Finishes that Complete Things in just the Right Way

Finishes tend to be an afterthought—we agonize over a colour for a surface, but not over whether that surface should be shiny or matte, for example.

This is too bad as surfaces have a big effect on how we feel in a space.

• Humans prefer glossy surfaces to matte ones, so, all things being equal (if things can ever actually be equal is a reasonable debate), glossies would be the best choice, and they’re also likely to be the easiest to clean. Gloss can lead to glare, however, and people anticipate that glossy floors will be more slippery than matte ones. Things that are shiny are perceived to be heavier than those that are matte so, in any case, a space will seem more stable and comfortable if they’re lower to the ground than the matte ones.
• Mirrored surfaces on walls can increase the apparent size of an area, particularly when those mirrors make a space seem lighter in colour. When nature scenes outside and plants inside are reflected in mirrors, an area can also be a more refreshing space to spend time, particularly for restoring our mental processing power after we’ve depleted it by concentrating on something for a while.  Mirrors can also “move” daylight through a space, making it seem to have a little more natural light in it than it actually does.  When we can see ourselves in mirrored surfaces, we’re more likely to follow social norms and behave, for example, to sort our recyclables correctly.
• Shiny-ness makes something seem more feminine and a matte surface more masculine—select finishes for children’s rooms, etc., to conform to these associations or to counter them, as you think best in any particular situation. Similarly, smoother textures are perceived to be more feminine and rougher ones as more masculine.
• Some finishes and materials retain heat better than others, and those differences in heat retention should have meaningful effects on material choices. After we’ve touched something warmer, even after we’re no longer touching whatever was warmer, we are more trusting and cooperative, feel tighter bonds to our significant others, and we think of other people as more generous (and are more generous ourselves) and caring than we do after we’ve recently touched something that’s cold.
• Curating the number of textures in a space, using only a few, makes a space relatively more relaxing compared to an area with more textures in play—but even one texture, if it is itchy or prickly or otherwise undesirable, will ruin our mood.
• Textures that seem less “plastic-y” seem more upscale and pleasant.
• And the old wives’ tales are true, women do have a keener sense of touch than men, they will notice things that men will not, for example. So, a texture that might be imperceptible to a man could be too rough for comfort for a woman, which may occasion the shift of furniture from one area mainly used by one partner to another, for instance.