Who would’ve thought that the dream home of the future would have been built nearly entirely of plastics? A decade before Disneyland’s House of the Future debuted, the idea was conceived during a plastics research program financed by Monsanto Chemical Company at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The plastics home boasted that hardly a natural material appeared in its original state. Dishes, cups, countertops, walls, floors, ceiling, tabletops, shelves, and cabinets were all plastic. Even the fabrics on furniture were of man-made fiber. But, more than just seeing a uniquely constructed plastics home, Disneyland Guests were able to be witness to the latest in home-life technologies. A dishwasher did its job by use of ultrasonic waves. “Cold zones” lowered from beneath what appeared to be cabinets, replacing the need for refrigerators and freezers. Bathroom sinks adjusted to height for youngsters. Push button phones replaced dials and speakerphones required no handsets. The thermopaned windows featured decorative plastic laminated safety glass! It was a dream of the future, brought to reality by Monsanto, and presented only at Disneyland.
