Interior paint types
A tour of the catalogue behind the calculator — 16 categories, each with its typical use.
The calculator separates family (the chemical base: acrylic, mineral, lime, silicate), finish (matte, velvet, satin, gloss), and use case (ceiling, humid rooms, kitchen...). A single commercial paint often combines several of these; the table below lists them separately for clarity.
| Category | What sets it apart |
|---|---|
| Acrylic paint | The most common interior base: versatile, water-based, and available in every finish. |
| Matte paint | No sheen at all — it hides small surface imperfections well but shows scuff marks more easily. |
| Velvet-finish paint | A middle ground between matte and satin: a soft, gentle sheen, and more washable than a pure matte. |
| Satin-finish paint | More reflective, and holds up well to regular cleaning — it also shows surface irregularities a bit more. |
| Gloss paint | The most reflective and washable finish, often kept for woodwork or heavily used areas. |
| Ceiling paint | Formulated to limit spatter and perform well when applied overhead. |
| Paint for humid rooms | Designed for rooms with above-average ambient humidity. |
| Kitchen paint | Resists grease splashes and washes more easily than most wall finishes. |
| Bathroom paint | Combines humidity resistance with, often, an anti-condensation component. |
| One-coat paint | Designed to cover in a single coat on a sound, prepared surface. The calculator counts two coats as a precaution and shows the single-coat quantity alongside. |
| Stain-blocking paint | Blocks stains (nicotine, water, marker) from bleeding through rather than just covering them. |
| Anti-condensation paint | Reduces surface condensation build-up, without replacing the need for proper ventilation. |
| Insulating paint | Adds a light surface-level thermal insulation boost, without replacing structural insulation. |
| Mineral paint | Built on mineral binders, known for regulating humidity well on surfaces like plaster or stone. |
| Lime paint | Traditional on older buildings, it lets the wall breathe more than a standard film-forming paint. |
| Silicate paint | Close to mineral paint, with deep penetration into the surface; often used in heritage renovation. |
How the calculator ranks them
Each category also carries a relative economic and environmental position (economical/standard/premium for the former, standard/improved/high for the latter) — a comparison across our own categories, not a judgement on the whole market or any specific brand.
Which one should you pick?
The calculator doesn't leave you to decide alone: as soon as you choose the wall type, the list only offers paints that suit that surface.