Finish should be chosen for the wall's condition, not the room's use
Matt
Hides unevenness well and marks easily. Right for old lime-plastered walls and any surface that has been patched more than twice.
Eggshell and silk
Wipeable and unforgiving. Every filled patch and roller mark shows in raking light. Only worth it on genuinely flat modern plaster.
The test
Hold a torch flat against the wall and look along the beam. Whatever that reveals is what a silk finish will show permanently.
