Satin Vs Gloss: Which is Best for Your Painting Project?

a tin of pink paint
(Image credit: getty images)

If you find yourself debating satin vs gloss in the paint aisle of your local DIY store, you're not alone in having trouble deciding between these two painted finishes.   

Gloss and satin paints are both common choices for finishing doors, windows, skirting boards and any other wooden trim, as well as, in some instances, for painting a wall. Both are hard-wearing, durable, washable and give great contrast to walls. So which do you choose? 

Steve Jenkins

Steve Jenkins is a freelance content creator with over two decades of experience working in digital and print and was previously the DIY content editor for Homebuilding & Renovating. 

He is a keen DIYer with over 20 years of experience in transforming and renovating the many homes he has lived in. He specialises in painting and decorating, but has a wide range of skills gleaned from working in the building trade for around 10 years and spending time at night school learning how to plaster and plumb.

He has fitted kitchens, tiled bathrooms and kitchens, laid many floors, built partition walls, plastered walls, plumbed in bathrooms, worked on loft conversions and much more. And when he's not sure how to tackle a DIY project he has a wide network of friends – including plumbers, gas engineers, tilers, carpenters, painters and decorators, electricians and builders – in the trade to call upon.