Hi Pam – About two weeks ago my husband and I purchased a 1959 ranch home in Florida. Just inside the front door is a brick planter with wooden slats that divides the dining room from the living room. I have seen this type of thing before, but have not come across any solutions as to what might be done with it. I don’t want to demolish the thing, but would like to get rid of the slats. There is dirt and gravel in the planter. Perhaps you or your readers may have some ideas.Thanks,Lynne in Kansas
Hi Pam – I am a real estate appraiser and you could say it’s my hobby. In the past couple of years I have been watching the prices in Florida, in the meantime my husband and I went to Texas and Panama looking at possible retirement/vacation homes. I love the east coast of Florida, and we traveled down there from our home in Kansas City about a month ago and saw 15 homes in one day. I was specifically looking for a ranch home that had not been renovated. I wanted terrazzo floors and many of the homes we saw had ceramic tiles installed over the terrazzo. I was looking for something with at least three bedrooms within walking distance to the beach. When I saw our home that morning, I loved it, although we kept looking. At the end of the day, although we had seen newer homes that had been renovated – this was just the house for me. It has a pink bathroom and a seafoam green bathroom, an inground pool and a detached two-car garage. The home was built in 1959 and the kitchen seems to be fairly original (cabinets are definitely original) although the appliances had been replaced during the 70’s. We pulled up the carpets and had the floors refinished – that is actually happening this week while we are back in Kansas City. The floors are the only renovation I will be doing. The one thing I am not sure of is the brick planter between the dining area and the living room. I wonder if any of your readers have encountered anything like this. I would like to remove the wooden slats, but then will be left with a fairly low structure right where someone could run into it! I am considering some sort of widely spaced shelves where the slats are now. The planter contains gravel with dirt underneath. (I hope no insects!). I love reading your web page – I no longer worry about the pink bathroom! I have always loved danish modern mid century furniture, so now I am having a great time shopping for some cool stuff for the house.
Thanks so much – I have attached a photo of my husband Larry and me. I would have taken a photo at the house but we won’t be back there for another couple of weeks.
pam kueber says
Okay, and I will say this again: “No one can be made to feel bad for their decisions.” If you are going to say you like the slats, say it in a nice way.
Zane D. says
i’m jumping on the bandwagon of either keeping the slats (they definitely rock). Replacing them with some knotty pine bookshelves would a distant second on my list of options for that space.
You could also find some matching-style bricks to build up a short wall about waist high just behind it. It would give you a place to stick a chair without people staring at the back of it when they enter the house, but with the low wall it would keep the openness of the space and still prevent folks from knocking shins on a planter they didn’t see. if your house is like mine, horizontal surfaces collect stuff automatically, so the top of the wall could be a place for keys and things to land on the way in.
as for the planter, I’m not much of a plant-growing dude…so I personally would fill it up either with some awesome rocks (painted white, anyone?) or a ventless fire feature. plenty of burners that use denatured alcohol that burns clean and is environmentally friendly. you could bury the burners either in the dirt or in some rocks so that they don’t have to fit exactly and you get some cool flames on demand.
pam kueber says
I do want to add one thing in general: Lynne only asked about her planter, so let’s keep other suggestions to ourselves. I’ll leave the comments re the door so far up — hey, I even got sucked in on that one. But I think we’ve made the point. And my takeaway on this one is: A mid-mod replacement may be more in keeping with the original architecture, but a steel door has advantages, too.
The reason I am making this point about focusing our comments is that on some other websites, I notice a reader will ask a specific question about one thing, but then readers start weighing in will all kinds of other suggestions, almost “ripping the room apart”. With my #1 comment rule being “no one can be made to feel bad for their choices”… when a reader asks one specific question, let’s answer that one specific question — the may like the other stuff. Hey, they may have CHOSE the other stuff!
Hope you all understand.
Amy Hill says
One of the things I really appreciate about this site is the friendly tone and considerate folks who visit here. Thanks for making this point, Pam!
You always do such a nice job!
Gavin Hastings says
….I know I learn my lesson awhile back and I think it too dealt with bricks! I glad to see you still put on your police uniform….
angie says
well as usual I’m a little late to the party but you are so right Pam: let’s be gentle toward
each other, people! That’s probably a huge reason why I’m such a huge fan of this site!
pam kueber says
Thank you for your kind words, Angie. I’m glad to hear that’s one of the reasons you like the site!
MidCenturyManiac says
I agree with some of the other posts. Keep the slats, OR otherwise put some other sort of fretted wall divider. If you google, you should be able to find some period pics, or look to home and garden or popular science magazines of the era, they sometime show differnet styles of mid century modern wall dividers. I wish I lived closer, I could build something real nice for you, ( I am a woodworker/furnituremaker)
If this were my home, ( wish it were) I would also be open to looking at and integrating some “Googie” architectural design elements into the wall divider just for fun and also to keep it period.
Good luck, looks like a great house.
Elizabeth T. says
Keep the slats, it defines the space and you’ll be glad you have it.
Keep the planter a planter. An easy plant that grows tall would be a snake plant, very period and low maintenance, doesn’t require clinging to the slats to grow, doesn’t need a ton of light either. Just remove some of the stones and dirt in the planter to about 2″ and line up maybe 5 – 7 plants in pots (so they sit inside the planter) and can drain. The plants only need water once a month.
The front door needs to go, there are resources on the web for more period front doors.
The very next thing you guys should do is get a subscription to “Atomic Ranch” magazine. You’ll be inspired and it has great resources.
Best wishes and good luck!!
Lynne says
Thanks – by coincidence I did get a subscription to that magazine this week – love the book!
Lovely Mrs E says
We had a house just like that when I was growing up in Kansas City! I have such great memories of my mom sticking all kinds of fruit seeds in there from whatever we were eating…oranges, apples, grapefruit, etc. My brother and I were so excited to see what grew…and things actually did sprout up! Not too decorative, but certainly fun for us kids. So, my advice is to plant something, and keep the slats if you love the mid-century feel. But, yeah – the front door….waaaay too 1990 tract house. Get rid of it ASAP.
Nancy says
Congratulations on your new home!
My parents had a ’59 ranch w/ a waist high planter at the door. It never got enough light for nice plants and was filled w/ dusty and spider filled silk (blech) ones when they bought the house. I suggested they remove the planter insert and top the wall off w/ a finished piece of wood to make a drop off area for keys and such. Dad found a beautiful length of walnut that he fashioned into a cover. It made a huge difference in the entry as it was much more functional and made more sense than the planter.
If you don’t want to do plants, you could build the wall up higher and top it off w/ wood or tiles. A higher wall would make it less of a stumble hazard and would serve as a landing spot by the door. I think the space would be too crowded if made into a bench since is so close to the door.
I understand those that want you to keep the slats – but I’m not a fan and would prefer the space open.
You’ll just have to live in the space for a while to see how you want the area to look and function.
Can’t wait to see more pics – especially the pink bathroom!
Midnight Agenda says
I like Nancy’s point and would like to add my own:
Well, If she doesn’t mind keeping the slats she could paint them to match whatever color she uses on the kitchen cabinets or just refinish them. Then plant whatever, and add things like candle sconces to the slats and (for example: a starburst mirror.)
Or pull out the dirt and gravel, have a lid made, turn it into a bench and take out the slats and put in coat hooks that hang from the ceiling and use like, period lampshades to disguise the hooks.
That would be original, new and slightly different to create a talking point when she entertains.
However, to tie my comment with the one above… Remove the slats, build UP the planter and have nooks installed, it’s long enough, the last 2′ of it could be a bench and hidden behind the door could be beautiful cabinet style doors that open upwards to reveal extra shoes, and storage.
(in the middle of this I stopped to draw, scan and upload my idea: http://bitURL.net/midnightagenda take a look, it’s very primitive drawing but I think it gets the across what I mean.)
Good luck with your planter!
pam kueber says
woah, midnight agenda – you do get brownie points for uploading a sketch!
Lynne says
LOVE your drawing! what a great idea for the planter. It would still define the space and be super-functional! Thank you.
Midnight Agenda says
your welcome! I hope whatever you do it is what YOU want and how you like it. so have fun and I hope that you enjoy this house!
– MidnightAgenda
Tami says
First off, you are an adorable couple and I can just see you having a great time in that house.
I’d avoid putting live plants there: there’s little light and even shade-loving plants will get leggy in that spot (there’s a reason nothing’s growing there now). Sedum is a particularly poor choice since it requires so much direct light. I think the slats make the dining room too dark.
I love the idea of replacing them with a sheet of slubby retro drapery fabric. Maybe, too, you could replace that ceiling light with a really mod, colorful hanging light that would pop against its more neutral background.
Or consider a sheet of art glass. Have you thought of commissioning an abstract stained glass piece from someone? And I also think turning the planter into a storage bench is terrific. Maybe splurge on a nifty marimekko fabric remnant for its cushion.
Amy Hill says
If this is a vacation home/retirement home, I would recommend keeping it low maintenance. As in…a storage bench, as was previously mentioned.
It’s always nice to have a defined entryway into a home. It’s also nice to have a place to hide your shoes if you like to take them off when you first enter the house. You don’t track in anything, (low maintenance again) and you have a place to get things organized for the next day.
Entering a house and being attacked by a large jungle does not seem very welcoming to me, so if you decide on plants, I would recommend something with a low profile.
The front door looks like it’s made of steel, probably a security measure from the previous owners. You might want to keep it if this is a vacation home.
The nice thing about these ranches is the fact that they are so perfect for retirement living. No steps and open spaces. Lucky You! gets to move to sunshine and warm weather! Congratulations!
pam kueber says
Amy, you have made a very good point about the steel door….
error 404 says
yes, why would an intruder try to knock down a steel door then there is a glass slider right next to it.
but enough about the door… I like your ideas but would suggest maybe not tackling too big redo right away.
I always like to live in a place for a little bit before taking on any major changes, as I find that the more I know the space, often my first ideas are scrapped for better ones.
BungalowBILL says
I imagine, in my mind, that those sliders go out to one of those wonderful private little courtyards surrounded by pierced decorative concrete blocks. BTW Pam, did you find out anything about those blocks in Charlotte?
Lynne says
Thanks – you are so right – I will live with the slats and probably grow to love them. I am considering painting them an accent color and highlighting the entire thing. Did not think about the door, as we just got the house – but will definitly consider replacing it with something that lets in more light.
kate mckinnon says
The slats are the inexpensive version of the classic from the period; decorative wrought iron. You might consider replacing the slats with that, but if you are going to keep the planter, you really have to have something there so that people don’t walk into it.
I don’t see anything else in that area of visual interest; I’d keep that authentic detail if it were me.
If you aren’t going to be there for half of the year then you maybe can’t grow real plants. But if you do, another classic from the period is a simple broad-leaf climbing philodendron. One or two of those planted in the base could cover the whole thing.
Another option is hanging lighting in front of the slats- I saw the most amazing pendant fixtures at Loews last week- cork cylinders, very authentic to your interior.
Since your place is beach, as well, you might want to consider replacing the planter with a Japanese-style shoe shelf or cabinet, topped with a sitting bench, keeping all of the proportions the same. (And keeping the slats or a replacement iron divider.)