Scrubbing fingerprints off my flat-painted walls again—why did I ever pick flat? Seriously, are people still choosing flat paint? Most folks I know are quietly bailing on those boring matte or eggshell finishes and, uh, apparently going wild with high-gloss lacquer, velvet matte (which sounds fake but isn’t), or even these weird pearly things that look more expensive than my rent. I was at a friend’s house last month, poked her wall because it looked like velvet, and—no joke—she just shrugged and said, “Yeah, it’s the new thing.” I read Andrea Goldman in Homes & Gardens calling this the sneaky trend of 2025. I mean, who even decides these things?
Is this just another trend like the “everything gray” disaster? Possibly. But every designer I’ve bugged about it claims the right finish changes a room more than a new couch or, weirdly, a rug that doesn’t suck. That thing where people mix matte and gloss in the same color? Not just Pinterest clickbait, it’s actually happening. If you’re skeptical, fine, but my local painter says specialty finish requests shot up by at least 30% since last year. Thirty percent! For paint! I don’t even know what to do with that.
What’s wild is how all this happens in stealth mode. One day it’s all flat white cabinets, next day someone’s got a shiny tomato-red powder room and suddenly my living room feels like bland oatmeal (and not even the cinnamon kind). I’m not saying you need to go full holographic kitchen, but if you’re painting soon and totally ignore these new finishes? I mean, you might regret it faster than you think.
Emerging Paint Trends Homeowners Love
Meanwhile, everyone’s still obsessed with their neighbor’s blue front door. But if you pay attention to what’s actually happening (not just what the paint brands are pushing), these oddball finishes and sneaky tricks are everywhere now. Designers love to toss out words like “color drenching,” but honestly, homeowners are just buying whatever looks interesting on the shelf. I saw a guy at Lowe’s with five cans of “velvet matte” and he looked as confused as I felt.
The Shift Toward Unexpected Paint Finishes
The paint chip wall at my local store? No one’s picking eggshell anymore, I swear. Even my beige-loving neighbor just did a metallic bronze accent wall and keeps calling it “cozy,” but honestly, it looks like a spaceship landed in her living room. Gloss-on-matte, velvet finishes that collect fingerprints like a phone screen, chalk paint in kitchens—people are doing it, for better or worse. Dulux says 40% of renovators want “tactile finishes” now. I believe it. Even my friends who never noticed trim color are suddenly obsessed with clear shimmer topcoats, like it’s skincare for walls. If I’d known a single weird finish could bump my home’s value, I wouldn’t have stuck with “builder’s white” for so long. That was a mistake.
How Paint Trends Influence Home Design
Here’s what’s weird: you change one wall and suddenly the whole house feels off. Dusty blue trim where there was white? Now my curtains look sad, then the kitchen tile feels “wrong.” HGTV color experts say soft sage green, when you use it everywhere, gets 22% more online listing views. Is that real? I don’t know, but Katie (my designer friend) swears people linger longer if you nail the undertone. I’ve watched half-finished paint jobs become the only thing people talk about at open houses. Paint doesn’t just suggest personality anymore—it kind of forces the rest of the house to keep up. Maybe that’s why everyone I know is arguing about creamy white versus “mushroom” for the stairwell, like it actually matters.
Popular Unexpected Paint Finishes
Still can’t get over how people skip right past the weird, fun paint finishes. For years, everyone acted like gloss was the only way to look “modern.” Meanwhile, these new finishes are everywhere, and people pretend it’s some secret.
Matte Finishes
Let’s be real, the matte trend isn’t just for Instagram. I see flat matte paints—Farrow & Ball, Benjamin Moore Scuff-X—showing up in entryways, bathrooms, kitchens, places everyone swore would be a disaster. I did my entryway matte black, and no one believed it’d survive backpacks, keys, or my neighbor’s yogurt-flinging kid. Kati Curtis says you can use these new mattes “almost anywhere.” She’s right. The light gets softer, colors look deeper, and the glare is gone. It feels fancier, but yeah, you’ll spot dust more. Magic eraser fixes it, which nobody tells you. If you want drama without the actual drama, go matte. I wish someone had told me sooner.
Satin and Pearl Effects
Satin finish? People still think “nursery” or boring trim, but now it’s everywhere—whole rooms, not just cabinets. It’s not shiny, just a soft glowy thing that makes boring walls look interesting. I tried satin in my laundry room (no, not recommended by HGTV) and it made cheap cabinets look custom. Pearl is like satin but richer. Some brands call it “eggshell plus,” which is useless when you’re standing in the paint aisle. Water beads up, coffee wipes off, and it’s weirdly satisfying. Nobody talks about these, but they’re way better than regular eggshell. If you want the “designer” look with zero effort, this is the hack.
Textured and Metallic Paints
People think textured or metallic paint will turn their house into a Marvel set—nope. These finishes are in every high-end designer’s portfolio now. I put a metallic glaze in my office, expecting to hate it, but now I just stare at the wall during meetings. Sand-infused paint, suede, metallic washes—they’re popping up everywhere, even at my dentist’s office (which feels like a spaceship). My architect friend swears by Ralph Lauren’s Regent Metallics for not looking tacky. Prep is annoying—primer, smooth base, patience—but if you want something different, this is it. And if you mess up? Call it “artistic.” People buy it.