Swedish Red: Paint & Decorating

The color red has been distinctive color in Sweden in the 17 and 18th centuries. Falu red (pronounced "FAH-loo", in Swedish Falu rödfärg) is the name of a Swedish, deep red paint well known for its use on houses, barns and cottages. The paint originated from the copper mine at Falun in Dalarna, Sweden. During the 17th century Falu red was commonly used on smaller wooden mansions with the intention to imitate buildings with brick facing. In the Swedish cities and towns, buildings were often painted with the Falu red until the early 19th century, when many began to oppose the paint. It was then that other colors were introduced such as yellow, white and the beautiful lighter pastel colors that you see in historical architecture in Sweden. Houses and buildings in Scandinavia are usually painted white or yellow. Red paint was the cheapest, so many of the barns and outbuildings in the countryside were painted red. Only the noble buildings of the farm were painted in other colors. Falu red saw another surge in popularity in the countryside during the 19th century, when farmers began to paint their houses in the beautiful saturated paint color. Falu red is still widely used in the Swedish countryside to this day due to its effectiveness in preserving wood. Incorporate a little bit of red in your Swedish decorating to get an authentic Nordic look. A wood side chair or commode would look terrific in this color!

Falu red during manufacturing may range in color depending on how much the oxide is burnt. The colors can range from dark red almost borderline black to a bright, light red. The paint itself consists of water, rye flour, linseed oil and residue from the copper mines of Falun. The residue contains silicates iron oxides, copper compounds and zinc. The color to the left in pot is a very accurate hue of the Falu red .