Back to the Future｜The Romantic 1960s Vision of Space 🚀✨

The Donaldson Futuro House is located in Idyllwild, about a three-hour drive from Los Angeles. Designed in 1968 by renowned Finnish architect Matti Suuronen, it was inspired by the optimistic spirit of the Space Age. A 1969 news report described the UFO-like Futuro House as a versatile structure—it could serve as a ski lodge, beach house, or hunting cabin, adapting to wherever the owner chose to place it. The house consists of 16 prefabricated modules that can be easily assembled like building blocks. Made of fiberglass and polyurethane foam, it could be transported by helicopter to virtually any location. In the 60s, buyers could choose from a range of colors including sky blue, pink, lemon yellow, and forest green. The house could be heated or cooled in just 30 minutes to suit different climates. 🌡️🏔️ Inside, the Futuro House includes a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, dining area, and living space—accommodating up to 8 people. Built-in molded plastic furniture and kitchen/bath fixtures offered great convenience. Between 1968 and 1978, about 100 Futuro Houses were produced and sold worldwide. Of the 67 still in existence, 20 are located in the United States. The Idyllwild Futuro House was purchased by a Philadelphia company in 1969 and placed in San Diego as a naval recruitment office. The current owner, Milford Wayne Donaldson, bought it in 2002. At that time, it was painted green and abandoned in a parking lot. Donaldson, a historic architecture designer, spent eight years restoring it. Through paint analysis, restorers discovered that yellow was its original factory color. They replaced damaged windows and finally reinstalled it in Idyllwild. 🛠️🎨 The Futuro House was a short-lived experiment—production ceased by the mid-1970s. An oil embargo caused prices to skyrocket, making plastic far less affordable. A fully assembled Futuro House originally sold for $14,000, but during its marketing phase, material costs had already tripled. Donaldson Futuro House (1969) 📍 52895 Big Rock Dr, Idyllwild-Pine Cove, CA ‼️ The house is located in a residential area—please check the address carefully and avoid trespassing. See P9 for detailed directions! 🧭 🆓 Free to view from the street Have you seen a Futuro House in person? What’s your favorite Space Age design? Share below! 👇 Would you live in a UFO-shaped house? Let’s imagine together! 💬 #VisualArt #FuturisticVibes #DesignInspiration #CuratedSpaces #DailyArtShare #ScenicJourney #SpaceAgeDesign #UFOHouse #1960sArchitecture #Idyllwild #RoadTripFind #ArchitecturalGem #PreservedHistory #FinnishDesign #ModularLiving #RetroFuturism #UniqueStays #CaliforniaOddities #DesignHistory #CreativeSpaces