Paint the Town Red

A striking aspect about Sweden that immediately caught my attention is the prevalence of red painted buildings. As it turns out, it's no coincidence that so many houses, barns and other buildings are painted red.

From Falu rödfärg...

The famous red paint for painting wooden houses in Sweden is Falu Red Paint (in Swedish Falu rödfärg). The name Genuine Falun Red Paint is registered and protected by law and may only be used for paint containing pigment from the Falun copper mine. Falun is a town in the county of Dalarna located approx. two hours north of Stockholm. The traditional colour remains popular today due to its effectiveness in preserving wood.

The earliest evidence of its use dates from the 1500s. During the 17th century Falu red was commonly used on smaller wooden mansions, where it was intended 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 the authorities began to oppose the paint. However, the Falu red saw a surge in popularity in the countryside during the 19th century. Falu red is still widely used in the Swedish countryside.