From school to rural gem

Between 1904 and 1955 it was a school. Today, “Villa Paris” is a rural gem in the heart of Sörmland. Here come hunters, cyclists and tourists looking for a unique nature experience and a cozy Bed & Breakfast.

Two years ago, Lise and Håkan Lövkvist painted over the worn-out mud-colored main building with red tar.

“For me, having worked in the timber industry for 30 years, it felt fantastic to have discovered a paint with the natural ingredient wood tar that can also be used on distemper paint. There is no other paint that can do that. With Red Tar, we restore the protective properties that naturally exist in trees to our own house, and we avoid problems with mold and rot on the facade,” says Håkan Lövkvist.

Loves living in the countryside

Lise and Håkan have lived in the countryside for most of their lives. They bought their beloved Paris farm in 1981 and put their heart and soul into transforming a run-down school into a beautiful house with stables and smaller houses. The couple also leases 650 hectares of hunting land and Håkan organizes hunting activities for both private individuals and companies.

– We have many Norwegian and Swedish hunting guests. But our B&B attracts everyone who loves nature – here you really get an experience beyond the normal, says Håkan and says that hunting is his great leisure interest.

“The color really goes into the wood”

In 2015, Lise and Håkan were fed up with the worn-out mud-colored facade of their house, the main building on the farm. Lise was leafing through an interior design magazine and spotted an ad for Red Tar. Before then, they had never heard of the color.

– We immediately fell in love with the beautiful red color, but above all because it was a natural product. For me, it was also important to finally get a facade that does not discolor. The red tar really penetrates the wood and we only see the long drying time as a positive – then we know that the paint protects the wood. We look forward to painting over the remaining mud-colored houses, says Lise and pets her dogs Aron and Urax.

Håkan and Lise: Why we love red tar

It is a natural product from the forest that protects the façade. We avoid mold and rot.
The nice red color really goes into the wood and does not stain.
The paint requires minimal prep work. NOTE! Careful masking as the paint drips after painting.