How to Blend Paint Sheens With Latex Paint

Along with choosing the perfect shade of paint for a room in your home, you'll need to decide on paint sheen. Glossy paint is useful for trim or cabinetry, as it's easier to clean than semigloss or other sheens. Semigloss serves well on bathroom or kitchen walls, which are regularly exposed to moisture and need to be wiped down occasionally. Satin is somewhat glossy, so you can wipe it down; its matte appearance won't show wall imperfections the way semigloss will. Eggshell is almost matte; it covers imperfections, but cleaning it is not easy. Flat paint is generally used just for ceilings. If you want a sheen somewhere in between these types, you can mix them to achieve the perfect sheen for your needs.

Paint
Paint mixer attachment
Power drill
Large paint bucket
Paintbrushes

Instructions

- 1
  Mix water-base paints only with water-base paints, and oil-base paints only with oil-base paints. You cannot mix water-base paints with oil-base paints, as they will separate.
- 2
  Stay with the same brand and line of paint. Different companies use different solvents and additives, and mixing them together might cause a streaky appearance.
- 3
  Stir thoroughly. You will achieve best results by using a paint mixer attachment on your power drill.
- 4
  Blend your paints in a large, clean bucket. Add only a little at a time, slowly combining paint sheens to be sure you get the right mix.
- 5
  Test your mixture frequently as you combine the paint. Brush a few strokes onto the wall to see if you have achieved the desired sheen.
- 6
  Mix enough paint to complete your entire job. It will be difficult to exactly duplicate your mixture if you run out of paint.

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