Why Paint your Porch Ceiling Blue?

Blue porch ceilings are popular again and have been popular in many older cities for centuries, where Victorian and Colonial homes are found.

Sky blue ceilings were a popular color for the Victorians, who preferred the colors of nature when painting their homes.  Yellows, browns, olives, and the color blue were commonly used as an exterior color. These warm earth tones colors reminded the people of the outdoors, with the blue reserved for the porch ceiling to remind them of the blue sky even when the days were overcast and gray or even snowy.

Some people believe that blue paint repels insects, leaving a porch bug-free during these long summer days. Most people discredit this belief.  Although back then when blue paints were first used on ceilings, they were milk paints, and those paints often had lye mixed into them. Lye is an insect repellent, which would explain why insects avoided nesting on a painted porch ceiling. Many still believe that insects prefer not to nest on blue ceilings because they are “fooled” into thinking the blue paint is actually the sky.

Others in states such as Virginia believe that the blue paint will ward off evil spirits.  I read about one home inspector down there who will advise his clients during their home inspection to paint their ceiling blue so as to rid the home of any evil spirits.

Blue is a soft calming color, so using it to paint an area of the house that’s intended for relaxation makes sense.  Porches are often a favorite place when the weather is warm to sit and watch time go by.

People may also paint the porch ceiling blue because the color matches the sky and makes the daylight hours feel as though they last longer.

Whatever the reason, it really does make perfect sense to paint your porch ceiling blue and to sit and enjoy your home and your porch especially during these summer months. 

About this column: Doug Schmidt and Maria Salomão-Schmidt founded and run one of the only mom and pop real estate companies left in Massachusetts. The Brick House Realty office is located right next to the Superette, one of Holliston’s oldest and most famous landmarks. They believe that Holliston is one of the best-kept secrets and love to help people solve their real estate conundrums.