Architectural design and traditional color combinations vary around the world. Be inspired by the Swedish cottage and the Scandinavian manor house alike.
Explore this collection of structures from the Ottosson Linseed Oil Paint.
You may even be inspired for your own home!
Brick Houses
At the end of the 19th century, brick became one of the most common building materials. Classic and beautiful colors on windows and wooden details are green, red and white.
Top right, from top to bottom:
Oveds Green (unavailable but close to Leaf Green)
Bottom right, from left to right:
Dark Iron Oxide Red (unavailable but close to Falu Red)
White Washed Cottages
Plastered whitewashed houses are typical of the open landscapes of Skåne and Gotland. Colors of windows and doors of these houses are often painted in dark saturated colors such as yellow, red, blue and green. Further back in history, the blue color was rather grey-blue mixed with soot (carbon black) and white, so-called poor man's blue.
Left:
50% Bone Black / 50% White Titanium Zinc
Right:
Red Cottage (1750-19th Century)
The red-painted cottage is one of the oldest Swedish colors for a house with a wooden facade, but also one of the most timeless, having been used from the 17th century until today. Gray trim was an older tradition than the white trim more popular today.
Left to right:
Dark Iron Oxide Red (unavailable but close to Falu Red)
Red Cottage (1910s)
This national romantic color palette drew its inspiration from Swedish working-class people and the country's history. Red-painted and tar-black facades would give a feeling of authenticity and sense of origin. White, green and yellow were common accent colors.
Left to right:
Green Cottages (19th Century, turn of the century)
Bright facade colors in the pastel range were common around the turn of the last century. The Ribban Green used in the color combination below is a recreation of the historic colors of that time period.
Top to bottom:
Green Houses (19th Century, turn of the century)
A slightly more saturated green color can be found on houses from the late 1800s and turn of the century. Preferably with carpentry details painted in lighter colors for contrast.
Left to right:
Pearl Grey (unavailable, but close to 25% Wheat Grey / 75% White Titanium Zinc)
Pink Cottage (19th Century, turn of the century)
Pink facades are found historically in Sweden. Partly in the planed wooden facades of the 19th century, which then became increasingly common, but also later around the turn of the last century. On Österlen, in Scania, you can find many small pink stucco houses with green windows.
Left to right:
25% Red Ochre / 75% White Titanium Zinc
Yellow Villa (18th Century)
Since the 18th century, a classic color combination would be a mild yellow facade with white details, which originally was designed to imitate light sandstone.
Left to right:
Yellow Villa (1920s)
Vertical siding in a yellow or grey-green color was common at this time. The white decorative trim with red window sashes were typical of the style.
Top to bottom:
Swiss Style House (Late 19th Century)
This muted color scheme of beige, green and red was typical of the Swiss style with its rich carpentry work. People liked to combine several different colors to celebrate the construction details in the facade. Grain-painted doors, which imitated beautiful hardwoods, such as oak and mahogany, were also popular.
Top to bottom:
Tone on Tone (Timeless)
A color scheme where the color of the facade and trim matches, gives a soft and harmonious result. The red window sashes and doors then really pop.
Left to right:
25% Umber Grey / 75% White Titanium Zinc
Dark Iron Oxide Red (unavailable, but close to Falu Red)
Archipelago or Beach House (Timeless)
The combinations of grey, blue and white are associated with the marine or boating world and are often found on cottages on the water or near the beach.
Left to right:
Black Cottage (1910s)
This national romantic color palette drew its inspiration from Swedish working-class people and the country's history. Tar-black and red-painted facades would give a feeling of authenticity and sense of origin. White, green and yellow were common accent colors.
Top to bottom:
Black Villas (Contemporary)
Really dark facade colors, which were fashionable 100 years ago, have had a renaissance in recent years and are found on many newly built houses with a modern aesthetic.
Left to right:
Functionalist Design (1920-1930)
Classic functionalist architecture of the 20s and 30s were often painted off-white, light beige or a sandy yellow with green details reminiscent of distressed copper.
Left:
Right:
Oveds Green (unavailable, but close to Leaf Green)
50% Wheat Grey / 50% White Titanium Zinc