Abstract: Coating compositions which provide coatings having enhanced properties, e.g., gloss, are disclosed. The coating compositions may be water-borne compositions, or may be water-reducible or water-dispersible compositions including a thermoplastic resin component. Such compositions include a gloss enhancing amount of a nitrogen-containing component selected from compounds having the formula ##STR1## and mixtures thereof, wherein each R is independently selected from the group consisting of H, monovalent hydrocarbyl radicals having 1 to about 4 carbon atoms, and divalent hydrocarbyl radicals having 1 to about 2 carbon atoms,R'OH wherein R' is a divalent hydrocarbyl radical having 1 to about 4 carbon atoms, provided that the compound includes at least one hydroxyl group and if one R is a divalent radical then another R is a bond in the divalent radical or is another divalent radical.