Satin vs. Semi-Gloss Kitchen Cabinets

If you’re looking to upgrade your kitchen cabinet in the Greater Columbus Ohio area, you don’t have to spend a lot of money–simple updates such as painting or staining your cabinets can go a long way in refreshing your cooking space. But before the actual painting happens, you will be confronted by a number of decisions to make.

Other than choosing the paint color, the most important decision will be to select the paint sheen. Two of the most popular kitchen cabinet sheens are semi-gloss and satin. In this article, we want to take a close look at the two to help you pick the best fit for your cabinets.

Satin vs Semi-Gloss

Durability

Kitchen cabinets generally need to be painted using durable paints that can withstand scratches, smoke, oil spills, and grease. While satin finishes tend to be fairly durable in high traffic areas, they’re not as durable and versatile as semi-gloss against mildew and mold. Kitchen cabinets in high moisture environments can, therefore, do better with semi-gloss paints.

Finish

The finish of a painting refers to the shine of the surface that is left after the paint has dried. Semi-gloss finishes have a glossier shine that is much more noticeable compared to satin. Satin finishes, on the other hand, have a mildly glossy finish which resembles eggshell finishes. Glossier finishes generally reflect more light, which makes semi-gloss surfaces show more imperfections such as dings, dents, and scratches compared to satin finishes.

Application and Appearance

Applying both semi-gloss and satin paints on cabinets is quite easy. But as earlier mentioned, semi-gloss paints tend to amplify surface imperfections, so cabinets that haven’t been thoroughly sanded might show undesirable flaws. In addition, semi-gloss finishes will show brush strokes easier than satin finishes. When painting using semi-gloss paint, you should use even-brush strokes and use light coats as opposed to one thick coat.

Generally, satin paint has more sheen than flat or eggshell paint, but its finish more closely resembles flat paint than it does glossy. As you can expect, semi-gloss has significantly more shine. Since semi-gloss reflects a lot of light, semi-gloss paint colors appear deeper and brighter than the same colors with satin finishes.

Cleaning and Touching-Up

Both satin and semi-gloss paints require cleaning and touching up every once in a while to increase their durability. Semi-gloss paints offer an extra protective layer which can be scrubbed, making cleaning stains much easier. When it comes to touching up, satin paints are easier to work with.

Since semi-gloss paints reflect more light, they make imperfections such as recent touched-up sections more noticeable. This is however not a significant issue as touch-ups are often not too frequent unless you really have a very industrious kitchen.

Other Alternatives

Apart from satin and semi-gloss paints, there’re other alternative finishes such as Matte or Flat, Eggshell and Gloss (high-gloss). These are however not so popular on kitchen cabinets, probably for very good reasons. Let’s take a quick look at each;
• Flat or Matte: offers a smooth and subtle finish that hides imperfections. While they diffuse light, flat paints tend to hold more dirt, making them difficult to clean. Minor scrubbing can cause the paint to wear off easily, which is why they are commonly reserved for the ceiling.

• Eggshell: eggshell offer the same advantages as flat paints, but they are slightly more resistant to scrubbing. They’re popular reserved for the ceiling and low-traffic areas.

• Gloss (High-Gloss): this finish is very shiny, commonly used on surfaces that undergo frequent washing and some woodwork. They are also popular on kitchen cabinets, but some homeowners shy away from them because of the extreme shininess that tends to amplify flaws.

Bottom Line

Both satin and semi-gloss paints fit the bill when it comes to painting your kitchen cabinets. But considering the minor differences listed can help you make a choice that will create your desired look and match your daily use.
If you need any professional assistance painting your kitchen cabinets in the Greater Columbus, Ohio Area, our experienced and trained crew of painters can help. Just give us a call and we will be happy to come and issue a free estimate.