What is the best color to paint a porch ceiling?

Author: Jennyfer Kuvalis  |  Last update: Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Blue. Historically, light blue is the go-to porch ceiling paint color—and for good reason. It mimics the natural sky and makes a covered porch feel open and inviting. However, it's important to find a shade that speaks to you and your house's locale.

What color to paint porch ceiling to keep bugs away?

Haint Blue Porch Ceilings are said to keep wasps and other bugs from nesting in the corners of your porch!

Does painting porch ceiling blue keep birds away?

A sky blue ceiling is a traditional color, it keeps the spiders away, and the birds and wasps from nesting, supposedly because they think it's open and no shelter. Anecdotally, we had lots of birds, wasps and spiders nesting on our porch, after we painted it blue, they went away.

What color do Southerners paint their porch ceilings?

The shade of blue used on many southern ceilings is often called “haint blue”. This light blue-green color is especially popular in southern coastal cities like Charleston, SC or Savannah, GA because of the historically haunted nature of these cities.

Why do they paint a porch ceiling blue?

Blue porch ceilings are said by some to promote a cool, calming atmosphere. The tradition also has some superstition behind it -- that blue ceilings ward off evil spirits, as well as spiders and wasps, and that blue is a harbinger of good luck.

How To Paint A Porch Ceiling - Ace Hardware

What color blue is good for porch ceiling?

Sherwin-Williams, Waterscape, SW 6470

Said to help ward off "haints" or evil spirits by mimicking the sky or a body of water, haint blue is also a good way to confuse bugs and draw them upward, away from porch-sitters.

Does haint blue keep wasps away?

It became less known for scaring ghosts away, but more known for keeping wasps and birds away. It has been known to keep them from nesting since they believe that the blue represents the sky. Some people even call it dirt dauber blue.

Which color is best for porch?

Popular Colors for the Porch, Patio, and Pool Deck
  • Silver Gray. 2131-60.
  • Guilford Green. HC-116.
  • Georgian Brick. HC-50.
  • Hawthorne Yellow. HC-4.
  • Hazy Skies. OC-48.
  • Metropolitan. AF-690.
  • New Hope Gray. 2130-50.
  • Kennebunkport Green. HC-123.

What shade of blue is haint blue?

Haint blue is a collection of pale shades of blue-green that are traditionally used to paint porch ceilings in the Southern United States. Hex #D1EAEB is a popular shade of haint blue. The tradition originated with the Gullah in Georgia and South Carolina.

Do blue ceilings keep bees away?

When blue paints were first used on ceilings, they were usually milk paints, and those paints often had lye mixed into the composition. Lye is a known insect repellent, which would explain why insects would avoid nesting on a painted porch ceiling or ledge.”

What color paint keeps birds away?

One color that the majority of birds avoid is white. A dull or bright white signals alarm and danger to birds, causing them to avoid those areas.

What does a blue porch light mean?

Blue lights on porches, historically, have been a way for homeowners to honor and support law enforcement. The movement traces its roots back to 1989, when Dolly Craig chose to light up her window with a blue bulb, remembering her son-in-law, an officer tragically lost in the line of duty.

What is Sherwin-Williams' version of haint blue?

Sherwin-Williams Niebla Azul Haint Blue Ceiling

SW Niebla Azul (Sample) is another gorgeous haint blue paint color that we love to pair with dark blue exterior color schemes. It is darker and bluer than SW Tradewind, with an LRV of 53.

What color do mosquitoes hate?

What colors are mosquitoes attracted to? Compared to humans, mosquitoes see a smaller range of colors. One study found that red, orange, cyan (blue-green), and black tend to draw mosquitoes, while colors that make you more difficult to see can repel mosquitoes, including white, green, blue, and purple.

What color to paint the ceiling of a porch?

Blue. Historically, light blue is the go-to porch ceiling paint color—and for good reason. It mimics the natural sky and makes a covered porch feel open and inviting. However, it's important to find a shade that speaks to you and your house's locale.

What color do wasps hate?

An article from professors at Oklahoma State recommends that “when in wasp-infested areas, avoid wearing sweet-smelling colognes, perfumes, and hair sprays and bright orange, yellow, and blue clothing, as they will attract flying wasps. Khaki, tan, and dark colors are less attractive to wasps.”

What is the most popular porch ceiling blue?

Haint blue is a longstanding tradition for porch ceilings, particularly in the South, where it is said to have originated with the Gullah Geechee people of the lower Atlantic coast.

What color blue does Joanna Gaines use?

Joanna says she loves "lighter blues with gray undertones because you can use them as neutrals." Suggested Paints: Rainy Days by Magnolia Home or Clean and Crisp by Farrow & Ball.

Why do Southern homes paint their porch ceilings blue?

The practice traces back to the Gullah Geechee, enslaved people living in the low country of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. Gullah folklore explains that ghosts, also referred to as “haints,” were not able to cross water. In order to repel evil spirits from plantations, porch ceilings were painted a soft blue.

What time of year is best to paint a porch?

According to de Paz, spring and fall are the ideal seasons for painting just about everywhere in the country. “The weather is warm and the sun is not strong enough to overheat the surface that you are trying to paint,” he says. There's also less likelihood that you'll encounter temps dipping too low.

What paint is best for porches?

The quick list: my favorite deck paint choices, all available online:
  • Top Choice.  Benjamin Moore's INSL-X Tough Shield Floor and Patio. ...
  • Best non-slip floor paint. Benjamin Moore's Anti-Slip INSL-X Sure Step Floor Paint. ...
  • Great deal. KILZ Interior/Exterior Enamel Porch/Patio Floor Paint.

What color is Sherwin Williams' front porch?

SW 7651Front Porch

Relax and kick your feet up with this cool and comforting mist gray neutral. Its cyan undertone gives this hue a gentle mood and an easy disposition.

Should I paint my porch ceiling blue?

While there's no guarantee that a blue porch will keep bugs and ghosts at bay, you can be sure it will attract attention. "Simply put, many people choose to paint the porch ceiling blue because of the way it makes that space look and feel," Wadden says.

What smell do wasps hate the most?

Wasps have a strong sense of smell and dislike certain plants like peppermint, spearmint, basil, eucalyptus, cloves, geranium, thyme, citronella, bay leaves, and lemongrass. They are also repelled by vinegar, cinnamon, coffee grounds, and sliced cucumber.

What is the traditional color of a southern porch ceiling?

If you've ever strolled through the picturesque neighborhoods of the Southern United States, you might have noticed an enchanting trend—front porch ceilings painted in various shades of blue. This unique and longstanding tradition has piqued the curiosity of many visitors and residents alike.

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