The McMansion is a large home guilty of allowing homeowners to feel and flaunt their wealth while showing their lack of taste.
Incompetent architects break every architectural rule to create a Frankenstein monster that is appealing to those impressed by the grandeur.
Photo from McMansion Hell website.
The following excerpt is taken from the Wikipedia definition of McMansion:
…mix multiple architectural styles and elements…multiple roof lines, unnecessarily complicated massing…producing a displeasingly jumbled appearance. The builder may have attempted to achieve expensive effects with cheap materials, skimped on details, or hidden defects with cladding…
Sold to “parvenu” – those having new money but lack the necessary refinement. The definition of parvenu on Wikipedia references Molly Brown survivor of the Titanic – who went from rags to riches overnight. (See the movie “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” starring Debbie Reynolds).
Semi traditional pieces of architecture are stitched together randomly. Most people probably can’t explain exactly what is wrong with the McMansion because there are just enough traditional pieces of architecture on the building to make it look vaguely traditional at first glance just as Frankenstein looked vaguely human at first.
I would like to introduce you to a great website called McMansion Hell 101 .
This site is extremely informative for it shows and explains the design problems with McMansions which the reader can then apply to any house to better recognize or prevent these problems. Topics such as entries, roofs, columns, windows, etc. are covered in detail. Great information for those considering new construction. Owners of historic homes can also better appreciate and understand their architecture.
Great website! Thanks for highlighting it. Could be a valuable resource for your next fix the botched builder grade house job. Too bad that most of these design and building quality issues are not a simple fix once they are built.
Yes – I am contacted by a lot of McMansion homeowners wondering what they can do. Almost anything CAN be done but the cost is crazy.
I have been aware of this McMansion hell condition for years. All of the details you have mentioned, and it seems the more conflicting materials and design elements the better.
Thanks for the share! Reading McMansion Hell gave me an education and an uncontrollable fit of laughter at the same time.
The “McMansion Scale” chart is the best. If everyone had to go through that chart before building a home, all would be well with the world! And some of her terms are hilarious: nubs, souless window holes, peel-n-stick details, Pringles can of shame, roofline soup, beigehaus, etc…
This mansion on the photo looks like it was built by several builders and each one of them has put something different into the look of the house 😀
I am planning to biuld a house soon, but all the contractors in my area seem to build mcmansions and mini mcmansions in subdivisions. I don’t think anyone is going to care or understand what I’m talking about. Something I still don’t quite get is how to make the roofs not have nubs; most of the floor plans out there have nubs on their roofs.
I’m not sure what nubs are. If you plan to build a new house there are plans available that replicate Craftsman and traditional homes. Keep searching for a good builder that can follow plans.
Hi! I am about to start building a new home in a small town in Louisiana, and the last thing I want to do is build a McMansion. I have read many of your articles and the articles on the McMansion Hell Website, which are all so helpful, so thank you! I just ordered the book “Get Your House Right” by Marianne Cusato based on your recommendation. We will be making custom house plans and are working on those now. I want to build a house appropriate for my neighborhood and my lot size (half an acre, 150 ft x 150 ft), but large enough for a family of 5 to live in comfortably. I like very symmetric, two story, Greek Revival, plantation/antebellum, and French Colonial style homes with columns, but I want to make sure it is not “tacky”/cheaply built. My question is, in your opinion, what style home and exterior finish (brick vs wood siding- I would like to stay away from Hardie Plank and obviously vinyl) is the easiest for us to get historically accurate/not look tacky? I prefer wood over brick but am willing to choose brick if we are more likely to “get it right.” What are your thoughts on white painted brick? I like the look of it now, but I want a truly timeless and classic house and I feel like that may be a trend. I am not trained in historical architecture and I am wary to blindly trust my architect and builder, as most of the homes in my town are not as well-built (as I have learned from your articles.) I am willing to sacrifice the size of my home in order to afford a truly well-built, beautiful home. Thank you so much for your input!
Hi Katie – It’s not easy. I would go for wood siding. White painted brick is good too. Look around for good plans or have an architect draw them. Before you finalize anything you can email them to me and I will look over them for free. If I see anything that I feel you should know or change we can arrange a phone consultation which costs $50 per half hour. There are some good plans out the but you need to dig. Check these out:
https://allisonramseyarchitects.smugmug.com/
http://www.antiquehomestyle.com/plans/
http://storybookhomes.com/
https://www.connormill-built.com/
http://thebungalowcompany.com/house-plans/
http://houseplans.southernliving.com/
http://historicaldesigns.com/
http://www.houseplans.net/historical-house-plans
http://www.cchonline.com/
good luck!