Combustible Color

Forth of July is a day to celebrate our Independence …

Signing of the Declaration of Independence

… and  it's also a day to get together with family and friends to celebrate events and enjoy a slew of outdoor activities.

The 4th is associated with fireworks, barbecues, parades and color. I'm always looking for different inspirations for color schemes and fireworks make for some very explosive choices.

This would look great in a teens bathroom. 

Does your teen have an attic room with a ton of strange angles? Dress it up with unusual color!

How about a basement that your teen turned into his domain? Can you see this color scheme with a black light? By the way, when using bright, bold color, a tinted primer will really help get the color on the wall with less coats of paint.

And last but not least, the teenage girl that wants cool color but still needs to have pink. Keep in mind when you work with deep reds, a gray primer is a MUST.

All these colors would be great choices for any teenagers room. They are bright yet still dark and are unusual color combinations. We already know that these colors will look great with black which is another great accent color option for the room. Keep in mind, teen rooms don't have to be just black. Unusual color combos such as these will still stir the pot with mom yet, in my opinion, are really awesome color choices!

Ready to cook up some color? 

Here are the chemical compounds that are used to 

produce these combustible colors.

COLOR SCHEME FACTS

Initially, fireworks were popular because of the sound they produced. In the early 17th century, the Italians discovered the visual effects and added trace metals to produce colors and other effects.

The first fireworks were produced by incandescence, which is light produced through heat. As the mixture grows progressively hotter, it glows red, then orange, yellow and white.

Blue and green fireworks weren't invented until the 19th century. These require luminescence, light produced by sources other than heat. Chemical compounds, or salts, are used to create different colors. Barium and chlorinated rubber produce green, and copper compound produces blue, which is the most expensive color.

Other salts create the following colors:

• Aluminum: Silver and white
• Lithium and strontium: Different shades of red
• Magnesium: Very bright white
• Sodium: Gold or yellow
• Zinc: Smoke clouds
• Titanium: Sparks
• Calcium: Deepens colors

Have a safe 4th of July weekend!