Semi gloss is considered to be the best of the two because of its ability to be cleaned a lot more easier.
You can purchase a semi-gloss enamel in both water and oil-based varieties.
If you mix a flat and semi-gloss 1:1 you should end up with a paint in the eggshell range. Mix the same paints 1:3 and you should end up with a satin. Experiment with small amounts to get the desired gloss.
If it is flat paint, you can apply the texture without any additional preparation. If it is a gloss or semigloss, you will need to rough up the surface with sandpaper first.
At one time paint only came in a limited gloss range, flat, semi-gloss and high-gloss. The higher the gloss factor the harder the paint... the harder the paint the more washable it is. People used to only use high gloss or semi-gloss in kitchens and bathrooms so they could keep the rooms cleaner. These days, with the availability of a wider selection of gloss finishes and the tendency for people to paint more frequently, it is no long essential to use semi-gloss in your kitchen. I have been using a pearl luster paint successfully in kitchen for more than ten years with very good results.
There are flat paints that are made to go over semigloss paint. Many inexpensive flat paints will peel almost immediately when laid over semigloss. The most common solution is to roughen the surface of the semigloss (sandpaper, sandblasting, steel wool, or trisodium phosphate). The actual requirement is to remove alkyds which migrate to the surface of some semigloss and gloss paints. The alkyds make it impossible for latex or acrylic to bond to the surface underneath. You also have to remove buildup of dirt, mildew, etc. Most primers are suitable for recoating semigloss. Read the label. A layer of primer followed by your flat paint is generally the best solution if the surface is relatively clean. Benjamin Moore Fresh Start interior / exterior acrylic primer is one example of a good primer for this application.
Latex and acrylic (both water-based paints) do come in a semi-gloss finish.
Doesn't the amount of varnish in the paint make the difference?
You can purchase a semi-gloss enamel in both water and oil-based varieties.
If you mix a flat and semi-gloss 1:1 you should end up with a paint in the eggshell range. Mix the same paints 1:3 and you should end up with a satin. Experiment with small amounts to get the desired gloss.
If it is flat paint, you can apply the texture without any additional preparation. If it is a gloss or semigloss, you will need to rough up the surface with sandpaper first.
At one time paint only came in a limited gloss range, flat, semi-gloss and high-gloss. The higher the gloss factor the harder the paint... the harder the paint the more washable it is. People used to only use high gloss or semi-gloss in kitchens and bathrooms so they could keep the rooms cleaner. These days, with the availability of a wider selection of gloss finishes and the tendency for people to paint more frequently, it is no long essential to use semi-gloss in your kitchen. I have been using a pearl luster paint successfully in kitchen for more than ten years with very good results.
There are flat paints that are made to go over semigloss paint. Many inexpensive flat paints will peel almost immediately when laid over semigloss. The most common solution is to roughen the surface of the semigloss (sandpaper, sandblasting, steel wool, or trisodium phosphate). The actual requirement is to remove alkyds which migrate to the surface of some semigloss and gloss paints. The alkyds make it impossible for latex or acrylic to bond to the surface underneath. You also have to remove buildup of dirt, mildew, etc. Most primers are suitable for recoating semigloss. Read the label. A layer of primer followed by your flat paint is generally the best solution if the surface is relatively clean. Benjamin Moore Fresh Start interior / exterior acrylic primer is one example of a good primer for this application.
Sand the walls with sandpaper and then prime with a good quality primer. Paint over with a semi-gloss or actual kitchen and bath "soft gloss" paint. It will be easiest to clean, and no watermarks either!
semi gloss
To paint over veneered cabinets in a kitchen, Sherwin-Williams puts out a paint just for cabinets that dries very hard. Ben Moore has a line also but the color choices were limited. The S-W paint also self primes so unless you have extremely dark cabinets and you want them to be very light, 2 coats should be fine.
I would only use this paint in kitchen and or bathroom areas. Window sills are ok too.
Most glues will stick to gloss paint.