Cottage painted in traditional red
The most famous red paint for painting wooden houses in Sweden is Falu Red Paint. The name Genuine Falun Red Paint is registered and protected by law and may only be used for paint containing pigment from the Falun mine. Falun is a town in the county of Dalarna located approx. two hours north of Stockholm.
There are evidence that the paint was used as early as in the 1500s. Timber houses painted red were symbols of wealth and status. The red brick buildings found on the continent served as models for this style. City governments ordered street facades to be painted red before royal visits.
During the 1700s the red-paint techniques spread from the cities and throughout the countryside, and manor estates were built using the cross-beamed method and painted red. From the manor estates, the fashion spread to wealthy master-miner estates, farms and clergy residences. At the same time, it became more common that buildings in cities were paneled and painted with light-colored oil-based paints.
During the 1800s the farmers began painting their their houses and sheds red. Towards the end of the century Falun Red Paint had reached the common man out in the country side. National romanticism swept the country and Carl Larsson's Sundborn estate contributed to the dream of the little red cottage.
The homestead movement and the homeowner movement of the 1930s contributed to an upswing in red paint usage. The post-war era saw the introduction of acrylic and modern oil paints. In recent years, however, an increasing number of young architects have used Falun Red Paint in modern architecture. At the same time, the general interest in building preservation has increased, and thereby even the interest in Sweden's national color and its time-tested characteristics.
The pigment contained in Genuine Falun Red Paint must be at least 18 percent by weight for paint to be applied by brush and at least 15 percent for spray application. The permitted amount of linseed oil is 8 percent by weight.
And the reason for building the houses out of wood is simply because one of Sweden's greatest nature resourses is trees.
Source: Falu rod farg Click here to go to the Falu Red Paint web site Click here to go back to the article about the house on the moon Click here to go back to the main page