Hello everyone, I’m currently considering which color of IKEA Billy bookshelves is the easiest to maintain in daily use. My main concern is minimizing cleaning effort and having good resistance to typical dirt such as fingerprints, dust, or occasional stains. I’m particularly interested in experiences with different finishes, such as white, birch, dark brown, or the smooth high-gloss options. Are there specific colors or surfaces that have proven to be noticeably more durable in everyday use? And if so, what do you think is the reason for that? Thanks in advance for all helpful responses!
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Sinan-meo19 May 2022 11:14The surface of the Billy shelves is also crucial: melamine resin coatings are particularly durable. The high-gloss versions are usually lacquered and therefore more prone to scratches, which affects how easy they are to clean. Matte white surfaces are not only more resistant to dirt but also to visible signs of wear. Black or dark colors often show more dust and lint despite regular care, which can be bothersome in everyday use.
BLAKEO schrieb:
Are high gloss paints really impractical, or do they just need the proper care? High gloss paints can indeed be maintained visually with the right care, but in practice, the increased maintenance effort is a genuine drawback for many users. The higher visibility of smudges or dust often results in more frequent cleaning. When it comes to everyday ease of maintenance, a matte finish clearly has the advantage, as minor dirt is less noticeable.Thank you for the responses so far! I have a more specific question: Do dark colors like black-brown actually have a higher susceptibility to scratches due to their texture or coating? Or is it just that scratches are simply more visible on dark surfaces? I would also be interested to hear if anyone has experience with a combination of matte and high-gloss finishes that might be both low-maintenance and visually appealing.
Scratches are presumably more visible on black surfaces because the contrast with the material is lighter. However, the coating is not necessarily more sensitive than on lighter colors. When combining matte and glossy surfaces, maintenance effort increases because glossy areas require more care.
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Sinan-meo19 May 2022 16:40Tidifar schrieb:
I have a more specific question: Do dark colors like black-brown actually have a higher susceptibility to scratches due to their texture or coating? A higher susceptibility is not necessarily the case, but scratches tend to be more visible on dark surfaces. Tidifar schrieb:
if anyone has experience with a combination of matte and high-gloss surfaces that can be both low-maintenance and visually appealing Combinations look stylish but usually require more cleaning effort, as you constantly have to deal with the differing visibility of dirt and scratches.Similar topics