Falu Red, also known as Falun red, is a pigment of a waste product of the now closed Falun copper mine situated in Falun, a town in the country of Dalarna approximately two hours north of Stockholm. The proper name of this hue is Genuine Falun Red Paint. This name is registered and protected by law and may only be used for paint containing the pigment from the mine itself.

In the 1500s it was traditionally applied to wooden houses, as timber is Sweden’s greatest natural resource, and the colour came to be a symbol of wealth and upper class status. But by the 1800s this paint hue had reached the common man.

It wasn’t until the post war era that the colour lost some of its popularity as the introduction of acrylic and modern oil paints as well as an eagerness to leave the past behind became prevalent.

These days, however, have seen a return of the status and popularity of Falun red as modern architects seek the colour for the design and décor of ‘sommarstugor’ (summer homes), which Sweden has a very high rate of and are found littered all over the country and sea side.
Also adding to its appeal; Falu Rödfärg, the company that produces the paint, is not too concerned about exporting its product as there is only a limited amount of the raw material left.

The pigment contained in Genuine Falun Red Paint must be at least 18 percent by weight if painting by brush, and 15 percent by spray application. The permitted amount of linseed oil is 8 percent by weight.

Falun red’s RGB digits are 128, 24, 24, respectively, check out Robs Amazing Hex triplet O Matic to see what the colour looks like.
Below is some more technical information on the colour.
RGB% - 50.2, 9.4, 9.4
HSV – 0°, 81, 50
RGB Hex triplet – #801818
CMYK % - 0, 81, 81,50

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