How to choose paint for a Berkshire family home (and avoid the £200-mistake)

Paint is one of those purchases where the price on the tin is not the price of the project. A cheaper paint that needs three coats instead of two, or that marks every time a child leans on it, ends up costing more than the “expensive” one — both in tins and in your weekend.

What we use as standard

For walls in family homes we default to a durable matt (Dulux Diamond Matt, Crown Clean Extreme, or Tikkurila Optiva 5) — they wipe clean without burnishing and stand up to scuffs. For woodwork, water-based satinwood (Sikkens Polyflex or Tikkurila Helmi 30) gives a hard finish that does not yellow.

Where to spend, where to save

Spend on durable matt for high-traffic walls (hallways, kitchens, kids' rooms). Save by using standard matt in low-traffic rooms (master bedrooms, formal sitting rooms). For ceilings, almost any white emulsion is fine — coverage matters more than longevity.