Text: Maru Hautala
Collaborating with: Tikkurila
Pictures: Honkarakenne
Black, the new color trend for detached houses, has indisputably been the choice for many house builders when choosing a shade for the exterior of the house. But is painting black worth it, and what should you consider when choosing dark colors for the exterior?
The tradition of black houses is rooted deeply in Danish soil, where fishermen’s lodges have typically been black throughout history. The trendiness of Danish interior design has eventually lead to a situation where we see more and more of the black of the fishermen’s lodges on the exterior of Scandinavian houses. The black shade is not, however, completely problem-free, and one has to consider the technical qualities in addition to the environmental ones. In this post you will find tips for choosing a black color for the exterior; how to find the right shade of black for log surfaces and what paints are recommended?
The Honka Ink, displayed at the Mikkeli housing fair, was coated with the 5089 Piki shade of the Tikkurila Valtti Color Wood Stain.
The black house fit for Finnish nature
Black houses are particularly well suited for the Finnish nature and especially for places surrounded by conifers and rocky terrain. When choosing the shade of the house one should especially consider the environment and how to make the house blend in with the terrain and not pop out with a strong contrast.
The Vista-house, located at the Honka exhibit area in Tuusula, and the Honka Markki, displayed at the Seinäjoki housing fair, have been coated with the Tikkurila Valtti Color Wood Stain shade 5089 Piki.
The Vista-house, located at the Honka exhibit area in Tuusula, and the Honka Markki, displayed at the Seinäjoki housing fair, have been coated with the Tikkurila Valtti Color Wood Stain shade 5089 Piki.
Black color on the exterior is a slightly challenging shade and trying out different shades is definitely recommendable. Some shades clearly lean towards blue, others are too gray, green or brown. Try out the shades on a large enough area on the wall and see how they look at different times of the day. When choosing a shade, always remember that on a large surface and in natural light the shade is lighter – always choose a darker and more muted shade from the color card.
Tikkurila’s Valtti Color Wood Stain has been designed to endure the extreme conditions of Finnish nature and is an especially good choice precisely for coating log wood. The Valtti Color Wood Stain leaves the wood grain visible beautifully since the consistency is thin and easily absorbable. The super popular Honka Ink at the Mikkeli housing fair was treated with Tikkurila’s Valtti Color Wood Stain finish with the shade Piki, which does not lean towards blue, for example. The same shade was seen on the Honka Markki at the Seinäjoki housing fair and on the Honka Vista and Tuuma at the Tuusula exhibit area.
When choosing window frames and doors, make sure that the shade palette fits the shades of the wall. Many window and door manufacturers have a standard shade for black/coal gray that leans a bit towards blue.
The fading of the black shade
Due to sunlight the paint fades and the sheen becomes dimmer. The quality and quantity of the changes brought on by sunlight depend on the type of paint, and a black surface is especially sensitive to the effects of sunlight compared to other pigments. Different parts of the building get exposed to different weather conditions, the time in between reapplyings of paint varies between the exposed southern side and the more covered parts.
Something else than black?
If you are especially looking for an exterior shade that is durable and does not require frequent retreatment and you want to avoid the fading of the shade, you should pick another shade instead of black. Dark gray or dark brown is a better color for the exterior than pitch black when considering durability. The end result is nevertheless Scandinavian and modern.
Architect Kari Leppänen got the inspiration for the color pallette of his holiday home from the surrounding nature: from the shades of granite and the gray of the conifers’ bark. Tikkurila’s Valtti has been used for the front of the house and the dark gray color is shade 1900 from the Pro Gray color card.
The pearlescent wood stain shade Kemi 5124, from Tikkurila’s Valtti Arctic series, was chosen for the front of Villa Solsidan.
A beautiful medium gray shade for the Valtti Color can be found from shade 5142 of the Pro Gray color card. For someone seeking a darker coal gray shade, shade 5148 would be fitting. A perfect fit for a spruce forest would be shade 5088 that has a hint of green and is noticeably softer and also more durable in sunlight than the pitch black.
Please note! The shades, when viewed on the screen, do not completely correspond with reality. We always recommend that you test the paint.
Black houses are without a doubt beautiful suited for the Finnish nature, but the challenging properties of the shade should be acknowledged before making the final decision. In any case the black color causes the exterior to age faster than the lighter shades, and wood painted black will crack and require more frequent reapplication when in contact with sunlight.
What if you chose a beautiful medium gray to match the rocky terrain and a slightly green gray to match the spruces? Boldly test the shades in their environment and make the final call by considering both the blending with the environment and the durability of the shade on log wood.
Shades used in Honka log wood panelling; top – Tikkurila Valtti Color Piki 5089, bottom – Tikkurila Valtti Color Turve 5088, right – Tikkurila Valtti Color Karhu 5074, left – Tikkurila Valtti Color 5148.
