Many wooden houses are painted deep red in Finland. The deep red tradition didn’t actually start in Finland, but rather, in Sweden. The ores from copper mines in Falun produced iron oxide, a byproduct of burning the ore to obtain the copper. Originally the red dirt was considered trash and piled up beside the mine. A few hundred years later, someone noticed that the pile had not rotted or decayed and began manufacturing it as paint. Since it was cheap and easy to produce, many wealthy people did not use it, preferring to use expensive pigments in colors of yellow or white. Finland calls this red paint punamulta, or “red earth”.
Red houses at Christmas by Finnish illustrators
Illustration Aila Utriainen
Illustration by Anita Polkutie
Illustration by Jaana Aalto
Illustration by Maikki Parikka
Illustration by Heikki Laaksonen
Illustration by Marjaliisa Pitkäranta
Illustration Minna Immonen
Illustration Minna Lehväslaiho
Illustration Omppu Omenamäki
Illustration by Raija Riihimäki
My red house ♥ at Christmas time
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