trim work.

The directions require 16 hour recoat time and a full 30 day cure time.

You could check the TDS/SDS for the difference between regular Aura and Aura Bath & Spa.

It does have the same "Green Promise" and lists zero VOC's.

532_TDS_US.pdf

Frustrating, BM doesn't list an actual sheen % for their specific products, only a range. I know I want matte on walls and ceiling everywhere including bathroom. (Aura doesn't come in flat, and most of bathroom is tile and I don't want to risk the mildewcides and my allergies of spa and bath.)

I'm leaning towards satin trim and doors for ease of washing. But if Matte Aura is actually say 3% and satin is actually say 35% - that is a tremendous contrast in sheen that I think isn't going to look great.

And, what is on the sheen card they gave me and on their in store samples? You can't know what you are looking at without a percentage.

--> Matte - 3-10% sheen at 85°

[Aura®, Aura® Bath and Spa, Regal Select®, Ben®, Scuff-X®]

--> Eggshell- 10-25% sheen at 85°

[Aura®, Regal Select®, Ultra Spec 500®, Scuff-X®]

--> Satin / Pearl - 20-35% sheen at 60°

[Aura®, Regal Select®, Advance WB Alkyd, Scuff-X®, Ultra Spec 500®]

--> Semi-Gloss/ Gloss - 40-65% sheen at 60°

[Aura®, Scuff-X®]

I've been spoiled by using Farrow and Ball that lists a specific % for each product you are purchasing.

Yes, I hear you. I've had the very same frustration.

Your lighting (style, brightness, # of windows) will affect how you "see" the amount of gloss.

Softer lighting = softer gloss.

And you can't just buy samples to test, because BM samples are for color only - it's not the actual paint.

I like some kind of continuity from one room to the other. My suggestion for paint for the other rooms, is Linen White for all the trim and B.M. Muslin for the walls. I have done the combo and it's quite lovely. The white I used was B.M. Decorator's white.

So, eggshell or matte for the walls, matte for all the ceilings, satin for trim and the louvered doors.

Hardware looks tough...

I ended up using matte for ceilings, eggshell for walls, stain for trim and doors. It works for the needs of this condo. If this were my full-time home, I'd much prefer matte walls. I don’t like how reflective the eggshell is in here, though am happy with the paint color.

I painted everything in one color - no contrasting ceiling or trim. It really helped the details in the ceiling show more, which I like.

Glad to see all one color and no contrasting trim in a tight space like this.

Question for Mary Elizabeth. I saw one of your older posts where you talked about using ScuffX. You seem to have done exactly what I am planning to do - Scuff× Matte on the walls and Satin on Trim. Your comments were super reassuring!
Did you also use matte for kitchen area. I am wondering about steam, splashing, and food byproducts from cooking. I would be so appreciative to know what you did and your recommendations.

@decoratemyplace, if you haven't used the Scuff X line of paint yet, please know that in one of the threads, someone said it has been "reformulated"! (Ugh!)

I will try to find more info on that, & post a longer response later this evening.

Thank you Mary Elizabeth so much! I appreciate you replying back to and look forward to your post!

I have not purchase or used ScuffX yet.

purchased

I found this post online. I also called BM. They confirmed that they reformulated ScuffX mid 2023 to enhance the durability, washability, and to lower VOCs.

@decoratemyplace,

It was already "low VOC", so I wonder if they did that to conform to California (& maybe other states) laws.

My husband & I both retired early and thought it would be "fun" to renovate a 6K sq ft home! Fast forward, the "fun" is over, the renovations - not quite!

We've repainted all the walls & trim - except the main kitchen.

It's not a "historic" home, but still a substantial amount of trim work.

We originally started with a different brand of paint (Muralo), but that company was sold, and no longer available.

So we changed to Scuff X. (Everything was through our BM dealer, so the color matching was perfect.)

We have it in most of our lower level - large open family room, dining space and kitchen area. We're on a lake, and it's used mostly throughout the summer.

All that to say, yes, I used the Scuff X matte in that kitchen, but there's only a microwave and a pizza oven for cooking. Otherwise we use the outdoor grill.

So not the same as a main kitchen.

In a main kitchen, I would not hesitate to use Scuff Matte on the walls, assuming you have some type of solid surface behind the stove, and at least a partial backsplash of some type above your counters.

When we do our main kitchen, I'm leaning towards a 6" backsplash out of the countertop stone, and paint above that.

A few tips when painting with the Scuff X - use a 3/8" microfiber roller cover; monitor the temp & humidity in the room, so the paint doesn't dry too fast (50-60% humidity, 68-70 degrees F.)

I like to prime, followed by 2 coats of paint. Definitely prime new sheetrock, but I prefer a coat of primer even over existing paint. Less chance of any shadowing from any repairs or nail hole filler, etc. IMO, 2 coats of paint just gives a better finish. (I do my own painting, and tend to be a little "OCD" over the details.)

Are you doing the work yourself, or hiring a "pro"?

Is your trim work new or existing?

Oh, another note regarding using Scuff X in the kitchen - a LOT of painters actually use it on kitchen cabinets.

Thank you so much Mary Elizabeth for your response and this context! I am happy to hear your confidence in the ScuffX Matte in a kitchen. I think a 6 inch back splash would be able to stop most liquid, and in the unusual case it does not, the ScuffX Matte can be wiped down. When I spoke with Benjamin Moore today, they recommended sticking with the same sheen in an open concept situation. I did not like the idea of going higher shine throughout the rest of the spaces/rooms, so I am very happy to hear that ScuffX matte is an option even in the kitchen. I spoke with a family member today who has a kitchen with flat/matte finish (not ScuffX) on some areas of the kitchen, but the kitchen tiles run up to the upper cabinets. They have never had a problem with the paint in that kitchen, so I am feeling more confident that ScuffX matte will be fine as long as I have adequate backsplash coverage.

We are priming everything. There was electrical work done, so the walls were cut up and needed to be re drywalled in some areas. There is also a strong color in one area that definitely needs primer as it is being painted Dove White. Also, I learned that ScuffX does not claim to be self priming like some of the other BM lines do. Thank you for the recommendation and confirmation about doing the primer. I debated it, and basically we decided to go that route including for the reasons you pointed out.

I have help with someone who has experience painting but is not a painting pro.

Thanks for the tips about the roller, temperature, and humidity. Very helpful! I read through online posts that complained about the 2023 ScuffX reformulation. From what I gathered, the drying time shortened and also at least one person thought the sheen has increased from the previous formula. It sounds though that the complaints are not only about BM ScuffX in this regard. Regal also was reformulated, and not everyone was happy with that reformulation either. Reducing the VOCs further likely reduced the chemistry of application that people had enjoyed in the previous formula. Especially because ScuffX is designed for schools, hospital, etc..settings, BM (as you alluded to) is likely having to try to meet benchmarks set by California and other states invested in specific environmental and health concerns.

So, we will see how this goes. I was originally thinking to start with a 5 gallon because we will definitely use it all, but because of the change in formula, I am now thinking to start with a gallon and make sure it is working out. Also when I spoke with BM, they mentioned that sheen can vary a by lot even when it is labeled the same sheen. I originally thought I needed to buy all the paint at once to avoid inconsistency between paint lots, but learned that the single gallon and 5 gallon buckets are made from different lots. For consistency, you can “box” mix the pails - mix together to ensure uniformity. Ahhh!!! So much to consider!

If you have any other advice that comes to mind, I would be so grateful for you to share it. I hope you don’t mind me reaching out again for any additional questions I may have. You and I seem to be thinking in a similar way and having similar approach in decision making regarding the renovations. I hear you on the absence of “fun”… I hoping the end product will be satisfying and reflect the effort. However, to do things in a way that I will be satisfied with the result takes a lot of consideration and minutia of decision making I did not imagine! Thanks for being a thought partner. I truly appreciate it!!!

Just this past February, we remodeled a full bath for our DD & SIL. I used the Scuff X Matte on the walls. (They're in the process of selling and moving.)

IIRC, Aura is the only Benjamin Moore paint with a specific formula for bathrooms. If it was for me, I would use the Aura for longevity.

For ceilings (except bathrooms), we've been happy with BM Muresco for our living areas, and in the bedrooms & adjoining hallways, we've used a Zinsser product that goes on pink and dries white.

Thank you Mary Elizabeth! I appreciate the information!