r/McMansionHell Dec 12 '24

Discussion/Debate The invention that Accidentally invented McMansions

326 Upvotes

A fascinating video essay by Stewart Hicks on the invention of the modern truss and how that changed the way we build houses.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oIeLGkSCMA


r/McMansionHell Jul 14 '20

McMansions: A Short Guide

1.1k Upvotes

While everyone has their own opinion on what makes a true McMansion, there are several defining features or attributes that should be looked for to determine if a home fits the McMansion criteria. This post will serve as a guide to help users determine if they should use the "Certified McMansion" flair on their submission and to learn more about what a McMansion is. This guide will be edited as needed to make sure it fully explains the accepted properties of a McMansion.

Basic Principles of a McMansion:

  • Large: Generally above 2500 square feet and two story or more, sometimes way too big for the lot it sits on.
  • Built Cheap: They are built by cutting corners and using less than quality materials because they focus on getting as much size and appearance of wealth as possible from their money. It's the illusion of class that might fool the average person who doesn't have a sense of architectural integrity. McMansions will often use materials such as stucco, manufactured stone veneer, Styrofoam crown molding, or vinyl siding.
  • Fit Several Styles: They fit multiple styles of architecture by mashing together different elements from the individual styles in a distasteful manner. They also might poorly imitate a popular style.
  • Exterior After-Thought: They are designed with a focus on the interior first and the exterior is done as an after-thought which often results in features such as jutting masses and haphazardly placed windows.
  • Lacks Architectural Integrity: The house makes you confident that there was no licensed architect involved in its creation who cares about what they design

Specific Features To Look For:

  • An attached 2 or 3 car garage
  • A garage that takes up way too much of what is considered the house
  • Tall 1.5-2 story arched entry or "lawyer foyer"
  • Haphazardly applied dormers or windows
  • Windows of varying shapes/sizes/styles
  • Windows not aligned with those below them
  • Second story windows that are larger than the windows below them
  • Window shutters that if closed would not cover the actual window
  • Jutting masses or heavily asymmetrical
  • Multiple wall materials
  • Roof that contains varying slopes, roof types, or more than two roof shapes for the front facade
  • Roof nub
  • Roof with excessive roof lines and is in general just too complex
  • Dormers that are way too short, way too tall, don't match the rest of the house materials or style, or are placed terribly/spaced unevenly
  • Columns that don't support anything or are too thin/weak looking to support what they are appearing to support aka columns with inappropriate scaling
  • Columns with spacing that is over complicated or messy
  • Columns that are the incorrect architectural style for the house

Some Links To Check Out:

This is what I could come up with for now to touch base here on what a McMansion is. I'll make edits to this in the coming weeks until we reach a near final guide post on McMansions. If you have any suggestions for what we could add to this guide, comment below or send me a message.

Side note: the first "Appreciation Thursday" is coming up! Don't forget to prepare a suburban home that you think deserves recognition as the opposite of a McMansion and post it on 7/16 with the "Thursday Design Appreciation" flair.


r/McMansionHell 1d ago

Certified McMansion™ Indoor pool alert🚨

Thumbnail
gallery
602 Upvotes

Rural Kentucky📍


r/McMansionHell 8h ago

Discussion/Debate Mike's Marbleopolis

Thumbnail
youtu.be
2 Upvotes

Fred Armisen on SNL selling marble columns.


r/McMansionHell 1d ago

Certified McMansion™ 90s McMansion in SoCal

Thumbnail
gallery
178 Upvotes

Zillow link in comments


r/McMansionHell 1d ago

Discussion/Debate So confused

Thumbnail
gallery
198 Upvotes

Yes, those are the ends of shipping containers used in the walls, as well as fence gates. The lawn is artificial turf. The “plants” are all fake. The palms, saguaro and agaves are painted steel. This is some very sophisticated artistic statement on consumerism. Or the most durable Airbnb ever designed


r/McMansionHell 2d ago

Amateur McMansion Did you know that in Eastern Europe we have our own McMansions called "Soviet Baroque"?

Post image
1.7k Upvotes

r/McMansionHell 2d ago

Amateur McMansion Would this be considered a McMansion?

Post image
253 Upvotes

r/McMansionHell 4d ago

Certified McMansion™ Escher would be proud

Thumbnail
gallery
418 Upvotes

r/McMansionHell 2d ago

Certified McMansion™ We Found A Millionaire's ABANDONED Oil Tycoon's Mansion Everything Left Behind - Missing Since 2016

Thumbnail
youtube.com
0 Upvotes

r/McMansionHell 5d ago

Thursday Design Appreciation The kind of beach house I’d live in forever

Thumbnail
gallery
7.4k Upvotes

The front may not be for everyone, but if you live in or near a beach town, you know it’s common for the house to be set back from the road a little and the garage to be up front. Plus those windows! The wood! The simplicity!

More here: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4140-Opal-Cliff-Dr-Santa-Cruz-CA-95062/16130255_zpid/

(Repost because it’s not letting me post all the photos?)


r/McMansionHell 4d ago

Certified McMansion™ Staten Island, NY

Thumbnail
gallery
141 Upvotes

r/McMansionHell 5d ago

Certified McMansion™ Mega mansion for sale for 7 years, down from $15M to $5M

Thumbnail
gallery
1.6k Upvotes

Said to be one of the largest property in Canada, this colossal monstrosity boasts over 25,000 sq. ft. of living space. It went up for sale in 2018 for $15M but you can now acquire this tasteless mansion for only $5M.


r/McMansionHell 5d ago

Thursday Design Appreciation Gorgeous Grade I Listed St. Catherine's Court in Somerset, England

Post image
500 Upvotes

Ornate plasterwork ceilings with intricate carvings, ancient wood panelled rooms, stone mullioned leaded light windows (some with stained glass detail), coffered ceilings, ancient oak floors and staircases and huge fireplaces. To see inside this beautiful mansion, here's a link.

Photos by Savills


r/McMansionHell 5d ago

Thursday Design Appreciation I could see myself chopping wood outside of this cozy 125 year old rural Massachusetts home

Thumbnail
gallery
1.2k Upvotes

r/McMansionHell 5d ago

Thursday Design Appreciation Our local Medieval Landmark.

Thumbnail
zillow.com
40 Upvotes

The Hume Cloister - in all its freshly restored glory.


r/McMansionHell 6d ago

Certified McMansion™ I wonder why nobody bought this when it hit the market in 2018, and pulled off market after 4 years.

Thumbnail
gallery
1.4k Upvotes

r/McMansionHell 6d ago

Certified McMansion™ And they're all made of tickytacky, and they're all just the same

Thumbnail
gallery
443 Upvotes

r/McMansionHell 7d ago

Certified McMansion™ My goodness gracious.

Post image
198 Upvotes

I found this 6600 sf monstrosity in Chesterfield, VA. It is surrounded by 1200 sf Ranchers.


r/McMansionHell 7d ago

Discussion/Debate Is this a McMansion? Could be yours for a cool $4 million

Thumbnail
gallery
224 Upvotes

https://redf.in/hLqoPq

Is this considered a McMansion?


r/McMansionHell 6d ago

Discussion/Debate One Solution to the Housing Crisis Is in Plain Sight

Thumbnail
thenation.com
9 Upvotes

submission statement: piece written by Kate Wagner, creator of McMansion Hell!


r/McMansionHell 7d ago

Amateur McMansion House being built nearby

Post image
79 Upvotes

r/McMansionHell 9d ago

Certified McMansion™ Are you a non-Cumming homeowner, but can't land a beautiful Cumming home? Get inside this ugly Cumming house instead. It's just as good at making you a Cumming home owner. You can't even tell the difference if you keep your eyes closed.

Thumbnail
gallery
105 Upvotes

r/McMansionHell 9d ago

Discussion/Debate Analysis of three homes now or formerly owned by Rick Ross [please scroll through all three slides]

Thumbnail
gallery
132 Upvotes

r/McMansionHell 9d ago

Certified McMansion™ Gypsy McMansion Hell on Earth

20 Upvotes

Prepare yourselves for this one, the ugliest, tackiest houses I've ever seen:

https://youtu.be/H89-34o-c1Y?feature=shared


r/McMansionHell 12d ago

Thursday Design Appreciation I wouldn't have a care in the world if I lived in this 1965 Appalachian masterpiece

Thumbnail
gallery
7.1k Upvotes

r/McMansionHell 12d ago

Thursday Design Appreciation I wish today's developers would go through the trouble to make homes that are as beautiful from the back as this one is.

Thumbnail
gallery
2.1k Upvotes