Torn between two lovers. That’s how I feel about my love affair between the bright, white and ethereal Christmas decorations that bring lightness to a room – and the subdued, dark and evocative Christmas that feels seductive. When you scroll down to see the photos, you’ll know what I mean. Christmas can be cozy and playful or tailored and sophisticated.

It’s like the difference between brunch with my entire family and an intimate, candlelit dinner with my husband. Two completely different moods that I love equally. So what should I do? I can’t have both. I’m thinking out loud here. In the end, it’s just paint. I could paint the wall above our fireplace in a rich dark color and then repaint it this spring. But first, the mirror about the fireplace mantel has to go. I’ve been talking about taking it down for a couple years and it’s time.

There is so much more I want to do with the space above the mantel and the large built-in mirror is creating limitations. I’ve also posted stories on my Instagram feed about plans to repossess our living room. It’s remains unused 90% of the year. I know it is a common dilemma. It’s one of the largest spaces in our home and it is not enjoyed. As much as I despise the thought of a TV, I know that it will invite people to use the room. Gah!

How to decorate for your Christmas Mood

Christmas is only 6 weeks away! I haven’t started a single thing because I am stubborn when it comes to rushing through the seasons. I want to be able to throughly enjoy October and November with its traditional deeply-hued, harvest colored palette. On the other hand, Thanksgiving is only 2 weeks away and we start decorating on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. By my calculations, I’m already behind. I’ve basically got the next 14 days to decide how to decorate for my Christmas Mood.

I’ve rounded up some of my favorite images from my Christmas in Connecticut Pinterest Board. If you have some time, grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and flip through the board by clicking HERE. It’s so pretty and filled with holiday inspiration for anyone’s mood. For this post, I am selecting images for the two moods that I am torn between. I wold LOVE your comments about which mood you prefer! Let’s start with the bright and happy and finish with the dark and seductive.