Have you ever wondered why many low country homes have their porch ceilings painted blue. Cool design trend? Or are there other reasons?
In the South Carolina L
owcountry, people have been painting the ceilings of their porches blue for generations. There’s even a name for the color: haint blue. According to Gullah legend, a haint is a spirit or a ghost. It’s said that if you paint your porch ceiling blue, it will welcome the good spirts and ward off the bad ones.
Some say the blue helps extend daylight as dusk begins to fall, and many believe that it helps keep bugs away. There’s no scientific research to back that theory up, but it makes sense to me. They say that insects prefer not to nest on blue ceilings because they are “fooled” into 
thinking the blue paint is actually the sky.
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. As milk paint has a tendency to fade over time, giving it a rustic look, people would usually need to repaint their home every year or few years, covering the existing coat with a new 
coat of paint, and fresh lye.
The DeBordieu homes pictured on this page all have great porches….some of which are painted blue! Click on the picture of the house, or the porch for information, more pictures and a virtual t
our.
Or contact me at TroiKaz@DeBordieu.com, 843-455-4523, and I will send you all the information you need.
Search the website at www.DeBordieu.com.
