The One Thing To Know Before Painting Your Porch Ceiling

It's a big deal down South, after all.

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Updated on October 31, 2022

Front Porch Blooms — Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez

From the porches overlooking Magazine St. in New Orleans, Louisiana, to those along Monument Ave. in Richmond, Virginia, Southern porches tend to have one thing in common, and it's not hanging baskets, rocking chairs, or very good dogs. It's not over-the-top lush container gardens, or a wicker bar cart. It's the eternally classic, perfectly cool, blue ceiling.

It's both superstition and long-standing tradition, and more than anything, it's pretty. It started with the Gullah Geechee communities of coastal South Carolina and Georgia, who used the color on windows, shutters, and porches to keep away "haints" or spirits. It's also rumored to keep away pesky wasps and insects by tricking them into thinking it is the sky. Regardless of its ghost-busting and wasp swatting abilities, it's a beloved tradition and one to keep in mind for the next porch update.

WATCH: These Are The Prettiest Shades of Haint Blue

You certainly don't have to paint your ceiling blue, but it's a way to participate in an age-old Southern tradition. That doesn't make it any easier to choose though. Here are a few favorite blue hues:

FOR A BOLDER NOTE

Drizzle (SW 6479), sherwin-williams.com

"This lively but soothing shade in a satin finish sets up a home for an unexpectedly bright door, like a high-gloss chartreuse!" —SUSAN CURRIE, New Orleans; susancurriedesign.com