Renovation Detail: The Blue Porch Ceiling
Ghostly legends spurred the Haint Blue porch ceiling trend in the South, but you can pick this color just because it's pretty
Rachel Grace
June 22, 2012
Houzz Contributor
I'm on a mission to beautify our front porch. I have my eyes on a Craftsman-style front door, and Chippendale balustrades are a must, but come hell or high water I will be painting our ceiling blue.
Blue painted ceilings can be found on porches across America, often for different reasons. Historians say the blue porch ceiling was born in South Carolina, where a group of African descendants believed that ghosts, or "haints," couldn't cross water. In painting their porches blue, they trusted the spirits would be confused by the water-colored hues and tricked into thinking they couldn't enter their home. The school of thought became so popular in the South, that no matter the color blue, blue exterior home accents were dubbed Haint Blue.
Even as the ghost legend faded, porch ceilings continued to be painted blue in the South and across the United States. Many homeowners paint their porch ceilings blue as a bug repellent. It's said that insects won't nest on blue ceilings because they are fooled into thinking that the blue painted surface is actually the sky.
Others simply paint their porch ceilings blue for aesthetic reasons, whether to emulate the sky and extend the feeling of daylight hours or merely because blue is a beautiful color. My choice is purely for aesthetic reasons, although I'm not against about warding off ghosts and bugs!
Blue painted ceilings can be found on porches across America, often for different reasons. Historians say the blue porch ceiling was born in South Carolina, where a group of African descendants believed that ghosts, or "haints," couldn't cross water. In painting their porches blue, they trusted the spirits would be confused by the water-colored hues and tricked into thinking they couldn't enter their home. The school of thought became so popular in the South, that no matter the color blue, blue exterior home accents were dubbed Haint Blue.
Even as the ghost legend faded, porch ceilings continued to be painted blue in the South and across the United States. Many homeowners paint their porch ceilings blue as a bug repellent. It's said that insects won't nest on blue ceilings because they are fooled into thinking that the blue painted surface is actually the sky.
Others simply paint their porch ceilings blue for aesthetic reasons, whether to emulate the sky and extend the feeling of daylight hours or merely because blue is a beautiful color. My choice is purely for aesthetic reasons, although I'm not against about warding off ghosts and bugs!
Perhaps this South Carolina homeowner believes in "haints."
A ceiling painted bright sea-foam green is a modern, vibrant alternative to the historical trend.
A darker blue with a hint of slate pops against this white house. The floor is also blue for extra ghost protection.
A dash of blue adds color and interest to this otherwise neutral exterior palette.
This outdoor kitchen is filled with fabulous architectural details. Crown molding, Arts and Crafts trim and a blue painted ceiling combine for the wow factor.
Blue painted ceilings are also appropriate in enclosed screened-in porches.
The Ottava Pendant is an excellent choice to hang from this sky-blue porch ceiling.
JacksonBuilt Custom Homes keeps the tradition going in South Carolina.
A traditional Southern home is appropriately outfitted with a subtle blue ceiling.
A bright blue ceiling emulates the Hudson Valley, New York, sky and extends the feeling of daylight hours.
Benjamin Moore
While the proper blue should be chosen based on your home's color palette, Benjamin Moore's Polar Sky is the perfect example of a classic Haint Blue.
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So glad for the comment about Cumulus Cotton as we just picked it for our porches.
Actually, if the paint color is more the color of water on the porch ceiling, then wasps won't build nests on it. It truly does work. We once had a terrible problem with multiple wasps nests on our porch ceiling for years and it was becoming increasingly worse. We tried spray, taking the nests down when the wasp was gone during the day and anything else we heard or read. Nothing helped for more than a day or two. About 5 years ago I read about this solution in a gardening book. We painted the porch ceiling a light aqua blue. We were skeptical but desperate, then pleasantly surprised that it really worked! And we have only very rarely had any wasp nests there since!