DIY - Custom Red Paint

Deep, rich red is one of my go-to colours.  It is so dynamic and works well for all types of different spaces.  When we came to Sweden I had the worst time trying to find a red I could love.  It happened one day, as I was deciding how I felt about our newly painted black front door, the reflection of our traditional red snickarbod hit the black and there it was, the rich red I had been searching for.  So I mixed the two paints and the result was perfect!

Door with Polyacrylic Seal

All you need is:

- A paint brush
- Black façade paint (färg) and some Fula rödfärg.
- Mix them by adding the red pigment to the black paint until you get the colour you like, testing on some spare wood as you go.*
- Polyacrylic

* It is very important to note a few things:

1.  Rödfärg is a pigment made of copper minerals.  It is intended for exteriors.  Our front hallway is separated from the rest of the house by an inner door.  The paint smells for a few days so keep things well ventilated.  We actually sealed the painted door once it had dried with a polyacrylic to protect the paint and make it safer for the indoors.  The seal also made the colour that much richer.

2.  As noted above, rödfärg is made from mineral pigment.  It separates.  I took a soup ladel to dig up the pigment and mixed that with the black façade paint.

3.  The colour in your mixture may be a little deceiving.  You need to test often as the motion of spreading the paint will make the pigments burst thereby releasing the red colour.

The result is a wonderful, dynamic red that you will love!

Adjacent Wall without Seal


Swedes are pretty well acquainted with the inexpensive Fula rödfärg and will likely need it for the sealing of their house or summer house at some point.  I understand that the Fula rödfärg is likely not available in North America.  I suggest, if you love rich red, Sherwin Williams' Concepts in Colour Series - "Crabby Apple" is a delicious red!