Since it is Thanksgiving week and our brains are kind of busy thinking about holiday plans, let’s have some fun today and all throw in our two cents on this highly sensitive, and controversial topic, shall we?
I threw this question out last year and it was fun to hear everyone’s answers and their reasons. I was an “all white lights girl” at Christmas for our entire married life because I loved the look at Disneyland, but last year I added in some colored lights to our garland, including some soft ambers and greens and I LOVED the freshness of it. We still have tons of white lights though so I am undecided which way I will go this year. I might do a mixture again.
I’m wondering what color of lights YOU are all going with this year? I know, it is kind of trivial, but I know you all have an opinion on what you like so go ahead and let’s discuss!
Ready, set GO.
Christmas Tree inspiration photo: BHG
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All of my life, we had colored lights and an assorted mix of tresures on our tree- handmade and store bought. I always said when I grew up I was going to have just white lights and red decorations. Then my first Christmas in my own apartment was my first Christmas with a baby and colored lights and starting my own collection of memories for the tree just seemed right. Fast forward about 8 or 9 years- when John and I had our first Christmas together- he convinced me to go with white lights and I LOVED it. I put well over a thousand on. My two youngest ended up allergic to Christmas trees, so now we have a fake one that comes with white lights on it- about 700+. I still use the strings of colored lights around the girls bedroom windows this time of year- they make for festive night lights.
And outdoors- white.
.-= gina´s last blog ..serve it up. vintage style… =-.
I go through this debate every year with my kids. I want white lights and they of course want colored. We usually compromise with white lights everywhere except for the tree. This makes everyone happy!
.-= Stacy @ Red Door Home´s last blog ..Bag of Tricks =-.
WHITE !
.-= Emily@remodelingthislife´s last blog ..And It Was All Yellow =-.
WHITE!!! Both inside and out! Call me traditional!
.-= Kim´s last blog ..Seasonal Decorating =-.
I switch around from year to year. I have so many ornaments that I like to vary the theme. I’m trying to decide what color/theme to go with this year. I love that tree in your post. Some years, the theme is “everything goes on the tree!”
But I should say, I love the simplicity of white lights.
.-= Sara´s last blog ..7 Quick Takes =-.
I’m going to have to vote white–inside and outside! I love the crispness of it next to the greenery. I especially love it on our mantle with candles burning around them. I think the best thing is to turn off all the lights in the room and just have the Christmas lights on. Because of tradition, we wait until after Thanksgiving to decorate…argh! I might have to start a new tradition next year and break out the lights BEFORE Turkey Day!
.-= Sarah Caldwell´s last blog ..20 minute project =-.
I love only white lights-but my husband and kids loved colored,which must be why he bought a pre lit tree with colored lights……hmm. ONE DAY they will be all white!!
Not a trivial question at all! When I was growing up we always had coloured lights so I always thought of them as rather childish and immediately switched to white when I started buying them myself.
However, since getting more involved in reading (and writing!) blogs, I have learned to question things that I do simply because I have always done them (oops! Is this getting too profound for a Christmas lights post?) and so the vexed question of what sort of lights to get is relevant.
The soft glow of pink lights is irresistible, I think, but I’m not sure they would go in my sitting room very well (chartreuse and grey/blue velvet couch & sofa, brown leather moroccan pouffes, white walls, oak floors), so I’m not sure. Maybe they would be perfect? I certainly feel that white might be just a tiny bit dull though. So I will keep on thinking.
.-= Passementerie´s last blog ..Autumn Colours, Textures: Tan Leather =-.
white! definitely white!!!!!!!!!
.-= Gena´s last blog ..3 Country styled bedrooms =-.
I am an all white light girl! I have a very, very old home and I just think those lights bring out its beauty. Of course, now that I have a little guy, I feel drawn to those big bulb colored lights!!!
.-= Courtney´s last blog ..oh look at that… another week has gone by! =-.
I LOVE all white, but my hubby LOVES color – and it means more to him, so I let him have color! LOL – but a few years ago I tried something and liked it – I put all white up and down in the center of the tree and color on the rest of the tree and I liked it! It really “lit up” the tree more!!
~TidyMom
.-= TidyMom´s last blog ..Girlfriends Guide To The Business of Blogging Online Conference =-.
Colored lights, the big old fashion ones! But I leave out the blue ones.
White, only white, always white…..my ex used to like blue outside (yuck!) because that’s what he grew up with. It was one argument I won.
.-= Heather @ what’s happening this week´s last blog ..Thank You Maria Killam =-.
This year – colored everywhere:) I love white lights, but the little ones are so enthralled by the color and seeing them so fascinated and joyful is what it’s all about!
.-= Lillian @ Domestic Simplicity´s last blog ..Two exciting new product lines in one day! =-.
I used the big colored lights until we bought an artificial tree two years ago with white lights. It is easier to see the ornaments with white lights, but I admit I am nostalgic for the live tree with those big colors! It’s all magical though, isn’t it.
As I have, for many, many years…once again have WHITE lights only! And I will put them on my white “Forever” Tree.
However, my white tree will be PINK!!!
I have found a way to change the color of my WHITE Christmas and still keep my WHITE lights. You can read about it in my LAST post – from Saturday!!
.-= Jan´s last blog ..A PINK Christmas for PINK Saturday! =-.
We always use white. Especially inside. I just like the way it looks better than colored. Nice and classy.
I’m kicking off a linky party called “just something I whipped up”. I hope you’ll join us.
Have a great week and a Happy Thanksgiving.
.-= Diana @ The Girl Creative´s last blog ..{Just Something I Whipped Up is HERE} =-.
White all the way – it’s a traditional look that can’t be beat for me.
.-= Jessica´s last blog ..Target – Super Savings Saturday =-.
Both!! Some lovely friends gave us white lights and decorations when we got married, but when we had kids, we started having two trees. Colored lights for the kids (and I love them, too); white lights on the other tree and colored lights in the kids rooms.
We still stick with white lights outdoors — mostly so we can put them up early and keep them up late!
denise in nc
We’ve done all white lights for a few years now, it looks very clean. Our Christmas tree is pre-lit with white lights but I think I might add some colored bubblers this year. After Christmas last year I bought colored C4 strands for our exterior. I just felt like I needed more color!
.-= Alanna´s last blog ..Chocolate Ornaments =-.
I do love the look of all white, but I use colored on our tree. All of the ornaments range from my childhood to ones my children have made or collected over the years, so it is very colorful and whimsical. My children are still young and I will probably keep the colored lights until they are more mature. I do wish that I had another tree to decorate just for me…maybe just a small one.
As for my other decorations, like the mantel, banisters, and for outside, they have all white lights.
.-= Jess´s last blog ..Lucky Duck =-.
White lights here. And NO blinking! I can not handle the blinking lights in a room glowing on the tv. LOL Something about that makes me a bit crazier. I used multi color lights for years. Finally several years ago I went all white. Now I have a pre-lit all white. I love them.
.-= Sherri S´s last blog ..Thanksgiving Dinner, Menu & Craft =-.
I love white or colored….I do NOT like the LED white though…too “cool” for me. I’m really trying, since they use less electricity.
.-= Julie´s last blog ..House progress =-.
I have very different decorating tastes than my parents who loved big colored lights, so when I was finally out on my own I gave all white lights a try and loved it. My husband and I have used white lights on our Christmas tree, throughout the house, and on the outside of the house. Two years ago I bought a little artificial tree to use as the centerpiece on a large dining table. I found some colored lights with plastic covers that make them look like they’re sugar coated ~ my sons loved them, so I bought them and used them in the centerpiece. It was a big hit ~ everyone loved the colored lights. This year I’m still keeping the tree and main decorations covered in white lights, but I’ll add the colored lights to the centerpiece, and I may try a set or two of colored lights around the stockings on the mantle or in my granddaughter’s room. I prefer white lights, but the right set of colored lights here and there adds a little depth when done correctly (and tastefully!).
.-= Trish´s last blog ..hypothetical situation (part3) =-.
I love both…to me white is classier and prettier….but it’s Chritmas and my husband loves colored Christmas lights….so i am gonna go with colored this year!
Great post!
.-= Stephaine @ Geezees´s last blog ..Gift Ideas … has any started shopping yet? =-.
We had always had colored lights ~ inside and out ~ for the longest time. The past couple of years I’ve been using white lights ~ inside and out. I think if you had a couple of trees you could mix it up, but I’ll probably do white again this year.
I love simple white lights, but do let my boys put the colored ones in their room if they want to~
Mom and Dad always put white lights on the tree and every year my brother and I begged for colored ones. I can so clearly remember the year of the color lights…my brother and I woke on Christmas morning to a tree covered in them along with candy canes and red bows. We thought Santa brought it to us. Years later we would learn that with the help of a couple friends, my parents stayed up all night on Christmas Eve carefully taking everything off the tree and then rehanging it all after the while lights were replaced with colored ones. It is by far my favorite Christmas memory.
Now that I’m grown, I prefer white lights. But I have a feeling colored ones will make it on the tree once we have kids of our own around.
.-= Kristen´s last blog ..A Beautifully Imperfect Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner =-.
Hi Melissa,
I have this same exact question as a poll on my sidebar. In our early years of marriage, we always did colored lights, then I got into the all white lights phase. We are still debating this year which way we want to go but we are leaning towards colored lights. I am going back and read everyone’s answers because I think this is a great discussion.
Hugs,
LeAnn:)
.-= LeAnn´s last blog ..Sensible chic shopping from Homegoods =-.
We have always had white. But this year I am feeling a pull towards some color. I am not to the rainbow scheme yet but maybe some white and red, I think… yes white and red…
I like to go colored. When I was a kid, we had colored and an assortment of ornaments. Nothing super fancy or store bought. Mostly special memory ones or gifts from other people. And I will do the same thing for Evan. When he is old, he can have HIS ornaments (and his siblings, theirs) and use them on his family tree.
.-= Jaimie´s last blog ..Jealousy =-.
For me it depends on where the tree is {yes, I put up more than one}. On the “family tree” in the family room that has all of our family ornaments, the boys’ ornaments, etc – it has to be colored lights.
For most other trees it’s white lights, except for the one in the school/play room.
I like the looks of both; I could never go all or nothing with either!
.-= Christi´s last blog ..up and running =-.
Our tree is a pre-lit with white lights, I can only add color through the use of decor. IMHO, white lights allow the decor to stand out and is not distracting from the colorful ornaments and decor.
All white, no blinking.
.-= Janet´s last blog ..Enjoy =-.
We use white on the trunk part and colored towards the outside. It adds that special sparkle and we LOVE using colored lights too. I remember laying under the tree looking up at all the colors when I was small. I want that for my kids too.
That being said, colored goes with my decor, so that’s not a factor. If they clashed, I don’t know what I’d do…
.-= Julie´s last blog ..Big changes coming! =-.
White is very elegant, but to me it’s not homey and warm. We use colored lights. What I really dislike is a mix of them….I say go one way or the other, especially outside!!! I really hate some things decorated in white outside, and some things in color. On a tree I still don’t like it, but it’s not as shocking and noticeable due to all the different colors of ornaments and colors of the room.
I grew up with only colored lights our entire lives. I didn’t even know that they made white ones
So, up until about 4 years ago we did colored outside with all the decor and then white inside. But now we do strictly white. I just like the crispness of it and I can see the ornaments more without the distraction of all the colored bulbs.
Just my opinion -
tammy
.-= Tammy Hebert´s last blog ..Christmas Parade 2009 =-.
growing up we had colored lights…now with my own family we have white lights. it goes well with all the candles that i light every night. however, last year during the after Christmas clearance i bought amber color lights to mix in with the white. i am really looking forward to seeing how it looks!
.-= Alissa´s last blog ..in between =-.
Both! Colored inside – yes, its a childhood thing. White outside – so classic. And of course my favorite is the silver tree with the color wheel. Its older than me (argh!) but still works great!
white!!!
.-= jan´s last blog ..holiday mantels =-.
I use white lights. The only time I’ve seen colored lights that I’ve liked was when a nieghbor used strands of those big bulbs on the outside of their home. It looked like a little ginger bread house.
.-= Aaron ´s last blog ..The Look for Less: Pottery Barn Faux Snow Vase Filler =-.
I always do all white but this year I am trying to convince the husband to let me put those big color lights on our main tree. I saw one in a store window that looked so beautiful….so that is my goal this year!
.-= Cheryl´s last blog ..Food =-.
White on the tree, inside the house. Outside (if we put any up) I’d be okay with colored ones, I suppose. I think that with as much color coming off of the ornaments, well, to add more with the lights is just too distracting. Outside, where it only has to ‘compete’ against the darkness and the “neutrality” of the house (we have a completely neutral toned house..rather boring, but it came this way, lol), well, we can “do” color out there. If I had a brightly colored house, then I’d probably go with white.
But definitely white inside, on the tree, the garlands I drape over everything not tree, in the window candles, etc.
Color just seems…wrong. LOL
.-= Rachel´s last blog ..Rejoice! =-.
It’s all white lights for us! We’ve had white for years now and I’m just still not tired of it (which is good because who wants to buy all new lights?
) I like the colored lights when I see them other places though so who knows, maybe one of these years…
.-= pk @ Room Remix´s last blog ..A Quick Ornament Tip =-.
Colored for me – the all white seems so commercial and too bright. I love the variety and softness of the small colored lights. Outside we do colored as well though in blocks – one tree all red, bushes all blue, etc. We’re the only house on the block not in all white, so we stand out!
.-= Terrie@YourDecoratingHotline´s last blog ..Hallways Can be Challenging =-.
I’m doing white this year for a more classy look. However, two years ago I convinced my mom to go back to coloured lights and bulbs for a more “down home” (Newfoundland) look. I love the festive feel of coloured lights, especially on the outside of the house, but as for this first Christmas in my own house, I’m going white. Maybe next year I’ll go for a more “down home” feel too.
.-= Elaine´s last blog ..Something Pretty =-.
Another traditionalist: white lights!
When I was a teenager, I remember telling my mom that white lights say “Merry Christmas,” but colored lights say “MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!” LOL! I do love the classy look of all white when I see it somewhere, and I KNOW it would look “just right” in my 100 yr old home. But again- like many comment-ers before me, seeing my kids’ faces as they look at the burst of color is so precious, I am still doing color for them. And maybe a little bit for me, too.
I am not sure I could ever go all white. I just admire it other places!
.-= Spring´s last blog ..So Many Celebrations, So Little Time =-.
white!!! sometimes mixed w/red…. it’s really pretty:)
.-= katie´s last blog ..do you know what these are?? =-.
* ~~~ I ADORE all the falderall that comes w/ the holidays, & start thinking about all of it in the summer… like so many others, it energizes me!!! (Despite 100 degree desert heat then!)~~~
I had a “run in”, however, w/ a commercial ladder over 5 weeks ago, and unfortunately, THE LADDER WON! … Am still struggling everyday, trying to heal. Soooo, T’giving & Christmas entertaining & decorating are, sadly, a “no go”… (and I can’t BELIEVE it!!!!!)~
AM “totally on restriction” from doing ANYTHING (Ha~ I can’t ANYWAY!), but AM fighting the good fight to win my “desire” for something… one thing… that I’ve thought would be FUN for years… a thickly flocked, REAL, white tree. If I WIN this “discussion”, I wouldn’t be allowed to “add anything” (that’s HIS part of the “proposed, mutual agreement” between us~ “no working”, so to speak!). SOOOO, thought we’d just have small white lights put allllll over it. That’s it. Tree n’ lights & blesings from above should do it!
Nothing else… No 40 years of ornaments, no special “dog/animal pic tree”, no kitchen, study, LR or bedroom tree… just that big white flocked tree (I ADORE the mountains & SNOW, which is why the “dream” of a snow-laden tree), with it’s lights will have to do. And actually, besides saving me two weeks of set-up time for all, I think having that tree in our family room will be nice. Nothing fancy, nothing to droooool over, just a nice tree (and I’ll “pretend” that WE cut it down in the snowy woods, & that the snow on it didn’t melt and that the angels light it up every night)… AND ACTUALLY, this sounds pretty good to me now that I put my thoughts into writing!)…
Am wishing everyone the very best of the upcoming season and most importantly of all, joy, love, peace and precious time with family & friends!
Love,
Linda in AZ *
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