What Colour is the Red House? Perceived Colour of Painted Facades

Abstract

This article summarises the authors doctoral thesis (*), starting from an
experience shared by many architects and others who have at some time
chosen facade colours: The house is not the colour I thought it would be!
It discusses the differences between facade colours perceived under
different viewing conditions. It also demonstrates recurring tendencies
in the relationship between the colour sample chosen for a facade,
and the colour that can be seen on the finished facade.

(*) Doctoral thesis What colour is the red house? Perceived colour of
painted facades presented Nov. 2000 at the Royal Institute of
Technology, Department of Architecture. Principal supervisor
was Prof. Jadwiga Krupinska. The research work was financed
by the Swedish Council for Building Research (Byggforskningsrådet),
the Swedish Federation of Painting Contractors
(Målaremästarnas Riksförening) and the Swedish Painters
Union (Målareförbundet).