On walls, the choice of finish is mostly about looks. On woodwork — skirting boards, architraves, doors, panelling, window frames — it is about looks and survival. These are the surfaces that get knocked, cleaned, gripped and brushed past every day, so the finish has to be both beautiful and tough. Choosing well is one of the quiet marks of a properly specified job.
What “sheen” actually means
Sheen is simply how much light a finish reflects, expressed as a percentage. A flat, matt finish reflects very little and looks soft and chalky; a high-gloss finish reflects almost everything and looks like polished lacquer. The higher the sheen, generally, the tougher and more wipeable the surface — but also the more it shows every bump and imperfection beneath. That trade-off is the heart of the decision.
The three finishes for woodwork
Eggshell — around 20% sheen
Eggshell is the modern default for interior woodwork, and for good reason. It has a gentle, barely-there glow — named for the soft sheen of an actual eggshell — and it is durable and wipeable without looking plasticky. Paired with flat or matt walls, it gives the understated, considered look most of our clients want in a period or contemporary London interior. If you are unsure, eggshell is almost always the right answer for skirting, architraves and doors.
Satin — around 40% sheen
Satin (some ranges call it mid-sheen) is clearly more reflective and harder-wearing. It suits surfaces that take real daily punishment — kitchen cabinetry, a child's bedroom, a busy family bathroom, radiators — where the extra toughness and easy cleaning earn their place. It reads as slightly more contemporary and practical, and a little less soft, than eggshell.
Gloss — up to 95% sheen
Full gloss is the most reflective and most hard-wearing finish of all, and it carries real heritage weight — it is the traditional finish for a grand front door, iron railings, and fine joinery in a period home. But it is unforgiving: gloss magnifies every flaw beneath it, so it demands flawless preparation. A glossed surface over poor filling and sanding looks worse than a humbler finish done well. This is precisely where the discipline of preparation pays off.
The higher the sheen, the more beautiful the result can be — and the less it forgives. Gloss rewards preparation and punishes shortcuts.
How we choose, in practice
For most interior woodwork in the homes we decorate, we specify eggshell — it is the most versatile, sits beautifully against flat walls, and wears well. We move to satin where a surface needs extra resilience, and reserve gloss for front doors, railings and the occasional statement joinery where its depth and tradition are worth the extra preparation. Whatever the sheen, the finish is only as good as the surface beneath it — which is why, on a properly run job, the choice of finish is made at the specification stage, not as an afterthought. It is one of the calls we make on every interior painting and decorating project.
A note on brands
Different paint houses give their finishes different names — what one calls eggshell, another may call satinwood or flat eggshell, and the exact sheen percentages vary. We work fluently across the leading heritage ranges and match the right product to each surface and room, rather than assuming one finish suits everything. The same thinking guides our wallpaper and specialist finishes.
Thinking about which finishes are right for your home? We advise on colour, sheen and the correct finish for every surface as part of a free consultation.