Kitchen Paint In a Bedroom.

Can You Use Kitchen Paint in Your Bedroom?

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Are you wondering if you can use kitchen paint in your bedroom safely without any negative consequences?

Kitchen paint can be used in your bedroom without any adverse effects providing that the sheen matches your desired ambiance – matt/flat and eggshell kitchen paint can be used on your bedroom walls and ceiling for minimal glare; whilst silk and gloss kitchen paint is better used on bedroom woodwork for selective emphasis.

The rest of this article shows you how to find out if the sheen of your kitchen paint is suitable for use in your bedroom, plus two other critical prior considerations.

Related: should you use bathroom paint in your bedroom?

Should You Use Kitchen Paint in Your Bedroom?

Deciding on whether you should use kitchen paint in your bedroom or not primarily hinges upon if the finish of the kitchen paint will integrate with your existing decor and/or contribute to the ambiance and feel that you’re trying to create.

However, you should also factor in the cost (if you’ve yet to buy the paint) and why you’re deciding to use kitchen paint in your bedroom in the first place.

The 3 steps below guide you through the decision process in more detail.

1: The Sheen

Paint sheen (also referred to as the ‘finish’, ‘luster’, or ‘gloss level’) describes how ‘shiny’ the paint will look once it has dried.

Much like bathroom paint, kitchen paint tends to be more readily available in higher sheens like satin, silk, semi-gloss, and gloss because they are easier to wipe down, are more durable, resistant to damage, and are less likely to develop mold when compared to lower sheen finishes.

However, you can also buy matt/flat and eggshell kitchen paint that has less/no sheen too.

Therefore, the most significant factor to consider before you go ahead and use kitchen paint in your bedroom is that of ensuring that the sheen rendered by the kitchen paint that you’re going to use will fit with the decor of your bedroom and the ambiance that you’re trying to create.

To do this, you should look at the paint description to find out what kind of sheen/finish that it has and reference it against the list below – where I’ve outlined what you can expect from each type.

Matt/Flat

Matt/flat paint has little to no sheen and is ideal for use on your bedroom walls and ceiling because it has a non-reflective finish that diffuses light to create a relaxed feel that can encourage sleep.

You should use matt/flat paint in ‘low traffic’ bedrooms that are not subject to a lot of wear and tear (think adult bedrooms rather than bedrooms for young children) because low luster paints tend to damage under abrasions and fraction more readily than higher gloss paints.

Flat kitchen paint is less common than other finishes because it’s not that easy to wipe down.

Eggshell

Much like a real eggshell, eggshell paint has a dull finish with a slight sheen that can create an elegant low gloss finish that is more commonly found in dining rooms than kitchens because the lack of gloss can make maintenance difficult when trying to remove splashes and stains.

Eggshell paint could be ideal for your bedroom walls and ceiling if you want to add a touch of shine to brighten the room up without creating too much glare – perfect if you use your bedroom for studying or working in too.

Again, the lower level of gloss means that you should typically avoid using it in high traffic areas or if the room is going to be subject to abrasions and friction.

Satin

Satin has more sheen to it than eggshell which makes it easier to wipe down and is therefore a more popular choice for painting kitchen walls.

Satin paint is highly versatile and works well in more active bedrooms and children’s play areas because it is more resistant to damage and abrasions.

You will often find that satin kitchen paint has been formulaically reinforced to help inhibit mold and mildew growth.

Silk

Silk paint is a mid-sheen finish that is often used on woodwork to create a semi-polished surface and hide imperfections – potentially making it ideal for painting the woodwork in your bedroom to create emphasis with your chosen accent color.

Semi-Gloss

Paint with a semi-gloss finish can create a shiny look that typically works well in kitchens because it makes the surfaces easy to clean and able to resist wear and tear better.

However, you may choose to be more conservative in your application of semi-gloss paint in your bedroom because of the glare that it can create – reserving it for doors, trim, and areas of woodwork that you’d like to add emphasis to may work better if you’re going for a calmer ambiance.

Gloss

Gloss paint has a high level of shine that offers the best in durability and ease of cleaning – making it ideal for areas in your kitchen that needs frequent washing and cleaning.

However, the high level of shine can accentuate existing imperfections in the integrity of the surface it’s being applied to.

Gloss paint is usually best reserved for selected areas of the woodwork in your bedroom because of its high level of luster that can create an enameled look that may contradict any feelings of relaxation that you’re trying to create (but could be ideal if you’re going for a more sleek and modern bedroom).

2: Cost

A gallon of regular paint typically costs between $15 and $30.

However, depending on the brand, you could end up paying up to double this amount for specialty kitchen paint due to the formulaic adjustments required to combat increased air moisture and the ability to resist mold growth.

So if you’ve yet to buy your paint, then you will probably find it more cost-effective to go ahead and buy regular emulsion paint to paint your bedroom.

However, if you’ve got some extra kitchen paint lying around that you need to get rid of then you may prefer to use it in your bedroom if the finish goes with your decor in order to keep costs down.

3: Reasoning

Why do you want to use kitchen paint in your bedroom?

If you’re doing it because you have mold growing in your bedroom then you first need to find out exactly what’s causing the mold growth.

Because although kitchen paint can inhibit mold growth, it’s not going to be a viable long term solution if you have leaky pipes or damp in your house.

Related Questions

Below are the concise answers to some of the most common questions related to kitchen paint, bedroom paint, and using kitchen paint in your bedroom.

What is Kitchen Paint?

Kitchen paint is specifically designed to be more resistant to the effects of steam, bacteria, dirt, and grease than regular paint – making it more suitable for use in your kitchen when compared to other paint without such qualities.

How Does Kitchen Paint Differ From Bedroom Paint?

Kitchen paint is different from regular bedroom paint mainly because it has specific features that make it more suitable for the microclimate of your kitchen – such as being able to resist a higher moisture content in the air, having a higher level of gloss to make it easier to wipe down, and being anti-bacterial.

What’s the Best Paint Finish For the Bedroom?

The best types of paint finishes for large areas of your bedroom such as the walls and ceiling tend to be non-reflective, low-sheen finishes like matt, flat, and eggshell because they reduce glare and can create a calm, soothing ambiance that can encourage relaxation and sleep.

Conclusion: Identify the Sheen First

Kitchen paint is typically more abundantly available in mid and higher sheen finishes because it offers better protection from splashes and stains whilst also being able to be wiped down more easily when compared to lower sheen finishes.

However, most people prefer a matt or low-sheen finish when painting their bedroom walls and ceiling because they typically want to avoid glare.

Therefore, in light of this general clash of purpose, before you go ahead and use any kitchen paint in your bedroom, you should check the type of finish that it’s designed to render and ensure that it fits with the look and feel that you’re trying to achieve in your bedroom.

Related: should bathroom and bedroom décor match?

Image Credits and Licencing

Main image: ‘Painted Bedroom’ by Eurobanks (Getty Images) – used under Canva’s One Design Use License Agreement.