Wow.....what a beautiful home! Normally, I'd lean towards the trim color but since you have the trim that outlines your various vertical surfaces, I'd either go with the siding color or pick out a darker earthy color that would tie in that beautiful stonework and your front door and window casings.

What a beautiful house! And I envy you your porches.

Years ago, when we were looking at houses, I saw an old house in a style like yours that was beautifully decorated. I still remember, over 20 years later, that the beadboard ceilings of the porches were painted robin's egg blue. It was lovely.

Maybe you could paint some large posterboards in the colors you are considering, tape them up, and see how they feel?

You're building a beautiful home! Nice size for empty nesters!

We have 3 open porches and opted to paint the ceilings light blue the last time the house was painted. It really does cut down on the amount of insects and dirt daubers that tend to accumulate on porch ceilings.

I don't think any color actually repels insects (dirt dobbers? don't know what they are!). That's a sweet old wive's tale attached to some very pretty colors supposed to repel flies.

Many porch ceilings in my neighborhood of old houses are painted a sky blue. I think it's just a "pretend the porch roof is invisible and it's always a perfect day under here" thing.

It would go with what you have, if you liked the idea. And it's enough of an established "thing" and out of the way that it's kind of a neutral, like blue jeans, even if the colors of your house might make someone think twice.

Growlery, it actually does work! For 26 years our front porch ceiling was painted white. Every spring when it came time to wash the house it was covered with dead insects. Three years ago the ceiling was painted blue (along with two other open porch ceilings) and the lack of insects is nothing short of amazing!

Beautiful home! Love the porches too. I'd go with a sky/robins egg or other such shade of blue.

Here's some interesting reading on blue porch ceilings, courtesy of Funcolors.

Here is a link that might be useful: Haint Blue

Interesting.

I've also heard it called "dolly blue". And I've also heard of certain shades of green repelling insects in folklore.

Never heard of it working, but it seems to be working for you, Natal, so I can't argue!

Our porch is close to the same size as yours. It is a wrap-around on a butter yellow country-Victorian. I went with a pale blue ceiling. It is one of my favorite things about the house.

After seeing Wodka's porch, I knew I had to use that color. It is Sherwin Williams "Atmospheric" and is really the perfect porch ceiling blue.

Word of note, at first I swore that it was too bright. I almost chickened out and when up on the paint chip to the lighter one, but WOW, I am so glad I didn't. Atmospheric is absoultely perfect. It has a subtle sky-like glow without being overpowering. It is wonderfully happy.

Congratulations on your new home!

I'm in total agreement with Natal on this one!! We have two large screen porches, and one 30 x 8 covered open porch overlooking the water, which we originally painted white. The dirt daubers, spiders and other insects that were stuck to these porch ceilings made cleaning them difficult and they always looked terrible. My husband repainted all our exterior porch ceilings haint blue two years ago, and they are still totally clean and insect-free. I wish I'd known about this years ago, when we first painted the house, because those insect laden ceilings always disgusted me.

Thanks everyone for the compliments. It has been two years in the drawing / planning stage and finally we are in the dry!

Marisany, great idea to paint some poster boards and tape them up. I do think I'll do that, might have to in order to convince my DH of the color I choose.

growlery, dirt dobbers are pesty little wasp like creatures that build dirt tubes about the size of a nickel, and in varying lengths from a few inches to a foot in length. They build them all over, ceilings, walls, boxes.... pesty little things they are in the south!!

It seems the concensus is for the blue... I really would love to see some pictures from those that have a blue ceiling porch. Thanks Paintchips for sharing your color. I was just telling my DH that I really like my yellow house (primed Hardie plank) and it will totally change once it's painted. I hope I still like it.. LOL!! Nanny, do you know which brand of haint blue you used. In the south, insects are SO plentiful most of the year...anything to deter them from homesteading on my porches... I'm willing to try!

Stayn, nothing says you have to go with dark khaki. ;)

Here's our smallest porch during construction.

Natal, what a beautiful soothing blue color!! Do you happen to know the name of it. I've been playing with SW's color match and uploaded a picture of my porch.... haven't found a soothing blue yet. I love yours! Thanks for posting a picture! Would love to see more pictures!

Our porch ceilings are all done in a Benjamin Moore color called Blue Angel. Sorry, the pic isn't great - it's a bit more vivid than it looks on my monitor.

Hi stayn2busy.......We painted our back porch ceiling light blue after hearing about it keeping the dirt daubers & things from landing but it didn't help much at all. We eventually got the Phanton Screens that are totally retractable screens ran from remotes. BTW, I love your home....it is a stunner for sure! Bonnie

Not convinced it is the color or if it's the fresh, sealing and protective qualities of a new coat of paint that helps deter bugs.

I like to think it's the qualities of blue that does the trick, but I'm always lookin' for a reason to call color magical. :~D

Stayn, the neighborhood BM store called it dirt dauber blue. Have no idea which blue it actually is, but it's obviously a popular choice. I wasn't even thinking blue until the painter suggested it.

Fun, I'm pretty sure the color plays a prominent role. We repainted with white a number of times through the years and never had this bug-free result!

Beware of painting the ceiling a very dark color - it's unbelieveable how much it will darken the entire porch. A dark color will also reflect on any white trim giving it a muddy look. I learned this the hard way on a very small porch & it was still a PITA to repaint several coats to cover the dark color.

Your color scheme sounds beautiful.

This is a remarkable thread. As I looked at the OP's pictures, a pretty light blue came to mind, although I hadn't read any of the posts and never think of blue for walls and ceilings. But it just feels right. DH and I have thought about an anti-evil eye Middle Eastern blue for our front door, but this is a better idea!

Thanks for all the beautiful examples!

We haven't gotten around to painting our porch ceiling yet ... it's on the list of things to do this spring. In our case, we chose BM's Yarmouth Blue. It's a nice light-to-medium neutral blue, that looks great with the orangy brick of our old house.

Make sure that whatever you choose coordinates with your colors inside, if you can see the porch ceiling from inside the house. We have an arched window transom over our front door, and the porch ceiling is completely visible from indoors. Yarmouth Blue coordinates well with Windham Cream, which is the color of our foyer and attached hall and stairway.

Connie

Antique.. I wouldn't consider a dark color, as I'm already worried about the porches making it darker inside. Hate to hear you had to learn this thru experience....ugh...painting ceilings is so hard!!
Hartwood, I never thought about it coordinating with the inside color scheme.... but very good thought since I have transoms above all windows & doors.
I love GW and am so thankful to have "cyber friends" to get ideas and advice from!!! I'm in north central AR and we've had a snow storm, so that essentially shuts everything down. Us southerners aren't used to it!! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

I'm thinking of painting the ceiling of our screened porch
using the haint blue (specifically SW Atmospheric). But I'm unsure whether to use flat, satin, etc. Anyone with experience ?