Living Room

The living room is where you sit, host and watch TV. If you use bright paint and glossy finish shelves, it may dominate and grab attention. 

Here’s what you can do instead:

• Use a matte wall paint behind your TV unit. Some best matte colours include olive green, dusty sage, clay, terracotta, muted rust, charcoal, and deep navy. 

• If your wall catches a lot of sunlight, you can opt for soft white or beige in matte. This will reduce glare.

• If your TV unit has a glossy laminate, replace the shutters with a soft wood-textured matte laminate. This won’t reflect the screen light or feel pasticky. 

• You can also opt for matte-finish floor lamps, photo frames, curtain rods and switch panels. Make sure to go for curtains that are soft and made of non-shiny fabrics. 

Also read: Best cement ceiling design ideas for your living room

Bedroom

You don’t want any distractions in the bedroom, and a glossy wardrobe and the shiny handle do exactly only that. 

Here’s what you can do instead:

• Use a matte wall paint behind your cot. Some best matte colours include dusty pink, grey and olive. 

• Re-laminate your glossy wardrobes and side tables in soft matte colours. 

• Swap your current glossy handles with matte black door handles or brushed brass with a matte finish. Matte handles do not smudge and go well with everything. 

Kitchen

Not so long ago, you could see glossy finishes everywhere in the kitchens. It was trending. But not anymore. Glossy cabinets get greasy fastly. They also show visible stains of oil splashes, dry fingerprints, sediments of smoke, etc.

Here’s what you can do instead:

• You can opt for matte kitchen cabinets. Go for colours like matte navy, deep blue, green, and light grey. 

• For handles, use small matte knobs or edge pulls to avoid fingerprints. You can go handless for a cleaner look. 

• If changing the cabinets from a glossy finish is not feasible, you can update your tap, switchboard and wall shelf to a matte black or brushed gold finish. This will give a calmer look. 

Note: Matte finishes pair better with soft lighting. It gives a cosy and relaxed feeling. 

Bathroom

Glossy tiles in the bathroom can look good, but they are slippery and have a lower absorption rate. Let’s not even talk about glossy bathroom fittings, as they show water marks, which look bad. 

Here’s what you can do instead:

• Use matte wall tiles in grey or nude tones. 
• Use matte laminates for under-sink cabinets.
• You can go for matte fittings like taps, showerheads and towel rods. 
• To complement the look, you can also opt for a mirror with a matte black or wood-finish frame. 

Also read: How much does a bathroom renovation cost in India?