The three finishes, briefly
- Matt — around 5% sheen. Soft, contemporary, almost no reflection.
- Eggshell — around 15% sheen. The studio default. A trace of softness but still wipeable.
- Satin — around 30% sheen. Subtle reflectivity without going showy.
- Gloss — around 70% sheen. High reflectivity, mirror-like under direct light.
The "sheen" number is the percentage of light that bounces back at a 60-degree angle. Higher number, more shine.
Matt: the 2026 default
Eight in ten kitchen sprays we book now are matt or eggshell. It's the safest contemporary call. The finish reads expensive, hides fingerprints reasonably well, and pairs with both modern and period properties.
Where matt struggles: in a south-facing kitchen with strong morning sun, a true 5% matt can look slightly chalky in raking light. Eggshell at 15% solves that without going shiny. We tend to recommend eggshell as the default and reserve true matt for kitchens that don't get direct sunlight on the doors.
Satin: the forgotten middle ground
Satin (30% sheen) is what factory kitchen doors used to be by default in the early 2000s. It cleans easily, reflects enough light to brighten a dark kitchen, and doesn't show every surface imperfection the way gloss does. Good for north-facing kitchens or anywhere you want a touch of brightness.
Gloss: more divisive than it used to be
Gloss kitchens had their moment around 2008 to 2015. The look has aged: high gloss now reads as dated unless it's on a slab-door, minimal-handle, modern slab kitchen with strong directional lighting. On a traditional shaker, gloss is wrong.
Where gloss still wins: handleless slab doors, kitchen islands as a feature, contemporary apartment kitchens, and any cabinet that wants to reflect light into a small space.
Durability, finish by finish
This often surprises homeowners: matt is the most durable finish we apply. Modern 2K matt lacquers have a tighter film than gloss because they don't need the optical clarity. Eggshell is the easiest to clean. Gloss shows every fingerprint and water mark.
Ranking by daily wear:
- Matt — toughest film, hides marks
- Eggshell — easiest to wipe, the studio default
- Satin — good middle ground
- Gloss — most maintenance, shows every smudge
Fingerprint resistance
If you've got kids or you cook constantly, this matters more than the colour choice. Matt and eggshell hide fingerprints. Satin shows them in raking light. Gloss shows them always. A black gloss island near a hob will need wiping twice a day.
How light affects your choice
Same colour, three different finishes, three completely different rooms.
- North-facing kitchen: consider satin or eggshell to lift the light. Matt can read cold.
- South-facing kitchen: matt or eggshell. Satin and gloss can be glaring in direct sun.
- Open-plan kitchen-diner: match the finish to the living space. If your sofa room is matt-painted walls, the kitchen should be matt or eggshell.
The price difference
All four finishes cost the same to apply. Same labour, same prep, same number of coats. The product cost varies by a few percent. So your decision is purely about how it looks and how it lives.
Our default recommendation
Eggshell on doors, eggshell on carcasses, eggshell on end panels. If you've got a feature island and want to set it apart, run a matt on the island in a contrasting colour. For a handleless gloss slab kitchen, gloss is the right answer. For everything else, the eggshell default just works.