I don't like matte paint. I have used it in the past and have Aura flat in my kitchen now. It really is as scrubbable as they say, I just don't like the way it feels. Something about the texture. I also feel like flat paint looks slightly unfinished. It always makes me think of primer, I guess. I prefer eggshell.

With two who like to launch their tennis balls at the wall and scratch their backs on the corners, flat paint is out for us. I've come to love the cleanable qualities of a low sheen/eggshell paint. While the walls above are beautiful, I find I'm drawn to the color rather than focusing on the sheen level. I'd think they were pretty with any sheen level.

Argh... "two dogs"

Matte paint = chalk = makes me teeth hurt by looking at it.

I like it but I don't have it anywhere in my home for the reasons you've mentioned, as well as the fact that I can't do a contrasting finish for the ceilings due to the popcorn and I also have wall-to-wall in certain rooms. Having matte walls would result in far too many matte surfaces - I like a bit of a glow and a sparkle from the reflected light in the other finishes.

Now if I had non-popcorn ceilings that I could paint in a semi-gloss and glossy wood floors I think I'd be much more likely to choose a matte finish for the walls, as I really enjoy the contrast of textures...
...and if I were to choose to do a striped effect on the walls - I'd be inclined to choose a same-color stripe with Matte and Eggshell finishes.

I guess I'm in the minority then: I love chalky-looking walls!

Oh, that black bedroom is so gorgeous, especially with the glossy black floors.

i like wall paint extra flat for most purposes, but the trim has to sparkle.

LOVE

I love the chalky look. This is why I love Swedish gastavian style furniture..in blue gray....such a lovely lovely color!

Matte all the way (where I can get away with it).

I'm in a big painting mode right now, and put eggshell in the bathrooms and matte on the hall walls. Trim is somewhat shiny refinished mahogany. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the dog (1) and kids (2) don't cause me to have to repaint the hall too soon!

It reminds me too much of stage theater sets...

I love that rug with the stars in the third picture. Anyone know where I can find it?

I used matte paint in several rooms and have been disappointed with the look. I have no dogs, kids so maintenance hasn't been an issue but it is just so dull and lifeless. I'm sure my homes lack of a lot of natural light has something to do with it. I just repainted my living room and just the change from flat to eggshell seems to brighten the room so much and to me feels cleaner. The chalky look of the previous flat paint just looked so old and dusty.

I've used Sherwin Williams Coloraccents paint in flat, it is definitely chalky. I color-matched BM Hale Navy, and it is beautiful but so impractical, every swipe shows. I also used the same SW paint in red (Antique Red, Behr) in my dining room and strangely enough, it looks and performs great in that room. ?? Maybe it's ok when it's not a very dark color...

I just painted my bedroom wall with flat paint (HD's Behr paint-primer-combo) and am loving the look. The main purpose was to "hide" the textured walls.

I think it has a very beautiful old world feel. But it just doesn't seem very practical. I would consider it if I ever got my hand on an old victorian house :) That would be dreamy.

that last picture blue is amazing. i think you need really dark and expensive paint to pull this off. I like eggshell best for my walls and easy to clean.

A push pull for me: love the look and also feels like fingernails on a chalkboard.

We're wrestling with the matte vs. eggshell question right now. We like the light-bouncing, non-chalky quality of eggshell, but the walls have a weird, "earthy" finish that we don't love and want to minimize. (Previous owners added the texture and admitted it was a mistake.) I wonder if there's any way to de-texturize the walls without having to fully plaster over/replace the drywall. I can't think of any.

"I wonder if there's any way to de-texturize the walls without having to fully plaster over/replace the drywall."

Just sand the walls -
Go to your local local hardware/paint store and tell them what you want to do - They can show you sanding screens and holders.

Love matte paint. To me, it has a more modern feel to it. I painted my garage in an eggshell sheen and I don't like the reflection it makes when viewed at a certain angle. Of course I don't regret painting it in eggshell since it's a garage, but for interior walls, I would go for matte paint any day.

Yuck. I hate the way it looks AND feels. Accidentally scratch your fingernails against it and eeeeghh.

There is no contest - matte walls look the best. The most wonderful paint in the world is Farrow and Ball estate emulsion - it gives a wonderful powdery looking matte finish (I have used it in my last three homes). It is fabulous for hanging paintings against. When combined with eggshell for trim it lifts an otherwise dull interior. The other trick is to apply the paint with a brush as you get a more even texture than using a roller.

I love matte paint, and have a scrubbable (Fine Paints of Europe) version in my own home. Actually, the version I have (not quite as chalky as some) feels and looks like velvet...

While I love high gloss paint in some applications, I quite dislike walls with the sort of sheen that comes from the use of semi-gloss and eggshell.

I used valspar matte paint through a large portion of my house (including the kitchen), and it looks great. I don't mind the texture at all. The walls look very dreamy/creamy. I've had to touch up some spots here and there, but most things scrub off just fine. Crown molding and trim are a semi-gloss, and I love the contrast.

I'm an eggshell (actually, Devine Luscious Wall Finish) gal, but friends with a very AT-worthy house (also, no kids) did their guest room in super matte rusty orange, and it looked fantastic. Like the first photo, they also did the door and trim. That color would have knocked you down if it was in anything but a matte, but the finish just made it interesting.

Yep, I'm a flat painter. Our home's walls are all flat, but the trimmings are not. Then again, we don't have children or pets. It IS scuffable, markable, whatever-able and sooo hard to clean, so we don't bother if the scruff is not noticeable.

However, I think flat paint must match the aesthetic through out the home. I'm liking the last the pictures the best.

Another vote for Farrow & Ball's estate emulsion. I've never had it on my own walls, but every time I see it on someone else's I become a giddy fangirl. It has a kind of elegant gravitas. Right now my place is painted in eggshell (by Devine) because I'm in a basement and need the extra light bounce. Even so, I was tempted to go for Devine's matte finish, which I've heard is rather velvety. Mmm. Velvety.

It looks like the rugs might be made by the woman whose blog that was taken from, but I can't be sure, it's all in French! She just had a photo of a pile of them (http://madamechacha.canalblog.com/archives/2008/05/13/9163619.html#comments), so I assume she makes them...

This is my favorite look, no question. However, to really work i think it should be done with natural materials such as milk paint, clay paint (alis), or lime wash rather than "flat paint".

@ hesiod

"The most wonderful paint in the world is Farrow and Ball estate emulsion - it gives a wonderful powdery looking matte finish (I have used it in my last three homes)."

Agreed. We have String our my bedroom. My husband has until August to help me finish painting. Otherwise, I will do it all by myself whether he likes it or not.