Nothing is more typical of Sweden than red houses. But how did it actually come about?

When you think of Astrid Lindgren's stories, the typical red country houses immediately come to mind. Whether in Bullerbü or Lönneberga, or even her birthplace in Vimmerby, the red houses run like a literal red thread through Astrid Lindgren's novels.

Photographer: Roland Steffen - Gear: FUJIFILM XH2. Pictures not to be used without my explicit permission.

Many Central Europeans believe that the country houses in Sweden are red so that you can see them in all the snow. Indeed, one does, but it is not the reason. Rather, the oxide red color called Falun red has a different origin.

Falunrot, or Faluröd or Falu rödfärg in Swedish, comes from the town of Falun, where copper was mined for almost 400 years.

Copper-bearing ore has been extracted from the overburden since 1616, and as a mixture of pigments it forms the basis for the typical color.

Because Falun red is reminiscent of the red of bricks, which only very rich people in Sweden could afford in the past, wooden houses were simply painted with this color to enhance them aesthetically. It was only later that the protective effect of the paint was discovered, protecting the wood from fungal decay and decay.

Romantic painters made the oxide red color popular in the 19th century - and so houses of all social classes were painted in Falun red. This went so far that the house facades of entire streets were painted in red to enhance the cityscape.

It is not only beautiful to look at and protects the wood: Faluröd is also very practical to use. It is not necessary to prime the surfaces to be treated. On the contrary, this would impair the effect of the paint. Falu rödfärg is applied directly to the unplaned, untreated wood.

The paint has been exported to many countries. Especially to Canada, Russia and the Baltic States, where the weather and temperatures are similar to those in Sweden.