The charming Polish village where the housewives have painted every home in floral designs in ancient tradition to cover smoke stains from stoves Each house in Zalipie, Poland, is decorated with its own floral motif Women used whitewash to cover up the soot marks left above stoves But marks still visible so they painted flowers on them, spreading outside Now there's a competition every year to find the best flower painter For the townsfolk of Zalipie, every day is a celebration since the isolated outpost blossomed into one of Poland's most iconic villages. What was once a bleak and forgotten cluster of smoke-blackened huts, has over the years transformed into a kaleidoscopic feast of colour - and one of southern Poland's best-kept treasures. Each house is decorated with its own vibrant floral motif, painstakingly hand-painted by the town's housewives. Flower power: Each house is decorated with its own vibrant floral motif, painstakingly hand-painted by the town's housewives No smoke! The practice dates back to when the smoke from stoves seeped outdoors through tiny holes in the walls scarring the homes with sooty black blotches Not the white paint! The women tried to cover the marks up by whitewashing over them but many were still faintly visible through the paint Showing their petal: So to make their homes completely immaculate for religious festivals, the women hid the spots behind these intricate flower designs The practice dates back to when the smoke from stoves filtered out through tiny vents in the roof. But over the years the areas around these ventilation holes became scarred by sooty blotches, according to the Kuriositas website. The women tried to cover the marks up by whitewashing over them but many were still faintly visible through the paint. Feast of colour: Now every house in the village is decorated with its own individual flower design - some that cover an entire house Over the bridge: Even the village bridge is adorned with a floral colour scheme Kaleidoscopic: Zalipie was once a bleak and forgotten cluster of smoke-blackened huts Painstaking: These close ups reveal quite how intricate the designs are Changing times: Once modern cooking and better ventilation came in to practice, these cover-ups were no longer necessary Legend: But the villagers kept them up all the same So to make their homes completely immaculate for religious festivals, the women hid the spots behind these intricate flower designs. Gradually they took their designs outside, painting them on their homes for the world to see. Now every house in the village is decorated with its own individual flower design - some that cover an entire house. Party town: For the townsfolk of Zalipie, every day is a celebration Iconic: The isolated outpost blossomed into one of Poland's most iconic villages Complex: Over the years, the flower patterns became gradually more and more sophisticated and complex Serious business: The village now even holds an annual painting competition around the festival of Corpus Christi Flower crazy: Now the art has spread from houses onto almost anything in the village that can be painted, from the village bridge, to bins, outhouses and even chicken coops Back to basics: They made the brushes from the tail hair of local cows while they used fat from their dumplings mixed with pigment to create the colours But once modern cooking techniques and improved ventilation came in to practice, these cover-ups were no longer necessary. But the villagers kept them up all the same. The village now even holds an annual painting competition around the festival of Corpus Christi that sees women, and some men, compete to be crowned the village's best flower-painter. Tradition: The competition - known as Malowana Chata ¿ has been held every year since 1948 Ubiquitous: Now the art has spread from houses onto almost anything in the village that can be painted, from the village bridge, to bins, outhouses and even chicken coops Catharsis: The competition was introduced as part of a wider effort to help the country recover from the horrors of the Second World War, in which 17 per cent of the population died The competition - known as Malowana Chata - has been held every year since 1948, introduced as part of a wider effort to help the country recover from the horrors of the Second World War, in which 17 per cent of the population died. Now the art has spread from houses onto almost anything in the village that can be painted, from the village bridge, to bins, outhouses and even chicken coops.