In Sweden and Finland they love to paint their buildings red using a color called Falun red – named after the place in Dalarna where the ingredients are gained from copper mines: Falun. In the mid of the 18th century most copper in Europe came from that region. And when they tried to use the remains from copper production it soon became clear that they could be used as dye.
But why did it become so famous in Nordic countries? The use of Falun red was cheap in comparison to other materials as the dye did not soak into the wood but dried on the surface. More important is that in that time people who could afford it started to build houses with bricks. The red color imitates the look of brick facades.
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