Rooms paints guide - What paint should I use?

Here at Dulux Decorator Centre, we get asked a lot of questions about paint. We get so many questions we even implemented an AI chatbot to help answers them!

One of our most popular (and hard to answer) questions is: “What should I use to paint ‘X’ room”, so we’ve put together this hand blog that breaks down the right paints, for the right rooms.

What should I use to paint my kitchen walls?

Kitchens are area’s that are normally quite humid due to cooking and suffer from the most wear and tear within the house, especially on the walls.

For this room you want something that’s going to be wipeable/scrubbable, so that any food marks of strains can be simply wiped off without having to worry about impacting the finish or leaving any marks.

Our choice: Dulux Trade Diamond Eggshell

It's perfect for busy environments that require frequent cleaning as it contains unique Stain Repellent Technology, preventing stains from setting into the surface and making cleaning up easier. It also protects against common scuffs and achieves Class 1 and Type C scrub ratings, meaning walls withstand daily wear and tear and the finished job looks freshly painted for longer. If you don’t want an eggshell finish, we also sell this in a MATT finish.

Other options:

Dulux Trade Vinyl Silk - Top quality washable emulsion based on unique technology, providing a tough, mid-sheen finish. Good for kitchens that don’t have condensation issues.

Dulux Trade Vinyl Soft Sheen - A soft sheen paint is ideal for those high-traffic areas of your space that should be maintenance-friendly, such as kitchens and kids bedrooms, allowing for cleaning without having to compromise on durability.

What should I use to paint my bathroom walls?

Bathrooms require the same paint as you would approach a kitchen, but with more emphasis on repelling condensation to stop mould or damp occurring.

Our choice: Dulux Trade Diamond Eggshell or Diamond Matt

Other options:

Dulux Trade Mouldshield Fungicidal Eggshell - Mouldshield Fungicidal Eggshell contains a special fungicide which inhibits the growth of fungi and mould inside buildings. This is ideal if you’ve had mould issues in the past or have a small bathroom that doesn’t have great airflow.

What should I use to paint my living room walls?

Living room paint won’t suffer from same humidity issues as other rooms, so the choice will largely come down to 1) How durable you want the paint to be 2) How much light you want it to reflect.

A matt paint will give you a nice flat look, perfect if you have lots of natural light.

Best Matt paint for living rooms:

Dulux Trade Diamond Matt – It's perfect for busy living rooms that require frequent cleaning as it contains unique Stain Repellent Technology (great If you have kids).

Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt – Iconic Dulux finish, which gives excellent coverage for everyday living.

Dulux Trade Durable Flat Matt - Has an ultra-low sheen level, perfect for masking areas of uneven wall surface.

Best paints for living rooms with poor natural light:

Dulux Trade Diamond Eggshell – Will reflect the most light, very high sheen level.

Dulux Trade Vinyl Silk – Will reflect some light, medium sheen level.

Dulux Trade Vinyl Soft Sheen – hardwearing & washable mid sheen finish.

What should I use to paint my hallway walls?

Much in the same vain as living rooms, hallway paint will depend upon how much light you get, and how durable you want the paint to be.

Best paint for hallways:

Dulux Trade Diamond Matt – It's perfect for busy living rooms that require frequent cleaning as it contains unique Stain Repellent Technology (great If you have kids).

Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt – Iconic Dulux finish, which gives excellent coverage for everyday living.

Dulux Trade Diamond Eggshell – Will reflect the lightest, very high sheen level.

Dulux Trade Vinyl Silk – Will reflect some light, medium sheen level.

What should I use to paint my ceiling?

Choosing which paint to use for your ceilings is normally dependant on the current quality of the ceiling and if it has any issues you need to address.

For normal, good quality ceilings with no damp issues or cracks, we recommend to using Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt, the perfect paint for ceilings that comes in a massive range of colours to allow more flexibility with your room design.

For ceilings in rooms with damp, stains or even cracks, we recommend using Zinsser Ceiling Pro 5-in-1, which seals, primes, covers stains, bridges cracks and finishes ceilings, for a perfectly finished ceiling every time.