Best Porch Paint Colors: Paint Your Way to a Better Porch
Posted on July 10, 2021
With plenty of long summer days and nights still ahead, now is the perfect time to invest in your front porch’s potential. The best porch paint colors can transform your space from a worn-out wasteland into a homey haven worthy of early morning lounges and magical summer sunsets.
They say home is where the heart is, and that starts with your front porch.
For those lucky enough to have one, a porch is a place where you can relax and retreat. And if you enjoy your outdoor spaces, exterior porches play a big role in making your guests feel welcome—and in your residence’s curb appeal. But chipping paint, washed-out wood flooring and railings, and faded siding will make you want to head inside.
Breathing new life into your porch is no small feat, but you don’t have to do it alone. The expert team at CertaPro Painters® knows all the right boxes to check when taking on such a large-scale project.
Transformative changes CertaPro Painters® can make to your porch include:
“A porch can be something you can consider a burden or a gift,” says Jerry Prosie, owner of CertaPro Painters® of Nashville and Middle Tennessee®. “A well-kept and refreshed porch can be a getaway to host friends and family and can even be turned into your new favorite spot. Paint can go a long way in your porch’s makeover.”
A fresh coat of paint is about more than just aesthetics—it will also help protect your porch from the outdoor elements, UV rays and heavy foot traffic.
Choosing the Right Color for Your Porch
There are many different styles of porches, ranging from farmhouse porches with wrap-around layouts and down-to-earth decor to colonial porches with bold columns and gracious furnishings, to bungalow porches with handcrafted materials and a rustic feel. A traditional porch is often an extension of your home’s exterior, reinforcing and complementing the design and architectural elements that define your house.
Playing with color is one of the best ways to enhance your porch design while staying true to your home’s original style. For example, if the exterior of your home has a country feel, you can carry that style onto to your porch by giving your deck a warm cedar stain, or painting the floor and fencing moss-green. If your home has a coastal vibe, you can liven up a sun-bleached wood deck with a fresh coat of Sherwin-Williams porch paint colors like Aviary Blue (SW 6778) or Benjamin Moore Early Spring Green (2032-50). Check out our Pinterest page for some other porch paint ideas for these concepts.
You can even have fun with your porch floor design by incorporating faux painted tiles. If your home’s entryway has a black-and-white checkered tile floor, for example, continue that theme onto your porch floor by using paint to create a similar pattern.
Depending on the style of your home, you may want to forgo painting your porch and opt for a wood stain. While a stain may sound less striking than paint, it can actually dramatically change the appearance of your porch, bringing out the natural color of the wood and depth of the grain.
This process not only revives your deck’s appearance, but also protects the wood and keeps it looking beautiful for years to come. The deck staining professionals at CertaPro Painters® have helped countless homeowners keep their decks weather-resistant and visually appealing.
Our Favorite Porch Paint Colors Right Now
Summer Blue (2067-50): An ideal pick for your porch ceiling, this Benjamin Moore blue offers a subtle and refreshing way to add an exterior pop of color that mimics the natural sky. We love this soft shade because it works with any porch style, from classic nautical to refined rustic to Texas farmhouse. It’s also subdued enough to use on porch floors for an understated statement. For added impact, pair your Summer Blue with a creamy white exterior paint (like Benjamin Moore’s Cloud White) that will draw your eyes up the ceiling.
Linen White (912): Also from Benjamin Moore, this decorator favorite is the perfect porch paint color for those who want a clean and traditional look for their home’s exterior. This light, creamy off-white shade has a yellow undertone for added warmth, giving off a welcoming vibe for your guests. If you love the look of a white porch but still crave a pop of color, paint your front door with Benjamin Moore’s Dark Lime, an undeniably modern shade that will also play well off your home’s existing greenery.
Kendall Charcoal (HC-166): This rich, deep, and luxurious neutral from Benjamin Moore pops beautifully when paired with bright white accents and trim. The versatile deep gray porch paint
offers a stoic simplicity, while the light and dark contrast adds depth to the overall look. Offset the neutrals by incorporating vibrant red Adirondack chairs into your seating area.
Bennington Gray (HC-82): Part of Benjamin Moore’s Historic Color Collection, this refined, time-honored hue has more warmth and depth than your average beige, and can be used in traditional as well as contemporary spaces. Bennington Gray is the best porch paint for homes in woodsy or desert settings.
Painting Your Porch Ceiling Blue
Once just an old Southern tradition, blue porch ceilings are trending all over the country for a number of different reasons, from preventing bugs and birds from making nests in your outdoor sanctuary, to mimicking the color of the sky and, yes, even to ward off evil spirits.
The tradition dates back centuries to when Southerners believed that painting your porch ceiling a pale blue-green hue would repel haints, or ghosts. In fact, many Southerners know this color simply as “haint blue.” According to Real Simple, the Gullah people, who were descendants of enslaved African people in parts of Georgia and South Carolina, first brought the color to the city of Charleston in the early 1800s. The theory was that the color would deter ghosts by fooling them into thinking that the ceiling was either water or the sky.
Even if you’re not the superstitious type, you might opt to paint your porch ceiling blue to make those sunny summer days feel even longer.
Others believe that blue paint repels insects, although Sherwin-Williams and other experts have dismissed this as a myth stemming from the fact that there used to be heavy doses of lye, a known insect repellant, in the paint supply.
But Ellen O’Neill, the director of strategic design intelligence at Benjamin Moore, recently offered another bug-related theory to Today.
“If an insect perceives that a ceiling is really the sky, it instinctively wouldn’t nest there,” said O’Neill. “It depends how deep you want to go into the brain of an insect … but it’s not unlike how ladybugs will land on a white house. It’s a visual trick.”
Reasons to Go with a Professional for Your Porch Makeover Needs
Painting and staining are never as simple as you might think, and usually require an extensive prepping phase. CertaPro Painters® may begin by scraping off dirt, gravel, and chipped paint, and/or using a power washer with just the right amount of force to remove mold, oil, and old paint without damaging your home’s exterior.
Finally, they’ll apply a premium paint or stain of your choice to your surface. Even this step is better suited to a professional; without a skillful application and knowledge of what paint to use, the paint can wear away and easily chip. Bringing in the professionals at CertaPro Painters® will ensure that everything from prep to paint is done properly to give you long-lasting results.
Conclusion
At CertaPro Painters®, we know that a fresh coat of paint is so much more than just a new color to cover your porch—it represents a transformation. Because of our extensive experience with customers, we have the necessary knowledge to create beautiful spaces.
Our CertaPro Painters® team is here to help you navigate your options when having your home’s porch refreshed. Don’t let the size of the repainting of your porch intimidate you from having it completed. Our team of expert painters are familiar with the work and skill needed to do the job efficiently to get your desired outcome. Call the team today at 1-800-689-7271 or visit the CertaPro Painters® website to book an estimate to start the conversation. We hope these best porch paints ideas spark your inspiration and encourage you to give your home exterior the much-needed TLC that it deserves!
