Living in the country it’s impossible to ignore the variety of colorful barn exteriors around. But I’m often zipping by at speeds way too fast to stop and take a photo. Who doesn’t love the iconic red barn with its endless variations of that red hue. The origin story for that comes from many angles. It’s hard to know which is the true cause. In the Great Plains and Mid West Scandinavian immigrants with a history of painting “Falun Red” buildings back in Sweden brought this tradition with them. In the earlier days of US history it was discovered that iron oxide mixed with Linseed oil created a sealant for the barn exterior that helped preserved it. Then there’s the tale that the red is a by-product of animal food production signaling the wealth of the farmer by using dried blood mixed with linseed oil on the barn. Who knows! But once I started finding other colors it became too difficult to choose a favorite.
Weathered or newly painted, soft or boldly colored, they’re simply all gorgeous. In my travels around the world I always find myself shooting photos of doors, roofs and fences so another story on barn doors is sure to come. But here are some great images of colorful barn exteriors in Upstate New York and beyond.
Iconic Red Barns
Yellow Dutch
Rust Colored
Cornflower Blue Barn
Yellow Round Barn at the Inn at Round Barn Farm in VT
Black and Grey
Hunter Green Barn
