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.
Tut says
If you can’t stand the slats (I kinda like ’em), what about replacing them with a sort of Mondrian piece, different sizes and shapes of interlocking rectangles? I’m sure Pam could come up with an image of what I’m talking about. Each space acts as its own shelf for displaying art or knickknacks. Or make it from thinner boards and just leave it empty – it’s its own artwork. Kinda like what’s in the photo in this link, only much bigger of course, with larger spaces:
http://jamesinnis.com/grounds/g/shelf.jpg
Lynne says
Thanks – I had been thinking abouth something like that too.
Carol B. says
I’m a new snowbird from Massachusetts. This past year, I also bought a ranch (1958) on the west coast of Florida. I wanted terrazzo and original bathrooms and kitchen. I got half of what I wanted. Half of the floors are terrazzo, we refinished them, but they are somewhat stained by the carpet padding of the 80’s. The 80’s were not kind to 50’s houses.
The previous owner did some OK things to the bathrooms. He kept the original tile, took out the pink toilet and sink and replaced them with a white solid surface top and toilet. He also had the towel bars painted to match the original tile. There is a beautiful pink trim stripe all along one bathroom. It’s not bad. On eBay, I just found a new, but old bathroom light to replace a more modern one. Perfect.
I’m decorating the white and pink bathroom with flamingo towels and accessories and a vintage Florida map table cloth as a curtain.
Let’s get some 50’s funk going, People!
I love the estate sales and vintage houses in Florida.
Carol B.
Lynne says
Thanks Carol – I am excited to start going ’round the estate sales in the area, we are near Cocoa Beach. Your bathroom sounds great – Love the idea of the vintage map. I have been looking at mermaid wall plaques from the 50’s – some of them are so cute. There are some great stores in the area that specialize in mid-century stuff! I am leaning toward leaving the slats now that I’m reading all the posts. Thanks for your post.
Shannon says
My 1964 house has a tyndall stone planter with reed glass framed in wood above it, from ceiling to about 18 inches above the planter and looks really nice. The low kind of sansevieria is in the planter and does pretty well there.
Lesley says
Oh, please keep those beautiful slats! It really defines the entry way…I spent an ungodly amount of money trying to reproduce my original ones. I vote for succulents in the planter. Anything that is hearty, but has good structure to it.
I look forward to pics of whatever you decide to do!
RetroSandie says
I like the slats-looks airy, not blocking light or view but definitely defining space. How about painting the slats an accent color? Low-light plants as mentioned would look nice in the planter; greenery is always beautiful, especially for a Florida home. Look forward to more pics once you are in your new home! Best of luck to you both!! 🙂
nancy says
I think it would be such a shame to take out the slats, you searched so hard for origional & now you have it. I have several of the snake or mother-in-law plants (typical of the 50’s). They are sooo easy (water once a month) & have good height. They would work really well in that planter-they really don’t care that much about light either. You can get variegated leaves or solid green.
You have a great new home- congratulations!
Jane (aka) Elvis says
I’m in major envy, Lynn. You scored with a great house and a fabulous entry space! I do like the slats and would be sorry to see them go. Maybe you’re reacting to the solidity of them being so close together. But that mid-century look is yummy, so I hope you can come up with a solution that keeps the feel, if not the actual slats themselves.
Several people have suggested snake plant (sanseveiria) for the planter. It’s the perfect mid-century look and will tolerate the low-light conditions there. It’s also very vertical, so it (or three of them) won’t attack people as they enter or visually block the doorway. And they’d look great lit by that original ceiling light above the planter! If you want a slightly more unusual plant, there’s sanseveiria cylindrica, with cylindrical leaves, rather than the strappy ones we are more familiar with. It’s a pretty cool looking alternative that would also look great!
I know the door is off limits, Pam, but Lynn, if you do end up replacing it, you could add the type of lower openings that Crestview had in their doors to get more plant light into the entry.
I hope you have lots of fun making your home your own. Can’t wait to see more!
sarah says
I agree with previous posters, that divider needs to be there, it will look weird otherwise. It’s an important separation of public and private at your door (I grew up in Florida and have been in many of these houses). The wavy glass would be my choice as a replacement if you don’t like the slats; the very thin glass brick would work too. I personally like the planter, but if they won’t be there much, just put a cover on it to use it as a bench (that way, the cover can be taken off and it can be a planter once they are there full-time.
One comment on the door, if that’s okay — I knew a lot of people with metal doors, it’s not always about security, it’s about wood not holding up well in the climate, especially in a vacation home.
Lauren says
…one idea might be to kind of cut out squares in [the slats] and make lil box-like knick knack shelves, sort of making it a lil more open. Someone may have already said that, (sorry if I’m repeating). Then, you could do as others suggested and make the actual planter into a sort of bench, perhaps with magazines near, or one potted plant.
Lynne says
That would be great – I have a collection of paperwieghts and murrano glass that would be lovely displayed on some small shelves!
error 404 says
not sure how often you’ll be there to water, but that wonderful cone light right above the planter could just get a grow-light bulb popped into it to supplement any lack of natural light.