| Making plans for the new baby's nursery | | | | application imperfections - brush and roller lines, drips, |
| décor is just one of the many tasks at hand | | | | and varying rates of application - are the least |
| for new Moms-to-be. The baby's crib and other | | | | noticeable with flat paint. It is also the easiest to |
| coordinating nursery furniture, crib bedding, wall | | | | touch up, with the new paint's sheen, or lack thereof, |
| decorations, baskets and other storage items - these | | | | blending very readily with the existing paint surface. |
| are just some of the items that must be purchased. | | | | At the other end of the spectrum is semigloss paint. |
| And an important decorative decision is the paint | | | | Cured semigloss paint has a smooth and shiny |
| colors for the room. In the midst of all of these | | | | surface and reflects much light. Its characteristics are |
| decisions, a simple matter that may be ignored is the | | | | as follows:o Its reflectivity causes this paint to |
| different finishes or sheens of paint that should be | | | | highlight underlying imperfections on the painted |
| used in the nursery for both decorative and practical | | | | surface.o The smooth surface of semigloss paint |
| reasons. | | | | makes it the most effective at resisting scuffs and |
| Interior paints are made in a variety of finishes or | | | | stains.o Semigloss paint is the most washable.o It is |
| sheens. Each of these sheens refers to the paint's | | | | the least forgiving of application imperfections and |
| gloss level and, thereby, its reaction to light. The | | | | the most difficult to touch up because the old |
| important practical and decorative characteristics of | | | | painted surface tends to lose some of its sheen over |
| each sheen are: ability to hide imperfections; stain | | | | time. |
| resistance; washability; and ease of application and | | | | For nursery walls, eggshell paint is most |
| touchups. Determining which sheen to use for any | | | | recommended. Nursery walls will likely require more |
| particular application requires an evaluation of the | | | | than average amounts of cleanings (because kids will |
| relative importance of each of these characteristics. | | | | be kids) and touch ups (because you are likely to |
| We will focus on four of the most common sheens - | | | | remove/replace wall decorations before the next |
| flat, eggshell, satin, and semigloss - and the three | | | | painting as your child grows). Eggshell paint, with just |
| general applications in the nursery - ceilings, walls, and | | | | a slight sheen, should provide just enough cleanability |
| trim. | | | | while retaining the ability to touch it up reasonably |
| At one end of the sheen spectrum is flat paint. Cured | | | | effectively. |
| flat paint has a chalky appearance and rough feel and | | | | Use flat paint for nursery ceilings. Surface and |
| reflects little light. Its characteristics are as follows:o | | | | application imperfections on the vast expanse of a |
| Because it diffuses light, it is the most effective at | | | | ceiling can be particularly annoying and are best |
| hiding nicks, dents, repaired holes, drywall seams, and | | | | hidden through the use of flat paint. Washability |
| any other surface imperfections.o Without a glossy | | | | should not be an issue for the ceiling. |
| surface, flat paint tends to be least effective at | | | | Finally, use semigloss paint for the trim. The shinier |
| resisting scuffs and stains.o Flat paint is the least | | | | surface of this paint creates a decorative contrast |
| washable sheen, both because it tends to absorb | | | | with the walls and ceiling, is more durable and |
| stains and because rubbing it during the cleaning | | | | washable (protection against vacuum cleaner scuffs), |
| process tends to "polish" the finish and make it look | | | | and can enhance the grain of wood trim. |
| different than the surrounding surfaces.o Paint | | | | |