Haint Blue

HAINT BLUE 

The Legend

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  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. The picture below was taken on a trip to Indonesia. Learning that 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, for whatever reason, have not moved on from their physical world. They exist as non-physical in the space between our dimenson and what's beyond. This type of spirit is not regarded as the über friendly sort and you don't want them hanging around.
  

  NOT JUST ANY BLUE WILL DO...
  
  The color Haint Blue is open to certain creative liberties but that doesn't mean that the options to interpret Haint Blue are limitless. There's 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 preindustrialized paint; raw ingredients in the hands of skilled craftspeople. In addition to its spiritual significance, which is important to many and deserves proper respect, one needs to also respect the craftmanship of the past.
  
  The partnership of craftsmanship and faith in the power of color is able to reach through the spiral of time and speak from historic buildings allowing us the privilege to appreciate and live the hues that are Haint Blues.

  
  What exactly IS Haint Blue?
  I discovered that 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.
  
  What does Haint Blue do?
  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 fools the 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's believed that Haint Blue can fake out insects and birds as well. Using Haint Blue on exteriors supposedly looks like endless sky to the little critters and deters them from making themselves at home. No one can say for sure, but personally I think the key ingredient of lime in the milk paint formulas is what deterred the insects and birds, not the color itself. Modern paint formulas do not contain lime, so I'm not so sure painting your porch ceiling blue is going to help shoo the bugs and birds, but it certainly can be an attractive exterior color treatment.
  
  What's the story behind Haint Blue?
  Wanting to see an example of Haint Blue in person, I started searching the world wide web. Amazingly, my research lead me to an 1856 Italianate in Dresden, OH called Prospect Place. I had no idea that 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, who likely migrated from the South, were employees not slaves. They had their own quarters in the house and they had painted many of the rooms they lived in a color they brought with them stemming from their culture, the aforementioned Haint Blue and the purpose of my trek to Prospect Place.
  
  The significance of Haint Blue is that it was, and still is, believed 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 which was applied circa 1856 when the house was built. Now, if you will recall, I mentioned that 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 that it had little to do with the colorway of their bedding.
  
  I managed to get a sample right from the walls thanks to George J. Adams, great-great grandson of George W. Adams. See the picture at left courtesy of www.graveaddiction.com. The patina on these old walls was incredible. The spectrum of blues and blue-greens before me was stunning. You don't see color like this in a modern day fandeck. I picked 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. See Haint Blue virtual swatches below:
  
  
  Ohio Haint Blue formulas were cultivated by examining the colors once visible on the walls at Prospect Place in Dresden, Ohio. Walls which have since been wallpapered and painted over. Formulas are per quart.
  
  
  Savannah Haint Blue formulas were derived directly from color chips that the Savannah Historical Society reproduced and authorized for use in 1980. Formulas are per gallon
  
  
  La Maison Bleus are formulas inspired by hues of indigo that were so popular in Southeast Asia in the 19th century. A region rich with history and superstition. Found on walls throughout "The Blue Mansion" in Penang, Malaysia, these awe coaxing blues are complex and mystically transportive. Formulas are per quart.
  
  CLICK TO BUY HAINT BLUE SAMPLES & FORMULAS!
  
  ©2006 Lori Sawaya
  All Rights Reserved