Why Are Some Porch Ceilings Painted Light Blue?

Keep Spirits Away

• The tradition began with the African tribes Gullah and Geechee in the Carolinas when they identified the color blue as capable of keeping away evil spirits. They called the spirits "haints" and painted the trim in their homes and r porch ceilings with haint blue. The blue ceiling eventually became a good-luck symbol and regarded as a harbinger of good fortune.

Mimic the Sky

• A blue porch ceiling mimics the color of the sky beyond the porch, leading some homeowners to claim the practice seems to lengthen the day. In other words, the sky stays blue over the porch even when the real sky is fading. A sky-colored porch seems to extend calm, peaceful days onto the porch.

Ward Off Bugs

• Some homeowners insist that a blue porch ceiling keeps away bugs, claiming that spiders and other insects mistake the blue ceiling for the sky and refuse to build webs and nests there. No scientific research supports the claim because no scientists have conducted any studies about the response of insects to the color blue. The lack of evidence does not seem to deter some homeowners from making the claim, however.

Tradition

• Homeowners in many areas, particularly in the South where the practice began, paint their porch ceilings blue because of tradition. When an individual grew up in a home with a blue porch ceiling or always admired the porch of a grandparent's home, the color on the porch is welcoming and familiar. Just as holiday celebrations follow generational traditions, home decor preferences often follow family traditions as well.