- Where Do You Get Haint Blue Paint Colors?
- Instant Downloads of Sherwin-Williams Formulas
- Bonus Color – Charleston Green
- The Legend of Haint Blue
- What is a "Haint"?
- What Exactly IS This Mystical Paint Color?
- Historic Color Records
- How Does it Work?
- Porch Ceiling Blue Adventure
- The Power of Paint Color
- Provenance of Our Formulas
Immediate Downloads – Exclusive Haint Blue Paint Color Formulas.
You downloaded the custom Haint Blue formula now you need to test it. Paint your own peel and stick sample. SwatchRight kit sold separately: SwatchRight Paint-Peel-and-Stick color sample decal.
Where Do You Get Haint Blue Paint Colors?
If you go to a paint store for Haint Blue, they will pick one of their light blues and tell you it’s Haint Blue. It is not! Read The Story of Discovery below to learn why my formulas have provenance and a special ‘color expert’ connection.
Instant Downloads of Sherwin-Williams Formulas
Instead of random guesses from bloggers or your local paint store, these are the Haint Blue colors you’re looking for – formulas available for immediate download.
Charleston Haint Blue. Light, airy, ethereal and maybe even a little mysterious. This is the pale blue you’ll find on porch ceilings across the south, but particularly prominent in Charleston. Purposefully balanced color to work with a wide range of exterior color palettes. Formula download quart or gallon.
| Charleston Haint Blue |
| Download Formula |
Ohio Haint Blue™ Copied from the walls of one of the most haunted mansions in Ohio. Prospect Place in Dresden, Ohio was actually featured on the TV show Ghost Adventures.
Yep, I went there in 2006. This exclusive haint blue paint formula was lifted directly from the walls at Prospect Place. Glad I snagged it when I could because the color is long gone; the walls have since been wallpapered and painted over. Formula download quart or gallon.
| Ohio Haint Blue™ |
| Download Formula |
Savannah Haint Blue™ Light and dark versions. Both formulated from color chips found in an exclusive, historic Savannah paint colors brochure that was reproduced and authorized in the 1980s. Formula download quart or gallon.
| Savannah Haint Blue Light™ |
| Download Formula |
| Savannah Haint Blue Dark™ |
| Download Formula |
La Maison Haint Blue™ Inspired by hues of indigo that were popular in Southeast Asia in the 19th century. A region rich with history and superstition. Found on walls throughout “The Blue Mansion” in Penang, these awe coaxing blues are complex and mystically transportive. Formula download quart or gallon.
| La Maison Haint Blue™ |
| Download Formula |
Bonus Color – Charleston Green
| Charleston Dark Green™ |
| Download Formula |
Charleston Dark Green™ In a word, pretty. This is the classic, dark, Charleston Green you see on shutters, doors and sometimes even exterior trim across the south but particularly in Charleston, South Carolina. It’s very dark but you can still see the delicious complex green overtones of this exterior color.
You’ll find numerous iterations of the Charleston Green story. As with all of my colors, I did the research and then infused my professional color mojo. Sure, it’s great if a color has a story and some history – but is it pretty? Color mojo means making pretty color choices. Formula download quart or gallon.
The Legend of Haint Blue
Color me always on the look out for unusual color information and stories. I found the mystery of Haint Blue particularly fetching and what I learned did not disappoint. In fact, I was inspired to create seven custom, authentic formulas for Haint Blue. What’s meant by “authentic” is I obtained samples from original sources and custom color matched using Sherwin Williams colorants mixed in Super Paint Exterior bases.
As a color consultant with a discriminating eye, I’m in a position to examine color specimens. The color samples and formulas offered are a window to my color adventures. Have a peek and enjoy!
The paint color names we use are trademarks of Color Strategies, LLC – since 2006. To save you some time and grief, you need to know:
YOU WILL NOT FIND THE COLORS IN ANY PAINT BRAND BECAUSE THE COLORS’ PROVENANCE, FORMULAS, AND NAMES ARE EXCLUSIVE TO THE LAND OF COLOR.
Haint Blue is a mesmerizing and fascinating color — a color seen on doors, shutters, entire buildings and most commonly on porch ceilings all over the world. After learning this color and its mystic qualities were so far-reaching, I decided to explore in depth the legend of Haint Blue.
What is a “Haint”?
Haints are restless spirits of the dead who have not moved on from the physical world. They exist as non-physical in the space between our dimension and what is beyond. This type of spirit is not the uber friendly sort and you don’t want them hanging around.
What Exactly IS This Mystical Paint Color?
I learned Haint Blue is a spiritual and cultural based color especially in the southern United States. Back in the day, Haint Blue was mixed as milk paint formulas using lime and whatever local pigments were available. The color was mixed in pits dug on the properties where the painters were working. Hand-crafted Haint Blue translates into a range of colors, not any one specific color.
Historic Color Records
Time has a way of keeping color records and historic structures are the archives.
NOT JUST ANY BLUE WILL DO…
The color Haint Blue is open to certain creative liberties, but that doesn’t mean the options to interpret Haint Blue are limitless. There is some — but not a lot — of gray area when it comes to Haint Blues.
Time has a way of keeping color records and historic structures are the archives.
Original Haint Blues were created the way all paints and colors were created pre industrialized paint; raw ingredients in the hands of skilled craftspeople. In addition to respecting Haint Blue’s spiritual significance, the craftsmanship required to mix it deserves proper acknowledgement as well.
It is the combination of craftsmanship and faith in the power of color that is able to reach through the spiral of time and speak from historic buildings. That magical partnership has granted us the privilege to appreciate and live the hues that are Haint Blues.
How Does it Work?
Haint Blue is meant to look like water and keep the Haints out of your house making you safe from their influence. Speculation has it that the tints, tones, and shades from the blue-green to blue-violet part of the visible spectrum trick Haints. Haints can not cross water. Using Haint Blue on doors, shutters, window trim, ceilings, the whole darn structure, can fool Haints and discourage them from “crossing” into your house.
It is believed this special paint color can fake-out insects and birds too. The story is Haint Blue looks like endless sky to the little critters and deters them from making themselves at home on your exterior.
The key ingredient of lime in the milk paint formulas is what likely deterred the insects and birds, not the color itself. Modern paint formulas do not contain lime.
So, I’m not convinced painting your porch ceiling blue is going to help shoo the bugs and birds — but who’s to say for sure. I do know any one of our custom paint colors would be an attractive addition to most any exterior color scheme.
Porch Ceiling Blue Adventure
Wanting to see an example in person, I started searching the world wide web. My research lead me to an 1856 Italianate in Dresden, OH called Prospect Place. I had no idea it was one of the most haunted mansions in Ohio until I got there. Yes, it was an adventure!
The point of my visit to Prospect Place was to see walls painted Haint Blue. I was not disappointed. Prospect Place was a station on the Underground Railroad. George W. Adams, the builder of Prospect Place, was a staunch abolitionist and his servants of African origin were employees not slaves. They had quarters in the house and they painted many of their rooms a color deeply rooted in their culture. The color was Haint Blue and the purpose of my trek to Prospect Place.
The Power of Paint Color
Haint Blue is significant because of its power to ward off and deter spirits, particularly evil spirits. Especially interesting is that several rooms at Prospect Place have the original Haint Blue milk paint applied when the house was built in 1856.
If you recall, I mentioned Prospect Place is considered one of the most haunted mansions in Ohio. Put two and two together, and one has to wonder why the servants chose to paint their private rooms Haint Blue. My guess is it had little to do with the colorway of their bedding.
Provenance of Our Formulas
I managed to get a sample from the walls thanks to George J. Adams, great-great grandson of George W. Adams. (See the picture above courtesy of www.graveaddiction.com.) The patina on these old walls was incredible. The spectrum of blues and blue-greens was stunning. You don’t see color like this in a modern day fandeck. I chose the most complex samples to duplicate and used all the color mixing know-how and best paint connections I have to keep these colors safe from time.
Savannah Haint Blue Light and Dark were used on this porch:
This is Charleston Haint Blue from The Land of Color store. It’s a pretty, pale blue with the perfect punch of colorfulness:
The is Ohio Haint Blue Light on the ceiling of my veranda in El Paso. It was my favorite part of the entire home!
©2006 Lori Sawaya
Thank you for sharing your research. I really enjoyed reading it.
My pleasure. Thank you for stopping by The Land of Color!
Nice article about a color that I’ve seen and fallen in love with (especially the La Maison version), collecting it like a magpie. Thanks!
Thank you, Camille.
I’ve loved the concept of “haint” blue since i first saw examples of it in New Orleans back in the late “70s. Since then we’ve spent a lot of time in Savannah where it is also prevalent. I am also am partial to the La Maison versions. Thanks for your information about the various origins and range of colors.
Can these formulas be used on interior walls also? The Benjamin Moore salesman advised against it, I’m not sure why. I really want to use the Ohio Haint Blue Light in my bedroom over plaster walls. They tried to “computer” match it, but it’s not the same. The Mooregard exterior base is not good for interior use? Will the formula look the same with another base? Thanks for any information.
Hi Jeffrey,
Yest, absolutely they can be mixed for interior. The color samples are hand-painted on one side with a formula on the other. Between those two pieces of ‘data’ any store anywhere can mix the colors in any can of base. What’s key is that the store has a professional colorist and does not rely 100% on computer matching.
Most professional paint stores understand that computer matching is flawed and oftentimes it takes a skilled human to make a color match.
Thank you very much. I’m going back to the store. The formula is for a quart, can they simply quadruple it per gallon?
Yep. Again, a professional paint store should be able to take the sample and from there get/make whatever it is you need.
How do I go about finding this color. Would love to paint my house with it? Would need about 5 gallons
Hi Jessica,
I currently sell 7 colors of Haint Blue. 4 3/4 inch hand-painted samples with formula printed on the back. You can read more about each color and purchase the hand-painted samples here: http://thelandofcolor.com/store/products/category/haint-blue-formulas/
Can you tell me the name of blue/green color that the door of 511 Broughton St is painted? My sisters and I saw it while walking in Savannah in March. I would love to paint my front door the same color but there are so many blues/greens that I do not want to guess. Thank you so much!
Hi Doris,
I looked it up online. I would say the closest Haint Blue from my collection would be Ohio Haint Blue Light. Hope that helps.
Recently rec’d my Haint Blue Savannah – Light sample & formula. Having my porch ceiling painted tomorrow. Am SO excited about this!! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the history behind it, and the people behind preserving the color and folklore. Thank you!
Just discovered your site!
The Queen of Appalachian Rock-N-Roll, Chelle Rose, wrote a very cool song about painting ceilings ‘Haint Blue’ … Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/yPEq127O-qI
Thank you so much for this information. When travelling in the South, all the way to Key West, I was charmed by both the color and the history of the porch paint. While I live near Cleveland, I want my front porch ceiling painted Haint Blue. Just because.
Fascinating. I just finished reading Alice Hoffman’s novel, The Marriage of Opposites, about the family of Camille Pissarro, the impressionist painter who was born in St. Thomas in the Carribean when it was under the control of the Danish. Many things are described as haint blue and one of his mother’s favorite colors. Now I understand a lot more! Thanks!
Me Too!! I so enjoyed the book and learned a lot.
Lori, your info on Haint Blue is fascinating. My husband and I are big fans of New Orleans. Have you done any research there? We’d love to use an authentic Creole Haines Blue.
Hi, Cindy. I have not done any research on colors of haint blue in New Orleans, but I’d love to! Thanks for stopping by to comment.
Just found your site through Pintrest! I was looking for the perfect blue/green to paint my guest room and absolutely fell in love with the Haint Blue Savannah – Light color. I couldn’t find anything close to it on any of my paint chips so your creative paint formula wins! I bought the sample and formula and can’t wait to paint the guest room. Love, love, love the history behind this color as well. Thanks for all your research!