I have an 1890 home with the original hain't blue ceiling restored. The rest of our home is 2 close shades of cream. We have been painting the wood floor of the porches a very very dark green. It makes a good contrast to the other colors. Have you chosen a color for your blue ? We were able to find the original color when we restored the ceiling on our home. Here is a pic. I hope you will post pics of your home...would love to see !

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This post was edited by trailrunner on Mon, Jun 17, 13 at 9:02

If you don't want to bring in too much color I would use a high gloss black door. Bring in your color with seasonal flowers or seat cushions and other easy to change out accessories. Your house sounds charming!

I agree with the previous posters that the ceiling would look great in a haint blue and you could do the floors in gray or charleston green (a green that looks black). I think the door would look great dark, but if you wanted to go outside the box a little maybe consider a tangerine colored door. You could always repaint if it was too much!

Porch roof -- BM Silvery Blue 1647
then leave the floor in white

then add color with a outdoor rug (with some blue in it); cushions etc.

I'm interested in this thread too because I'm gearing up to get the porch floor painted this summer. BTW I would never do white because it gets filthy dirty all the time from the wind blowing up dust and soil. My 1910 house is teal colored; the beadboard ceiling is natural stained wood beadboard. Right now the porch floor is typical light grey ("porch floor color") enamel. I think a darker gray might be better. trailrunner your floor doesn't show any green at all on my computer screen. I'd be curious to see more of it.

It is very dark green ...the darkest we could get...I am in VA so can't tell you the exact color as can is at home:) I'll have to wait till I am back in early July and take a new up close pic..it is the Charleston Green I think....will let you know. It is not oil base or shiny...we didn't want the problem with the slippery surface. Our postman as well as DH almost fell so beware of anything with a shine to it unless you add the sand to the paint if you get rain on your porch. c

I think you're missing the point on the blue ceiling. It's sky.
What color goes with the sky? And what could be better the opposite of the sky but green like grass or brown like earth?
Just can't envision gray, too "modern". I could see a rich brown with a brown door but I'm still leaning towards the green with a darker green door. Now it's time to go searching for historic old houses with blue ceiling porches....

"Haint" blue, as many of you know, is a water color, and refers to the old superstition that evil spirits, "haints," are blocked from entering the house because they can't cross water.

It's a Southern colloquialism, originating in the Low Country Gullah culture (the culture of "Porgy and Bess"), and linguistically derives from "haunt."

And that's your Southern lesson for tonight.
All y'all sleep tight ...

bronwynsmom there are so many 'haint blues , fun colors has done essentially a treatise on them that is on line. I was lucky enough to find the original color under the luan ceiling that had been placed over our original 1890 porch ceiling. One must look to the area one lives in order to find the exact color that one should use. It really does matter. I have since found 2 more intact ceilings in my area and they have the same blue as mine from the same decade.

It you go to SC or to LA or MS you will find a whole different color and many more stories as to why the 'haints stay away. I also have a blue bottle tree in my garden to add to the repelling of 'haints !! It is common in Louisiana and Mississippi and other southern areas to paint the trims on doors and windows a blue for the same reason..the spirits can't cross the blue.

I will take all the protection I can get :) I hope the po is finding this helpful and doesn't think we are nutso ! c

Yes, there are as many haint blues as there are colors of water, and in the unpredictable southern weather, that's a big spectrum.

Like the shutter colors on traditional Cape Cod weathered shingle houses, which are also the colors of the New England ocean and sky...every lovely soft shade of blue to green ... and I don't know how i would ever choose one.

Hi all,
Well, thank you for the fabulous ideas! I like the hain't blue ceiling, Charleston green AND tangerine front door. Too busy? There will still be quite a bit of white around the windows and the railings. Stairs are granite, so another gray family color.
Thank you.

Please post pics :) !! Would love to see your home. c

I don't think it would be too busy b/c the haint blue ceiling will be slightly hidden and the charleston green floor will appear black at first glance. I would love to see pics of the finished product!

Hi all,
I will give it a try to post pics when it's done. Thanks.
When I lived in Key West, we painted our porch ceiling blue to keep the bees away!