The Traditions and Folklore Behind Blue Porch Ceilings

by Julie Koppman

Haint Blue Porch Ceiling History

Blue porch ceilings are a feature among many New Orleans homes, and we love their charming look and feel. If you’re a fan as well and wonder why they’re so ubiquitous, read on to discover how the tradition came about and the folklore behind it.

Gullah Geechee Folklore - Haint Blue Porch Ceilings

What is the blue porch ceiling’s meaning? It all started with the Gullah Geechee people — West Africans who were enslaved and taken to the coastal areas of Georgia and South Carolina — and who brought with them a culture rich in traditions. Blue porch ceilings started to appear among antebellum plantations in the region in the early nineteenth century, due to Gullah spiritual customs.

Their folklore held that ghosts or spirits – called “haints” (and pronounced “haunts” in their Creole dialect) — wouldn’t cross water. Since blue resembles water, porch ceilings were painted blue (and oftentimes doors, window trim, and shutters, too) to keep evil spirits away and bring good luck to a home. In fact, the pale blue tint is still referred to today as “haint blue”.

Insect Repellant

Others believed that a blue porch ceiling acted as insect repellent. The thinking was that wasps and other pests would mistake a blue porch ceiling for the sky and not build their nests there. As it turns out, the blue paint did in fact repel insects, but mostly because paint from that time period was mixed with the chemical lye, a natural insecticide.

Bringing in Nature

More hopeful benefits associated with blue porch ceilings were common as well. For example, if a porch ceiling looked and felt like a bright blue sky, it was a way to bring in nature, make daylight last a little longer, and create a calming and peaceful influence.

Tranquility, Curb Appeal and Tradition

Today, whether homeowners want to create a feeling of tranquility, add some curb appeal, or simply adhere to a tradition they experienced growing up, blue porch ceilings are a popular way to do it.

Blue Porch Ceiling Paint

Want a haint blue porch ceiling? There’s a Sherwin Williams haint blue porch ceiling color perfect for it: Sherwin Williams Waterscape. Another alternative is Benjamin Moore’s Palladian blue porch ceiling color.

Both of these shades of blue paint colors are very commonly used in New Orleans for a charming light blue porch ceiling. These sky blue ceiling colors are perfect for painting your porch. Reach out to a Rêve Realtor for their recommendation on a great local painter!