r/McMansionHell • • Dec 12 '24

Discussion/Debate The invention that Accidentally invented McMansions

324 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 • • 10h ago

Certified McMansion™ Penitentiary outside of London, Ontario.

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51 Upvotes

Thankfully the cement walls are unfinished so we could see this beauty


r/McMansionHell • • 1d ago

Thursday Design Appreciation This Late Victorian or possibly Edwardian home in Lindsborg, Ks

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60 Upvotes

r/McMansionHell • • 2d ago

Thursday Design Appreciation I would very casually die for this 1920 French Tudor home in my neighborhood (Portland, ME)

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960 Upvotes

r/McMansionHell • • 2d ago

Thursday Design Appreciation When a 1940s Architect builds a home for themselves (Bristol, RI)

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852 Upvotes

We had the chance to tour this house when it was on sale nearly a decade ago. As I remember the story, the previous owner was an architect (I've seen other of his homes in the area). He built this home for himself and it was occupied by him/his family until 2017, when he left it to the local historical society for them to sell or otherwise use. Build date: 1949.

Look out for the detailed flooring and moulding in each room. It's stunning, with my favorite feature likely being the heated banquette in the kitchen.

ETA: https://liladelman.com/listing/1226-hope-st-bristol/


r/McMansionHell • • 3d ago

Thursday Design Appreciation Hudson Valley Beauty

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961 Upvotes

r/McMansionHell • • 6d ago

Certified McMansion™ I count no fewer than 9 window styles. View from the front is nice though.

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1.1k Upvotes

r/McMansionHell • • 7d ago

Amateur McMansion Riding Through the Southeast

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676 Upvotes

Saw this recently riding through the Southeast. Those dormers were tiny and looked like little eyes watching over the house. No character whatsoever.


r/McMansionHell • • 7d ago

Discussion/Debate I recently bought a house that was featured on Thursday design appreciation. AMA

117 Upvotes

When my husband and I were researching the house, the Reddit post came up on google! It’s a very old (130 yrs) home. I don’t want to include too much info and dox myself, but thought it would be fun to do an ask me anything since this group loves the Thursday design appreciation posts 🥰


r/McMansionHell • • 9d ago

Thursday Design Appreciation 13,800-Square-Foot Architectural Marvel Overlooking Table Rock Lake Reduced in Missouri

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747 Upvotes

Incredible stone and woodwork! 8 bedrooms and 12 baths in Branson, Missouri. If you'd like to see more photos, here's a link. Photos by Whitetail Properties Real Estate.


r/McMansionHell • • 9d ago

Thursday Design Appreciation Shippee Estate - Ojai, CA

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429 Upvotes

r/McMansionHell • • 9d ago

Thursday Design Appreciation Valhalla calling 🫠

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194 Upvotes

r/McMansionHell • • 8d ago

Amateur McMansion Made to look dowdy with a huge price tag.

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4 Upvotes

Exterior hodpodge mess. Interior not bad. Overpriced.


r/McMansionHell • • 10d ago

Certified McMansion™ I wonder where the other half went?

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819 Upvotes

r/McMansionHell • • 9d ago

Thursday Design Appreciation Classic home in North Berkeley

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14 Upvotes

With built-ins, fireplaces and original woodwork, though the backyard needs some work.


r/McMansionHell • • 10d ago

Thursday Design Appreciation Mid Century LA Mansion

26 Upvotes

r/McMansionHell • • 14d ago

Amateur McMansion Coastal in the Countryside

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407 Upvotes

Alrighty guys, let ‘er rip with this one!

Complete Listing:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1403-Garrisonville-Rd-Stafford-VA-22556/12621463_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare

It’s giving coastal, Jersey Shore/townhome vibes, simply due to its tall, narrow profile.

Looks like a custom build on somebody’s property that they subdivided.

Looking on Street View, this masterpiece is conveniently located in the front yard of another architectural abomination and about 10 yards from a busy road. What a prime location!!

Satellite and Street View point out that this was most likely the former site of a barn/garage/outbuilding that was torn down.

While not the traditional all brick 9000sf 80s,90s, Y2K “regular McMansions” we’re all used to seeing, this one certainly shares some of the same characteristics as its larger counterparts.


r/McMansionHell • • 14d ago

Discussion/Debate Parade of Homes in Raleigh, NC....

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7 Upvotes

r/McMansionHell • • 16d ago

Thursday Design Appreciation Historic 1900 William Dick House in Wilmington, North Carolina

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1.2k Upvotes

Amazing Inglenook! Downtown Wilmington’s historic 1900 William Dick House is an architectural marvel that has incredibly only changed hands twice since it was built. If you'd like to see more photos, here's a link. Photos by Lindy Lea Photography & Digital Marketing.

Happy Thursday! :)


r/McMansionHell • • 16d ago

Thursday Design Appreciation Must Love Horses - Los Angeles, CA

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686 Upvotes

2.8 acres in the Los Angeles hills. I had no idea there were properties like this up the hill from a major city.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1680-Old-Oak-Rd-Los-Angeles-CA-90049/20546461_zpid/?


r/McMansionHell • • 16d ago

Discussion/Debate Stephen Henry Homes Ringgold GA

3 Upvotes

Has anyone purchased a home from Stephen Henry Homes in Ringgold GA? We purchased one and are having quite the time with it. After researching his other neighborhoods and homes built, we are not hearing good things at all. Flooding. Lawsuits. Good ole boy cover ups from local politicians and religious people. Molded showers in brand new homes. His step son and workers running from purchasers until the one year mark runs out and they no longer have an obligation to the home buyer. Backups in the neighborhood septic. HOA nightmares because of Stephen Henry himself being involved with the leadership and influencing the communities to avoid *MORE* lawsuits. After looking at his neighborhoods, the buyers typically sell after two years. When speaking to those owners, it's due to (see above) flooding and mold and lawsuits and legal clout in a small southern town. Corruption.

Tell me what you know.


r/McMansionHell • • 18d ago

Certified McMansion™ Drove past here today, just outside Stockholm Sweden. Pretty Hellish!

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163 Upvotes

r/McMansionHell • • 19d ago

Discussion/Debate Is this considered a McMansion?

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0 Upvotes

I know how much this sub loves Barrington


r/McMansionHell • • 22d ago

Shitpost A Travesty, Inside & Out

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876 Upvotes

Please note the different in styling from the front facade to the rear facade.

This house has good bones and could be very nice. Prototypical SC beachfront structure.

This is an off market home, I am just familiar with the property.