The best kind of paint to use on kitchen ceilings is a flat, matte acrylic, according to Designing Solutions and Apartment Therapy. This kind of paint is better because the finish absorbs light rather than reflecting it, keeping the attention on the walls and furnishings.
At one time, painters used semigloss paints on kitchen ceilings, as they believed that semigloss was more resilient and displayed less staining. However, today's flat paints work as well as semigloss paints once did and look better on ceiling surfaces.
Regardless of the color used, Apartment Therapy recommends the use of a flat finish paint on kitchen ceilings because it covers flaws and displays a richer hue. The site cautions to use care when cleaning the surface, as too much scrubbing can wear down the finish. It also recommends using a flat finish on walls in rooms that don't receive a good deal of traffic as well as on accent walls.
Paint finishes fall under three general classifications: flat or matte, eggshell or satin, and semigloss or gloss. Eggshell or satin finishes are recommended for walls in rooms that don't receive direct light, as the subtle sheen shows imperfections. Semigloss and gloss finishes are the most durable, which makes them ideal for high-traffic rooms such as bathrooms and mud rooms.
