“I am rooted to the land and I find myself often longing to turn onto the gravel drive…to swing open the creaky barn door…to follow the corn rows. Sunset and sunrise unbroken by buildings. Wind rustling. The heady scent of freshly-mown alfalfa. The rich earthy smell of the land at planting time and harvest. Wagons brimming with corn. Quiet. Stars studding the blackness.”
-Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Happy Friday, y’all! 😀
The poll I posted at the end of Monday’s post told me the majority of you want to connect via video on Fridays…
…and for the 24.9% of you who voted “No, thank you!”- I think what I’ll do is keep blogging as usual. Meaning, there will always be words and pictures on Fridays, too. The vlog videos will just be an additional feature to the blog post. How does that sound? And don’t forget, if you’re not able to watch them because you read blogs somewhere you can’t have the volume up, you can always come back and watch them here or on YouTube when it’s more convenient. And if time length is an issue, I’m going to try to keep most of my vlogs under 3 minutes so they’ll be a pretty quick watch. Maybe I’ll create a separate page here on my blog to keep them organized too? I’ll have to talk to my tech gal about that.
Okay, now onto today’s post! It’s about the color barn red. The neighborhood architectural review board (ARB) has to approve exterior paint colors around here, and since we’re at the stage where we need to choose my in-laws barn color, it’s time for us to pick the perfect rustic red. I scoured the internet to see what colors red barn owners prefer, but there were SO many suggestions out there and most of them didn’t have an accompanying photo. And when I did find photos of barns that I liked, there wasn’t a paint color listed. :-/
And speaking of researching barn stuff, y’all, WOW. Have you ever Googled “barn attached to house” before? Holy eye candy, Batman!
…and don’t even get me started on this barn/house combo on the market for $64,500 in Stockton Springs, Maine!
The listing reads, “Set in the heart of the coastal village of Stockton Springs and just a short walk to the harbor, this 3 bedroom, 2 bath, circa 1853 home still has many period features such as original moldings, built-ins, hardwood floors and a fabulous, 2-level, 26′ x 32′ attached barn, thought to be the old stagecoach stop for the Stockton Springs to Bangor route. Ready for updating, this year-round home offers so much—including a 3-season porch, a large, sunny backyard, new wiring and an automatic generator installed in 2015.”
Sure hope somebody snatches that sweet thing up soon!
Okay- back to barn red.
While I was researching colors, I also learned that farmers started painting their barns red in the late 1700s. Turns out they wanted to shield their barns’ (unpainted) wood from the elements, so they began experimenting with ways to make their own protective paint. They came up with a recipe consisting of skimmed milk, lime, and red iron oxide, which created a rusty red-colored mixture that became super popular because it was cheap to make and lasted for years. Farmers were able to easily obtain the iron oxide from soil, and they noticed that the homemade paint kept the buildings warmer during the wintertime, since the darker color absorbs the warmth from the sun more than plain, weathered wood. Pretty cool, huh?
So, these are some of the colors I want to try samples of:
Benjamin Moore’s ‘Deep Rose’:
Benjamin Moore’s ‘Caliente’:
Benjamin Moore’s ‘Heritage Red’:
…which looks waaay too “cherry” on those doors, but I like the way it looks in the photo on the right.
I talk a little more in depth about all of them in today’s vlog…as well as one more color I’ve got my eye on. And spoiler alert: I think it’s going to be the winner. 😉 Click the play button on the video below to watch:
Do you have any other suggestions for me? Thanks in advance for any tips you can throw my way! XO
PS- the back of our house DOES face straight South…not Southwest. I was mixed up there. (I miss you, Tacy! XO)
I grew up with a big red bank barn in Ohio. I think that it had a tad more brown undertone than the crabby apple. I can’t wait to see the process all come together. And congrats on the newest step in the adoption process.
For outdoors, your LRV wants to be really deep, since it is in full sun. Please also test ben moore carriage red (darkest) and cottage red (barn toned a tad). The colors you posted have LRV’s that are higher – these are 6 and below. The difference will be very important outside
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/carriagered
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/pm15
The review board won’t know the difference anyway, but you guys will. Long term Crab apple is a terrific shade.
Funny that you said red coloration was obtained from soil. I have always heard that it was from the blood of bulls, oxen, etc.
Love the last color the most 🙂 Like the third color but still a little orange, I think the last one screams barn! Also those barn examples GORGEOUS, I have always dreamed of re-doing a barn to a house so I am loving this post.
Lauren Baxter | Lovely Decor
xx
Sarah Richardson painted interior doors red in the mudroom of her “winter cottage” or farmhouse reno – a tv series that ran years ago – and has appeared in House and Home. I recall she primed her doors dark grey 1st to reduce the coats of red required to get complete coverage. Something to consider since red seems like a new frontier for you given your preferred colour palette. Plus she designed a line of paint colours for Para Paints base on that farmhouse reno – perhaps it included her tried and true red that she used. Love this project and looking forward to great inspiration along the way !
Hi Lisa!
Yes! We actually used Sarah’s red in our previous home and LOVED it! Here are a couple links to some of my blog posts about it if you’d like to see where we used it:
https://theletteredcottage.net/guest-bedroom-home-office-update-bedside-tables-and-closet-doors/
https://theletteredcottage.net/home-office-guest-bedroom-reveal/
I love all of your choices. I am sure you will pick the perfect color. We are very fortunate to have neighbors with a gorgeous barn in our backyard. We get to see it everyday! I love how cozy your living room looks in your video. Would you mind sharing where your metal/wood side table is from. It is exactly what I have been looking for!
Thanks so much,
Danielle
Omg you must be the most beautiful cute woman I’ve ever seen. You just sparkle and I’ve followed you long enough to know the beauty that both you and Kevin have also on the inside. I want to work with you so badly before you get slammed. Your white room where you did this vlog is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!
Please email me!!!
Was curious for a Barn Addition update….or have I missed one? Love reading your blog.
Here’s a link to the latest, Debbie! 🙂
Barn House Planning
Thank you! I am loving this idea!
Layla I’m super late to this party and I’m sure you’ve already decided but we’ve got a 1740 farmhouse with Benjamin Moore cottage red all over the exterior:
http://thatsmyletter.blogspot.com/2013/06/b-is-for-back-door-makeover.html
I would say it does lean a teeny tiny bit to the orange side of red but totally barn red, not cherry.
Do you know the name of the white paint on thefarmchicks house? I’m building a farmhouse and trying to find a good white to go with the crabby apple! Thanks!