Picking paint comes down to three choices: the sheen, the quality of the product and the color. The right answers depend on the room, the condition of the walls and the light. These are the questions we hear most.
Price ranges on this page are national figures published by HomeGuide for 2026. They are not our quotes. Boston labor rates, the age of the building and the amount of prep move the number up or down. Last checked October 2026.
What sheen should I use for walls and trim?
Use a low sheen on walls and a higher sheen on trim. Flat or matte hides flaws. Eggshell and satin clean more easily. Semi-gloss is the hardest wearing and suits trim and doors.
| Surface | Usual sheen |
|---|---|
| Ceilings | Flat |
| Bedrooms, living rooms | Matte or eggshell |
| Hallways, kids' rooms | Eggshell or satin |
| Kitchens, bathrooms | Satin or a bath-rated matte |
| Trim, doors, cabinets | Satin or semi-gloss |
Eggshell or satin for living room walls, and flat or eggshell to hide bad walls?
For living room walls in good shape, choose eggshell. Satin has more shine and shows roller marks and wall flaws in side light. To hide bad walls, choose flat or matte over eggshell. Shine is what makes dents, waves and old patches visible, and old plaster in Boston homes is rarely perfectly flat. Modern washable matte paints give most of the hiding with fair cleaning.
Should trim be satin or semi-gloss?
Either works, and semi-gloss is the traditional choice. Semi-gloss is tougher and easier to wipe, so it suits baseboards, doors and window sills. Satin is softer to look at and hides brush marks and dents better on old, uneven woodwork. On heavily layered trim in an old house, satin is often the kinder choice.
What is the best paint for a bathroom or kitchen?
The best paint for a bathroom or kitchen is one made for damp rooms, in a satin finish or a bath-rated matte. These paints resist moisture and mildew and can be wiped. Kitchen walls near the stove need a washable finish because grease has to be cleaned off. Ceilings over a shower do better with a bath paint than with standard flat ceiling paint.
What is the best paint for a high-traffic hallway?
For a busy hallway, use a scrubbable paint in eggshell or satin. Hallways and stair halls take bags, hands and furniture, so the paint must stand up to washing. In shared stair halls of two-family and three-family houses, a satin wall and semi-gloss trim hold up best.
What is the best paint for exterior walls in this climate?
The best paint for exterior walls in Boston's climate is a top-line 100% acrylic latex. It stays flexible through freeze and thaw, lets some moisture out of old wood and holds color in summer sun. Bare wood gets a primer first. Near the harbor and the ocean, salt air and wind are hard on paint, so the surface must be washed before coating. Lower grades of exterior paint chalk and fade sooner.
Can I use the same paint inside and outside?
No. Do not use interior paint on the outside, and avoid exterior paint indoors. Interior paint is not made for rain, sun or freezing and fails fast outdoors. Exterior paint has additives for mildew and weather that are not meant for closed rooms. Use each where it was made to go.
Does expensive paint last longer than cheap paint?
Usually yes. Expensive paint has more solids and better resin, so it covers in fewer coats and holds up longer than cheap paint. HomeGuide puts paint at $20 to $80 per gallon. Since labor is most of the cost of a paint job, saving a little on each gallon and then needing a third coat, or repainting years sooner, is false economy.
Is one paint brand really better than another?
The product line matters more than the brand. Every major brand sells a cheap line and a top line, and the top lines of the big names are all good. Compare the specific product, not the name on the can. We choose a line to suit the surface and tell you which one is in the quote.
How many coats of paint do I need?
Two coats is the standard. Two coats give full color, an even sheen and a film thick enough to wash. One coat can work when you repaint the same color over sound paint. Three can be needed for strong reds and yellows or a big color change. Bare or patched surfaces need primer before the two coats.
How do I cover dark paint with a light color?
To cover dark paint with a light or white color, prime first and then apply two finish coats. A high-hiding primer, sometimes tinted grey, blocks the old color so the finish coats do not have to. Skipping it means three or four coats of finish paint and a color that still looks muddy.
Why does the same color look different in different rooms?
The same color looks different because the light is different. A north-facing room has cool, bluish light, a south-facing room has warm light, and bulbs add their own tint. Floors, trees outside and the brick wall across the street reflect color onto the walls too. Test a large sample on two walls and look at it morning, afternoon and night before you decide.
What white will not look yellow?
A white with a neutral or slightly cool base will not look yellow. Creamy whites have yellow in them and look more so under warm bulbs and next to bright white trim. Old oil-based white paint also turns yellow with age, especially in dark rooms, which is a reason to repaint old trim with a modern waterborne enamel. Compare white samples side by side against your trim and floors.
How do I pick an exterior color that matches my roof and brick?
Start with what will not change: the roof, the brick, the stone foundation and the neighbors. Pick a body color that sits well with the roof color, then a trim color, then one accent for the door. Hold samples against the brick outdoors in daylight. On attached rowhouses and close-set triple-deckers, look at the houses on both sides as well. A color consultation helps here, and it is one of our services.
How much paint do I need?
A gallon of paint covers 300 to 400 square feet with one coat, by the published figures. To work out how many gallons you need, measure the wall area, divide by the coverage and double it for two coats. HomeGuide's guide for two coats is 4 gallons for an average room of 800 square feet of wall and 6 gallons for a large room. For an exterior it lists 6 to 10 gallons for a 1,500 square foot home and 8 to 12 for an 1,800 square foot home.
Should the painter supply the paint or should I buy it?
It is usually better to let the painter supply the paint. The painter knows how much is needed, picks a product suited to the surface and is responsible for it if something goes wrong. If you buy the paint yourself and it fails, it is hard to say whose fault it was. Either way, the quote should name the product and the number of coats.
A free estimate with a written quote is the only way to get a real price for your job. Call or text (617) 553-6484.