The story behind blue porch ceilings

Rumor has it people paint their porch ceiling blue because it:
- reminds them of the sky
- keeps bugs away
- wards off evil spirts
- all of the above

Yep, all of the above. The folklore about warding off evil spirits (often referred to in the South as haints) is so well-known, the blue actually has a name: haint blue. Unlike Tiffany blue, haint blue isn't a single color; rather, it appears to be in reference to several shades of blue. The painters finished our blue porch ceiling today. Take a look:

Exterior Transformation

Driving up our street last night, I rounded the corner, caught sight of the house, and literally gasped. What a difference paint and cedar shake can make!

First, for those of you who thought we were painting the house light blue: that was the primer! Second, we're still deciding on the trim color (it's between three shades of white...and exactly as mind-numbing as you would imagine it to be). And finally, we have to decide on the stain color for our cedar.

Here she is!

Let the painting begin!

We chose 'Seal', a Martha Stewart paint color (using Sherwin Williams paint):

What do you think?