The magnificent Seelye Mansion rest on a Abilene, Kansas Block. I've wanted to tour this 1905 Georgian nearly twenty years. Each time I visited Abilene, it wasn't in the cards to see this outstanding house.
On my 60th Birthday,
Husband said we'd spend the day in Abilene and take a tour.
Terry greeted us on the porch and called us young kids.
I told him it was my 60th Birthday. I had no idea he was the owner until later.
I stood in awe at this beautiful porch.
Terry told us that he saw this mansion for the first time
when he was in High School.
It left a lasting impression.
Blue porch ceilings discourages wasp and hornets from building their mud nest from the structure. I had wondered why a light blue porch ceiling was painted this color.
This is what I found out.
Blue Paint as Insect Repellent?
Some people swear that blue paint repels insects, leaving a porch bug-free and pleasant during those long summer evenings and afternoons. Most credible sources discredit this belief. However, this belief could be seated in historical truths.
When blue paints were first used on ceilings, they were usually milk paints, and those paints often had lye mixed into the composition. Lye is a known insect repellent, which would explain why insects would avoid nesting on a painted porch ceiling or ledge. As milk paint has a tendency to fade over time, giving it a rustic look, people would usually need to repaint their home every year or few years, covering the existing coat with a new coat of paint, and fresh lye.
But many still theorize that insects prefer not to nest on blue ceilings because they are “fooled” into thinking the blue paint is actually the sky.
Extending Daylight Hours
Haints and insects aside, many people choose to paint the porch ceiling blue simply because of the way it makes the room look and feel. Blue is a calming color, so using it to paint an area of the house that's intended for relaxation makes sense. Throughout the U.S., porches are often a favorite place while the weather is warm, or even hot, to sit and watch time and life go by. When sitting on the porch, it can seem as though life has taken on a slower pace, as though relaxation is a must.
People may also paint the porch ceiling blue because the color seems to emulate the natural sky and makes the daylight hours feel as though they last just a little longer.
Bugs Be Gone and evil spirits.
Honey, I like how you look on this porch. You are HOME.
Inside we went,
d
