Energetic, vibrant and the colour of good fortune, red can excite and enliven a home’s exterior. Whether it’s traditional red brick, a more earthen tone — like Frank Lloyd Wright’s favourite Cherokee Red — or even a more electrical hue, red makes a house jump out and declare its existence.

Historically, red was the colour of choice for many Swedish nation barns and farmhouses. Swedish copper mines were originated at by the pigment and has been found to be a superb timber preservative. It’s very likely that the colour became so popular for barns and farmhouses in the U.S. due to an influx of immigrants as well as the colour’s prevalence in 19th-century Sweden.

Blackburn Architects, PC

By the large red barn
In the fantastic green area …

Margaret Wise Brown put it best in her book Big Red Barn. Simple, bold and bright, the iconic large red barn found throughout the U.S. landscape evokes memories of rural history and also a simpler time.

Atelier 292 Architect inc..

Even if the home isn’t a repurposed old barn but a new structure, making the outside red can evoke those memories and emotions. A simple gable form with big wall expanses provides an perfect canvas for a red home.

Consider using a different colour for the foundation, especially if the home is tall. This will give the overall house a more intimate scale and make that simple gable shape stand out.

Michael Piccirillo Architecture PLLC

What color do you paint a house that is sided with flat clapboards which has an attached barn-like structure with board and batten siding? While a lighter color would accentuate the siding differences, a darker and toned-down red does the trick of tying everything together.

Consider keeping all of the trim components (window surrounds, eaves and so on) red to combine the entire whilst using a contrasting color, like a cool gray, in the primary entrance to make it stand out.

Kaplan Thompson Architects

Red isn’t limited to only board and batten or flat siding schemes. Wood shakes stained a muted red work nicely with a simple form that has a lot of wall space. Give the look a bit of punch by teaming the red body with darker eave and window frame beams. Easy, thin, dark gray “pencil lines” can emphasize the simple shapes and accentuate the openings.

TEA2 Architects

If you choose a red body color and you have a lot of windows and other architectural features, keep the trim colour soft and creamy, especially with a muted red body color. While a stark white might be the obvious colour, it could be too jarring. This is especially the case if you want to achieve an older and more lived-in look.

Pairing a darker slate-like gray shingle roof with a muted red body and cream-colored trim will give the house a casual and lived-in quality.

Burr & McCallum Architects

Feel free to experiment with accent and trim colors. While green window frames using a red body colour might not be the most obvious option, this look can surely exude an outside. Also consider a lighter gray or beige to get trim and colors. This is especially fine where there is a lot of window space; the contrasting or shifting color does not get lost in all of that vibrant red.

Burr & McCallum Architects

Red, of course, makes a fantastic accent colour. If there is an architectural feature that you truly want to have stand out, colour it red. The attribute will surely pop from a dark background.

Ginkgo Leaf Studio

And let’s not forget that old and traditional material, red brick, when considering a red house. This substance, which can be subdued or bright or both at once, imparts liveliness and a sense of craftsmanship to your home’s exterior. Pair the red brick with a few cut stone and a door to create a powerful focal point and impart a sense of welcome.

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