The Enchanting History of Haint Blue

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The story of haint blue begins in the Southern United States, particularly in the Lowcountry regions of South Carolina and Georgia. The term “haint” is a Southern colloquialism derived from “haunt,” which in this context refers to restless spirits or ghosts. Traditionally, many believed that painting the porch ceiling with this particular shade of blue would ward off these wandering spirits, preventing them from entering the home.

The Original Blend

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In the past, haint blue wasn’t just chosen for its lovely shade. The original mixture often contained ingredients like lime, which was believed to have protective properties. This combination not only added a spiritual barrier against unwanted guests but also had practical benefits. Lime is a natural insect repellent, so those early porch sitters might have noticed fewer bugs buzzing around their evening gatherings!

The Modern Allure

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In modern times, while not everyone might subscribe to the belief in restless spirits, many are still drawn to haint blue for its visual appeal and the calm, serene ambiance it evokes. Plus, there’s still some chatter about its ability to deter pests. Some homeowners swear that their haint blue ceilings keep birds from nesting and deter bugs from their porches.

Choosing the Perfect Shade of Haint Blue

There are countless shades of haint blue to choose from. While the traditional shade is a light, airy blue with a hint of gray or green, here are a few popular modern takes:

• Woodlawn Blue: A delicate wash of blue that brings to mind a fine crystal. (HC-147)
• Rain: For a gentle, peaceful mood in your space, introduce this cool neutral – with undertones of green and gray. (SW 6219)
• Dayflower: Like the sky right before dawn, Dayflower is a light dusty blue that imparts a peaceful energy. (MQ3-54)
• Permafrost: Permafrost is a veiled sky blue that brings to mind ice reflecting a darkened sky. (S490-1)
• Cosmic Blue: Cosmic Blue is a calming and soothing color that evokes a feeling of tranquility and relaxation. (MQ6-32)
• Atmospheric: Bright skies and a sunny disposition are headed your way with this cool midtone blue. (SW 6505)
• Blue Allure: A light, soft blue that is not too sweet, this easygoing shade is as appealing as your favorite, perfectly bleached blue jeans. (BM 771)
• Fairview Blue: The expansive skies of the Midwest are reflected in this cool mid-tone blue, creating a feeling of spaciousness and light. (BM 779)

Regardless of the shade, the aim is to create a space that feels tranquil, welcoming, and steeped in tradition.

Bringing Haint Blue to Your Home

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If you’ve been inspired by the lore and beauty of haint blue, why not consider introducing it to your own home? Painting your porch ceiling with this historic hue can be a nod to tradition while giving your home a fresh, updated look.

Looking to refresh your porch with a touch of haint blue magic? Let’s chat! Schedule a free consultation with us, and we’ll help you pick the perfect shade and transform your outdoor space. Remember, it’s not just about a color; it’s about embracing a piece of history and creating a serene oasis right at your doorstep.

Wishing you inspiration and happy painting!

Schedule Your Free Haint Blue Consultation Today!

From flat to high gloss, the quality of a painted surface improves proportional to its sheen. The simplest explanation is in the two primary components of paint: pigments and binding agents. The pigments used in paint insoluble granules, meaning they are small particles that do not dissolve in liquid. The binding agent primarily acts as an adhesive for the pigments. But, it also provides the sheen level, which is the amount of light than can be reflected from a finished surface.

There is little consistency in sheen levels between manufacturers. This is because different manufacturers have different binding agents between them and between different finishes. While there is a formula to determine pigment-volume concentration (PVC), simply reducing the amount of binding agent would be problematic. As less agents are used, different agents are introduced to increase the strength of the paint as it dries.

As described by Golden Artist Colors, different binding agents do affect pigment chroma. This is why the appearance of the same color listed by a manufacturer can be different between binding agents, such as oil, latex, and acrylic. But, for the sake of discussion, the subject will be discussed as only one binding agent.

While pigment may be a constant, fewer binding agents in the paint leave pigments on the surface, creating a rough texture. This allows paint pigments to really stand out and a wall painted in flat colors is something to be appreciated. Its ability to diffuse light also makes it perfect for concealing wall repairs, nail holes, and ghosting, which is being able to see the placement of wall studs behind sheetrock. Flat paint, however, is not for high-traffic areas, behind furniture, or in homes where small, sticky hands might touch it. It’s not child friendly. But if you insist, gently scrubbing with a wet sponge and baking soda will remove crayon from flat wall paint.

Another unfortunate side of flat paint is it allows for the collection of dust and debris. They can be difficult to clean and maintain and are a potential host environments for mold and bacteria. For those reasons, flat and matte paints are not recommended for indoor high traffic areas, kitchens, or bathrooms. Some brands have been able to overcome issues of dust and mold. But otherwise, paint quality is considered proportional to its sheen.

Quality improves proportionate to sheen

As binding agents are added to a paint mixture, the dried surface becomes less porous. A smooth surface is better protected from elements and therefore, easier to clean. But, it also makes slight imperfections more noticeable. Filled holes from nails, scratches, and dings become more evident. You will see every little imperfection if the wall was not properly prepared before painting. Later paint touch-ups may never quite match. Cracks and chips may occur when something collides with the surface.

There is almost a ritual to preparing a wall for high-gloss paint. Most prepared walls have a Level 4 surface, which describes the minimum necessary requirements to prevent the appearance of seams and nails in the sheetrock in the finished wall. But an enamel, semi-gloss, or high gloss wall requires a Level 5 preparation that includes a skim coat of specially mixed joint compound applied over the whole surface to make the unpainted wall a uniformly flat. On new construction, this can increase the cost of wall preparation by about one-third. But the appearance and quality of a well prepared and properly painted wall could mean fewer costs down the road, particularly because you might be less inclined to risk damaging it.

Sherwin-Williams has 14-sheen levels. But, between our three favorite paint companies—Sherwin-Williams, Behr, and Benjamin-Moore—there are 6-sheen levels: flat, matte, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, and high gloss. Each is tested similarly with a light placed at 60° and 85°, relative to the painted surface and the reflected light measured with a light meter. This gives us a reasonable guide of what to expect from the finished product. The resulting numbers are expressed as whole numbers on a scale of 0—100. The lower the number, the less light will be reflected by the sheen.

The reflective values provided are not be confused with Light Reflective Value (LRV), which is a scale of 0—100 referencing a color’s appearance. That scale is based on how similar a color is it black or white. It is worth noting there is no true zero on either scale. All surfaces reflect light and therefore, color. For example, Benjamin Moore’s Bright Yellow is available in flat. It has an LRV of 68.7, but it’s sheen level would mean less than 5% of light would be reflected from it.

Flat paint reflects 0-3% light.

Use flat paint to create non-reflective surface. This sheen’s ability to diffuse light make it the best choice for well-lit areas like ceilings and offices. It’s ability to bring out the brilliance in cooler hues should not be ignored. However, it’s porous surface can make it difficult to clean.

Matte paint reflects 4-10% light.

The difference between matte and flat paints is near indistinguishable. But at 4—10%, it’s decreased PVC makes it easier to clean. This sheen level is appropriate for living rooms and bedrooms.

Eggshell paint reflects 12-15% light.

Eggshell’s 12—15% reflectivity is appropriate for walls high traffic areas, living rooms, and bedrooms.

Satin paint reflects 25-35% light.

Satin is one of the more common finishes used in homes today. At 25—35%, it allows a reasonable amount of light to be reflected.

Semi-gloss paint reflects 35-60% light.

Semi-gloss has a much smoother surface, reflecting 35—60% of the light hitting it. This makes it easier to clean and ideal for painting trim, doors, cabinets, and wood paneling.

High-gloss paint reflects 35-60% light.

The best high gloss paint will reflect as much as 60—90% of the light touching it. With the proper amount of preparation, work, and care, it can be made to shine and reflect discernable features in the room.

Kandinsky wrote about the meanings of color in his book, “Concerning the Spiritual in Art.” On its Greek roots, he wrote shades of red can both be like a flame, warm and exciting or painful. He describes keen yellow as sour, like a lemon. He took great care with white, suggesting it spoke of birth and possibilities. Then, he described black as “an eternal silence, without future and hope.”

Kandinsky used other colors. He had this curious sense of how on a “sensitive people,” the experience of one sense can leave an impression on the soul and influence the perceptions of their other senses. One example cites mentions a doctor whose patient could not eat a particular sauce without tasting the color blue.

Color also made music, which was not an uncommon observation. In his earliest works on the subject, Sir Isaac Newton attempted to classify colors by music notation. He mentions this when theorizing on texture, “Shades of colour [sic], like those of sound, are of a much finer texture and awake in the soul emotions too fine to be expressed in words.”

Much later in his career, Kandinsky experimented with adding materials to his paints to create visible textures. He mixed these understandings with his appreciation for jazz and commitment to faith to create an array of elements in his art that make his work a true snapshot of the artist’s mind.

My preferred example for Kandinsky is in his painting, Composition VIII. Kandinsky’s use of color is elegant in its simplicity. Over a muted canvas, colors and contrast drive the viewer from one event to the next. Each pop is its own story. Some colors are complimentary and others analogous. But perhaps most interesting is his matching tint when he pairs analogous colors and contrasts shade and tone when he pairs complimentary colors.

Kandinsky’s use of palette somewhat fools the observer that might be attentive to the yellow and red when really the gray and brown are the base colors. The yellow has been shaded with the brown and the red has been similarly tinted by the gray.

Similar colors can be found in Behr’s Yellow Gold, Sherwin-Williams’ Pennywise, and Benjamin-Moore’s Metropolis and Roseate.

Kandinsky’s use of paint almost guarantees colors that have never been seen in art before or since. The eclipsing sun in the upper right of his painting is not a true red, but it’s not orange. With just a slight tinge of yellow, the shape glows by itself. It’s likely a mix of the yellow used in its corona and the red from the eclipsing corona.

Similar colors can be found in Behr’s red shade, Grenadine, Pecos Spice, and yellow toned, Solar Energy.

Yellow and blue circles appear lower in the painting. Kandinsky wrote of these as eccentric and concentric movements saying where the yellow spreads out from the center, blue moves in on itself. Regardless, yellow and blue are complimentary colors on the CMYK color wheel. However, he proportionately shaded the circles and tinted the halos, which makes their relationships tetradic.

Similar colors can be found in Sherwin-Williams’ Yellow Bird, Majestic and Paddington from Benjamin-Moore, and Behr’s Bluebird.

Most colors work well with brown because any two complimentary colors will make it. For instance, red and green will make brown. Orange and blue will too. In simplified terms, brown has an element of each color. For that reason, brown is a neutral color, which is also why brown is a common color in carpets and furniture.

Similar colors can be found in Behr’s Dark As Night, Sherwin-Williams’ Sunflower, and Benjamin-Moore’s Blue.

Tones and tints of red are another example of monochromatic contrasted with tinted black and gray.

Similar colors can be found in Behr’s Spade Black and Desert Coral. Benjamin Moore’s Silver Satin. On analysis, Spade Black is a deep shade of blue and Desert Coral is a tinted yellow, making them complimentary colors.