Can matt paint be turned into satin or vinyl silk at home?

I am on a very tight budget to decorate and matt paint is very cheap. I can do my whole house up for what it costs for one can of branded vinyl silk. Is there anything that can be added to matt paint to give it a washable finish or sheen instead of having to buy it? I have paint tints already so can get the colours I want just not the sheen.Can matt paint be turned into satin or vinyl silk at home?
you would still need to buy some silk like the person above said...... having a matt finnish is also a good look tho, its soft and subtle, you may wantto just consider keeping it matt. as long as ya keep on top of cleaning etc dust shouldnt settle on the paint work and if ya did get marks on it just paint over that area at a cheap cost, and if its the colour your worried about when repainting just make sure when you mix the colours you want make some spare for touch ups.Can matt paint be turned into satin or vinyl silk at home?
The only way would be to mix in some vinyl silk of the same make, at least 60% silk to 40 % matt
Don't buy branded paints. Uk? Use Wilko/Wickes/B%26amp;Q etc paints, they're cheaper than Dulux/Crown etc.


I only use Dulux as a last resort. OR, do what I do, go to B%26amp;Q and see what Dulux custom made paints are being sold off half price. Folks get them made up, don't like them and B%26amp;Q sell em off at crazy low prices. Ok, you may have to adjust your mind to painting a room a slightly different shade or colour you'd set your heart on, but it's CHEAP.


I too have no spare cash, and I do this all the time.


Silks are much easier to keep clean, but short of going to a paint manufacturer and getting the decorators varnish that they put in to make it a silk finish (i have such a supplier on my doorstep), you 'll have to compromise by mixing matt and silk together to get a mid satin finish, not as shiny as silk
Go to a trade decorator supplier. Their paint is generally cheaper, and they often have cans of paint which people have had mixed and then changed their minds about. They usually sell this off super cheap, or in some cases if you ask nicely, give it away! Even if you have to pay to get something mixed, you can pick a Dulux colour (or other more expensive brand) and they will be able to mix it for you in a cheaper base.





To answer your original question, you can add emulsion gloss glaze to your paint. This will reduce the opacity, so you will need more coats. A better option, would be to overpaint with the glaze, or with waterbased acrylic varnish.


All these options will cost more money though, so why not spend it on the paint, and cut down on your work.
Vinyl matt is as washable as silk - but is more forgiving on less than perfect surfaces. Very few places have non vinyl nowadays but if you get it use it - it is cheap enough to recoat it if it gets dirty which will be some considerable time.