I chose a haint blue ceiling for our Southern porch, pairing the blue-green color with brick walls, white columns, and wooden rocking chairs. Blue is a color I love, and I wanted to bring it overhead as well as into the accessories.
What does haint blue mean?
The name comes from Southern folklore associated with Gullah culture. The High Museum of Art explains that a haint is a spirit, and that blue paint resembling sky or water was traditionally used on ceilings and around doors and windows in the belief that it would keep those spirits away. This is a cultural belief, rather than a property of the paint.
The ceiling color was a custom mix
I chose a Charleston-inspired blue that appealed to me. It was a combination of two blues that I mixed, and I no longer remember which paints we used. I cannot provide an exact paint name or formula for this ceiling.
My painter was apprehensive at first and said he had not done a job like this before. When it was finished, he liked the result.
Blue accents and a spring birdhouse
I carried blue into smaller accents around the porch. A little birdhouse adds a yellow detail among the pots and other decorations.
The blue ceiling against rustic brick
The wider view shows the ceiling above the brick walls and stone floor. Blue seat cushions repeat the color on the wooden rocking chairs.
The view from the front steps
The white columns frame the ceiling from outside. When I first shared the porch, it was the end of winter and I was looking forward to adding fresh flowers.
Our Southern porch in pictures
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