House of the Future, 1961

The Monsanto House of the Future was a concept that never caught on, probably for a million different reasons. Too unconventional, too "cold", and let's face it, all kinds of people want all kinds of different homes, from southwest adobes to Bauhaus glass and steel to geodesic dome houses (and so on).

But it is fun to envision whole neighborhoods (or hillsides) full of mushroom houses! Since the designers intended for them to be modular and customizable, they certainly wouldn't all be identical cookie-cutter homes. I am intrigued by the idea of a multi-story version, or "jumbo" versions, since (let's face it), the Disneyland version is not exactly huge. Imagine them painted in soft blues, sunny yellows, deep greens, or woodsy browns. How about a nice tangerine metal flake? That's for me!