Home Color Palettes & Paint The Prettiest Shades of Haint Blue for Your Front Porch By Betsy Cribb Betsy Cribb Betsy is the Home and Features Editor at Southern Living. She writes about a veritable potpourri of topics for print and digital, from profiling Southern movers-and-shakers and celebrating family traditions to highlighting newsy restaurant openings and curating the annual holiday gift guide. Prior to joining the Southern Living team in 2017 as the style editor, she worked at Coastal Living as an assistant editor covering pets and homes. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on July 22, 2022 Fact checked by Jillian Dara Fact checked by Jillian Dara Jillian is a freelance writer, editor and fact-checker with 10 years of editorial experience in the lifestyle genre. In addition to fact-checking for Southern Living, Jillian works on multiple verticals across Dotdash-Meredith, including TripSavvy, The Spruce, and Travel + Leisure. brand's fact checking process Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Matthew Gleason Spend a weekend house-hunting in Charleston or strolling the streets of Savannah, and you'll likely notice that many of the houses have one thing in common: a sky-blue porch ceiling. While the practice is widespread across much of the South and even beyond, the tradition of painting porch ceilings light blue began with the Gullah Geechee communities of coastal South Carolina and Georgia. These descendants of central and west African enslaved people painted their doors, window frames, shutters, and porch ceilings blue as a means of protection. They believed that the color would act as a repellant for "haints," or spirits of the dead, who might try to enter their homes. According to Atlas Obscura, in one version of the tradition, the Gullah Geechee people believed that the haints would confuse the color with the sky and pass right through the porch ceiling. Another version of the tradition explains that the haints were afraid of water and would flee at the sight of the watery hue. But if you're not one for believing in haints, you may still want to paint your porch a lovely light blue for a more practical reason. Some say that the color prevents wasps from building nests. We're not much for haints or wasps, so we'll improve our chances with a picture-perfect shade of blue. We've rounded up 12 of the best shades of haint blue to paint your porch, whether you live in the South or just wish you did. 01 of 12 Olympic Niagara Falls Olympic A fresh, watery blue like Olympic's Niagara Falls (OL633.2) will create a serene setting on your porch. This baby blue is too peaceful to be disturbed by mischievous spirits. Try it on a deep blue, tan, or cream-colored house. 02 of 12 Benjamin Moore Palladian Blue Benjamin Moore Try Palladian Blue by Benjamin Moore (HC-144), a restful hue with a touch of green. Slightly dusky and relaxed, this one reminds us of glimmering lakes. And it looks beautiful against cinnamons and browns. 03 of 12 Sherwin-Williams Pool Blue Sherwin-Williams With Pool Blue by Sherwin-Williams (SW 6944), you'll pull up the chaise lounge beneath your newly painted porch ceiling. Use this color if you want a more tropical vibe. It coordinates well with browns and would be a bold choice for a house with a tangerine hue. 04 of 12 Farrow & Ball Borrowed Light Farrow & Ball The pale blue of Borrowed Light by Farrow & Ball (No. 235) echoes that first glimmer of light on a sunny morning. Paint with a subtle hint of blue will stand out against a dark-colored house. You can also try it on ivory or cream-colored homes. 05 of 12 Benjamin Moore Woodlawn Blue Benjamin Moore For a delicate blue with subtle green undertones, another favorite is Woodlawn Blue by Benjamin Moore (HC-147). While rocking in your chair, the tasteful color will fill you with bliss. Woodlawn Blue looks especially beautiful against wood grains, browns, and maroons. 06 of 12 Olympic Aqua Fiesta Olympic Liven up your porch with a coat of Aqua Fiesta by Olympic (OL667.4). If your home is already brightly colored, a vibrant shade of aqua could be a perfect choice. You'll be dreaming of the tropics year-round with a color like this. 07 of 12 Sherwin-Williams Rainwashed Sherwin-Williams A coat of Rainwashed by Sherwin-Williams (SW 6211) might be just the thing if you're looking for a peaceful pastel. It's slightly gray and slightly green, just like a quiet, rainy day. Rainwashed will contrast exceptionally well above pewter or khaki walls. 08 of 12 Benjamin Moore Blue Allure Benjamin Moore With a color like Blue Allure by Benjamin Moore (771), your eyes can't help but look to the skies. This color is a shade or two lighter than Robin's egg. Add a coat to your ceiling and make it sweet as a spring day. 09 of 12 Farrow & Ball Dix Blue Farrow & Ball Dix Blue (No. 82) comes from Farrow & Ball's vintage line, a muted shade of blue-green. This saturated but relaxed blue complements other muted colors well. Try pairing it with gold, dark brown, maroon, or deep pink. 10 of 12 Benjamin Moore Icy Moon Drops Benjamin Moore The frosty blue-green of Benjamin Moore's Icy Moon Drops (2056-70) seems heaven-sent. This color looks gorgeous on a bright white or soft gray home. Icy Moon Drops will light up your ceiling well after dusk. 11 of 12 Sherwin-Williams Atmospheric Sherwin-Williams A name like Atmospheric (SW 6505) certainly says it all. As promised, this gentle baby blue by Sherwin-Williams will make your ceiling soar. This color looks incredibly flattering on a yellow or warm gray house. 12 of 12 Farrow & Ball Blue Ground Farrow & Ball If you're looking for an upbeat, mid-toned blue, try Farrow & Ball's Blue Ground (No. 210). Anyone who ventures onto your porch is sure to forget their woes with this fun-loving color. Blue Ground can complement a wide range of warm whites and browns. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit