Anyone who has been to one of the design classes in my pad will know how obsessed I am with matte finishes. Don’t get me wrong, I love a bit of gloss as much as the next girl, but in isolation! For me when large surfaces like walls are given the matte treatment, they appear more organic, relaxed and laid back than their glossy counterparts.
Now for the downside - they are not as practical, especially walls painted out in flat emulsion. However, if you want the coolest home on the planet you’ve got to take your practical hat off. I get asked about practical things a lot in my classes and being not so practical myself I find it hard to relate to anyone who is. If my alternative is to a have a house with nothing in it to reduce the dust and thus reduce the cleaning or have walls with a sheen finish to prevent finger-marks then lock me up now!
The thing about matte surfaces and paint in particular is that it bathes your walls in the softest, most chalky dense finish around; it’s like velvet, hence me being a big big fan.
That said you don’t have to have matte walls if you don’t want (just don’t ask me round for supper as I’ll be banging on about it all night!). Introduce matte accessories, matte work surfaces and matte black tap ware (nice)! It’s an extremely versatile finish and when you partner it up with glossy or metallic finishes magic happens, I promise.
Paint from L-R
Rivington Blue, Mulberry Red & Wooster Olive