6 Best Paint Finishes For Kitchens: What Are They?

The kitchen places quite stringent requirements on the finishing materials. The material should not only be beautiful. The paint finish for the kitchen mustn’t cause problems during cleaning and additional care. Temperature fluctuations and high humidity make the conditions in the room almost extreme. There are other negative factors like getting traces of cooking on the surface. They, too, must be considered when choosing paint for the kitchen.

In today’s market, there are plenty of paints to choose from. Today, I will help you choose the best kitchen paint finish. Read on!

Why Should Kitchen Be Painted?

Let’s understand why you should choose paint for the kitchen walls and ceiling. This finishing work contributes to the following advantages:

• Economy. The kitchen paint finish consumption is significantly reduced if the wall undergoes proper pre-treatment. Washing the surface is also easy. Therefore, it is better to use paint for the kitchen;
• A variety of textures. You can leave the surface smooth when the kitchen paint treatment is over. If we talk about paint finish for kitchen cabinets, you can give a more embossed structure. This option looks attractive, but you should not forget about the rules of hygiene. If the surface is rough, it will be difficult to clean dirt and, on such bases, quickly settle particles of food and other materials;
• The possibility of decorating with different drawings and ornaments. Even if your own hands make them, you can use any available technology for the application;
• A variety of colour palettes. You can always find the right and the perfect variant of paint for the kitchen ceiling, walls, or furniture;
• Abrasion resistance. Choosing the best paints for the kitchen that can withstand water and aggressive chemicals that may need to wash the walls or surfaces is worth picking;
• The safety of washable paint for kitchen walls;
• You don’t need any special skills to do the job.

Modern paints for the kitchen, whether satin or matte, are free of toxic and poisonous substances. In addition, the formulations are characterized by bactericidal properties. They dry quickly and prevent the development of harmful microorganisms.

It is enough to choose the suitable materials and tools to get the desired effect. Paint is a good solution in all conditions.

Types Of Paint For Kitchens

If you choose a kitchen paint finish, you should use formulations designed only for interior work. An essential requirement is a high level of water resistance coefficient. To paint the kitchen, you should choose the following types of paints:

• Water-based paint;
• Latex paint;
• Oil paint;
• Alkyd paint;
• Acrylic paint;
• Silicone paint.

There are also polyurethane and epoxy varieties of paint for painting walls in kitchens. They allow you to create surfaces with an attractive appearance, easy to clean. The only limitation for customers is the high cost.

1. Water-based Paint

The low price has made the best variety of water-based paint for kitchen walls and ceilings. The advantages of the material include:

• The possibility of creating your colour palette. It is enough to add a pigment of the appropriate shade and mix the main components with it;
• Easy application;
• Safety;
• Instant drying;
• The decorative paint does not emit any unpleasant odours.

It is sufficient to purchase a roller with a brush to carry out the work. The paint material is usually applied in just a couple of steps. The vertical direction is generally saved for the last coat. Corners and hard-to-reach places are easiest to handle with brushes.

If washable paint for the kitchen and its walls gets on your hands or other surfaces, it is easy to remove with just warm water. The main thing is not to wait until the composition dries completely. 

2. Latex Paint

This variety is characterized by high resistance to moisture. In addition, it can be washed with special solutions without damaging the surface. The advantages of the latex kitchen ceiling and walls paint include:

• The material does not contain poisonous substances;
• Easy to apply and dries quickly;
• Resistant to abrasion;
• The surface after work looks attractive and has a pleasant smell.

The disadvantages of the composition are high price and strict compliance with the technology when working with the material. It would be best if you did not try to speed up the process using shortcuts. You should carry out all actions strictly according to the instructions.

3. Oil Paint

An oil-based compound is the best paint finish for kitchen cabinets and other surfaces. The material has good moisture resistance properties. In addition, it can withstand high temperatures without losing its functional qualities. The advantages of the paint include:

• Resistance to abrasion;
• Ability to work in any environment;
• A wide range of colors;
• The surface after work does not require special care.

The disadvantages of the material are strong odors during work and a long drying time. You will need at least one day to wait until the surface is completely dry. After that, you can start using all the comforts of the room.

4. Alkyd Paint

Despite being less popular, this type is often used to paint the finish of the kitchen. I can distinguish the advantages of this type of paint:

• have a high index of durability, elasticity, and strength;
• are not afraid of temperature changes, humidity, or direct hit of water;
• have a more saturated and juicy color, as a rule.

The disadvantages of this type of paint are that:

• has a persistent pungent odor, which takes a long time to evaporate;
• it is diluted with white spirit;
• such paints are sold in a specific color, so you are limited in choosing paint finish for kitchen walls or cabinets.

5. Acrylic Paint

One of the best paints for kitchen walls or cabinets is acrylic paint mixes. They can be used for all surfaces, but reviews note that such paint is best on wood and concrete (wooden cabinets and concrete walls).

Due to its structure, the paint does not require a perfect rough finish – it can mask small cracks and irregularities. The material is quite elastic, so it is easy to apply. Odor is virtually absent, evaporating within half an hour after application. 

You can clean painted walls and ceilings with a damp cloth or non-abrasive detergents. If you take care of the surface properly, the layer of finished acrylic paint for the kitchen will remain in its original form for 15-20 years. 

The list of benefits of acrylic paints is quite extensive: 

• The paint color can fully correspond to the result after application: the color retains intensity, so you can always predict the final design of the walls and ceiling;
• Well tolerates temperature fluctuations, which you can’t do without in the kitchen;
• Dries in half an hour maximum – considerably faster than other types;
• After application, there are no cracks and wrinkles; the paint is very even;
• Over time the color does not change, and the paint does not burn out in direct sunlight.

The disadvantages are only a relatively high price. However, I think that considering all the characteristics, the cost of this paint is justified enough.

6. Silicone Paint

This type of paint for kitchen walls appeared on our market relatively recently and has already firmly occupied its niche, thanks to these properties:

• excellent water resistance;
• the best indicators for resistance to UV light, burnout, and efflorescence;
• resistance to alkalis, which allows them to be applied to a wall that was plastered only a couple of days ago;
• practically odorless and non-aggressive to the human body;
• as well as water-based analogs, pigmentation of any shade is possible.

Of the disadvantages, I can name just one – the high price. But, it is no wonder that all the qualities of this paint for the kitchen have made this product worth its money.

There are cheap “analogs” of silicone paints called “siliconized.” They are a composite, a mixture of silicone and acrylic bases. It is suitable for the price of such product, but for the worse affects its quality.

Therefore, I recommend clarifying this point in the store, especially if some model stands out at a high price among the others.

The Benefits Of Washable Kitchen Paint Finish

The technology of painting kitchen walls, ceilings, and cabinets depends on which material is chosen in one case or another. In the kitchen, surfaces can be semi-matte or matte or glossy. It is essential to consider the location of window openings relative to the sun and its rays. Here you can make several recommendations:

• Natural light will be less in rooms where windows face north or northwest. In this case, acrylic paint that creates glossy surfaces will be relevant;
• On the contrary, there is a lot of sunlight in the south and southeast. Even on cloudy days, you should not wait for diffused light. A matte, semi-matte surface would then be the ideal solution. Washable varieties of paint are also used for this purpose.

Further decorative processing is more complicated when using glossy paints for walls in the kitchen. It applies in general to the application of any images and additional decorations.

Washable paints for kitchen walls are an effective and optimal choice. But now, it is possible to choose almost any composition that meets the conditions of use.

Conclusion

Choosing the right paint for your beautiful and durable kitchen is essential. I hope you found this guide to choosing paint for your kitchen helpful and that you were able to select the perfect option for you.

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