JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – No matter what the temperature is outside, it always looks like it’s freezing inside of one Mandarin home. Every single room in the Donaldsons’ house nails the winter wonderland theme. Funny enough, Katheryn Donaldson’s family left the cold when she was just 3 years old.
“I was born in New York, but my mom hated the cold,” Katheryn said. “She hated the snow.”
Katheryn grew up in Florida and eventually married a man from Jacksonville, and somehow, this warm-blooded couple came up with a winter wonderland.
“He was like, rustic elegance. And I was like, I don’t know what that means, ‘rustic elegance,’” Katheryn said.
Her husband Phillip meant simple.
“I wanted that cabin in the woods feel. You know, where you come in and it’s just warm and inviting and everything looked like stuff that you would make from the woods,” Phillip said.
Knowing his wife, how simple could it be? But he embraces and loves his wife’s decorating spirit.
“This is my corner. This is what I get to decorate this little niche right here. And then the rest of the house is hers. She takes the rest of it,” Phillip said.
During the day, the winter wonderland is nice and quiet because all of the light-up decorations are on a timer, but after 5:30 p.m., their home comes to life. I brought my kids and a couple of family friends to check it out, and they naturally migrated to one of Phillip’s favorite spaces, the Christmas village. Every year the family adds something new to the village.
Katheryn is an HR professional, but she’s found her passion in decorating -- and her person who helps make it all happen.
“I tell you, anything that you do together brings your relationship together,” Katheryn said.
So together we all went to the final stop on this tour, outside, where you might need a jacket to stay dry from the sudsy snow that rains down from a machine on the roof each night. It’s all a masterpiece that warms your heart and brings out the kid in us all.
Are you ready for the kicker?
Former traffic anchor Lena Pringle went to this house two years ago and did a story when they had a gingerbread house theme. Now they alternate between the two elaborate themes.
Katheryn said the winter wonderland is actually easier to create than the gingerbread house. Unbelievable!