What color/sheen paint do you use in closets
For all those DIY landlords, what color/sheen do you use on the inside of your closets?
For my rentals, I take care of maintenance and unit turnover between tenants (cleaning, repairs/patches, paint touchups, etc). On our units (which are multifamily, so our turnover is higher than SFH), we use the same paint colors, using only three color/sheen's in the interior, an beige eggshell on the walls, gloss white on the trim, and flat white on the ceilings and closet walls.
The problem is that every time I turn a unit over, I have to completely paint the inside of the closet again, as the walls are scuffed and marked up. I think this is due to using flat white ceiling paint, as there is no way to clean the paint on the walls.
In contrast, the eggshell on the walls, I am able to wipe down where needed, and only have to touch up areas that have nicks, dark marks, etc.
I do like to minimize the different colors/sheens I use, to avoid having to have so many different paints to keep track off. I was thinking that maybe changing to an eggshell white might help. Or it might just be a cost of doing business.
@Mike Wood, I use a satin finish on the walls, ceiling flat, and gloss or semigloss on trim. I find that satin is much easier to clean than eggshell.
We're in the process of switching paint colors in the closets of a 100+ unit building. The closets were originally a lighter color than the beige walls, but it's too much hassle for a very negligible gain. I suppose the theory was the lighter color would brighten the closets that didn't have a light, but it's just not worth it. About half of the tenants add their own stick-on LED lights in the closets anyway.
Now we just paint the closet the same color as the rest of the walls when we turn the unit.
Why a different color for the closets? Walls are walls...
Agree on uniformity..I like one interior color all the time in all places.. Makes buying, touching up and turn arounds a breeze.... I tried too much mix up and match ups early in landlording and it is the last thing you want, a paint mystery to solve, when you are getting through a turn around...easy button is one color, in all rooms, closets and units....
One interior color, different trim color. Usually don't paint the ceilings in between tenants. For a new rental, sure. Always semi-gloss walls and semi-gloss trim, flat on the ceilings. In the bathrooms the ceiling is the wall color as they are smaller. Walls are always beige gray. Trim is either white or brown depending on the unit. (Sometimes leave it the natural wood.) Ceilings are white.
Thanks everyone. I guess I always think about closets being lighter than the walls, due to lack of lighting. But painting them the same color are the walls would make touchups easier for a turnover.
Stay away from flat as they show every mark! You can get away with a flat on a ceiling but that's about it. I use satin or semi-gloss everywhere for easy cleaning. I paint closets the same as the room and ceiling gets the same color as well. People default to white but you don't have too. Here is a pic of the foyer with a gray walls and ceiling.
@Mike Wood I agree with a couple people here. Stick with a single paint color and make it eggshell or satin for easy clean up. Less hassle than dealing with multiple colors, less materials to keep on site, less issues overall.