15 Super Annoyingly Posh McModern Homes
Updated: Mar. 03, 2022Will you catch on to the McModern housing trend? Here's what you need to know.
Little Sibling Grows Up
The term “McMansion” is not new. It’s loosely defined as a massive home lacking in architectural integrity and built with low-quality materials, and its popularity is associated with abject materialism. But the younger sibling of the gaudy McMansion is growing up, and creating quite a name for itself.
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In the Wake of the McMansion
While the McMansion was big in the ’80s and ’90s, the new trend is the McModern. The revival of modern architecture over the last decade has brought to life this new archetype—the millennials’ answer to the baby boomers’ indulgent, inefficient and architecturally mishandled McMansion design. And where McMansions can be characterized as cheaply made, the McModern follows suit, often constructed with chintzy materials. Speaking of mansions, the biggest home in each state will stun you.
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Rising From the Ashes
Mid-century modern style homes are popping up all over, in some cases on lots where a McMansion once stood. Despite the McModern’s streamlined exterior, they have taken much of their look right from the McMansion: a combination of styles that ends up looking slapdash.
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21st Century Modernism
This 21st-century modernism is, in part, about millennials yearning for minimalism. The result is a boxy shape and sleek design that’s popping up in rapidly gentrified neighborhoods, especially in or near tech cities and along the coasts. And McModerns are constructed by home-building companies, instead of individual builders, who take inspiration from modern architecture to create mass-produced homes with an emphasis on vertical or horizontal lines, a surplus of natural light and a clean aesthetic. If you want to keep things real, check out these 14 iconic mid-century modern decor elements.
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Don’t Make it a McHome
As Kate Wagner, the creator of the viral blog McMansion Hell, put it: “In the eyes of McMansion builders, modern architecture is perceived by potential buyers as the culturally significant, high-brow form of architecture, revered by the educated and glossy magazines. To see something only for its superficial attributes or financial potential and execute it carelessly is perhaps the most ‘Mc’ thing anyone can do.” Don’t regret your McModern purchase, or these 12 home renovations!
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Minimalist Feel
A key feature of the McModern is the more minimalist feel to it after the McMansions had so many unnecessary features like turrets. Want to add minimalist elements to your home? Here are 12 great tips on how to start downsizing.
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Erratic Windows
Wagner included on her McModern checklist items such as Tuscan columns. She also wrote that erratically sized windows are a hallmark of a McModern.
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Window Treatments
McModerns also lean on the use of muntins in the windows in their design. Check out a room divider that makes muntins work.
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Big Open Rooms
McModerns still have elements of McMansions with big rooms and open floor plans. See what the biggest home in each state looks like.
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Mad Men Inspiration
The style from Mad Men reintroduced the midcentury modern look to popular culture and its influence stretched to home design with an emphasis on minimalism. An added flair included some IKEA-inspired design with box shapes and lots of glass.
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Various Roof Styles
The McMansion is certainly guilty of using several roof styles and some of the McModerns are following suit, creating an incongruous look for the home. See where and why you need to keep an eye on your roof through the years.
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McModern Issues
Wagner in her story also brought up the issue of where McModerns are rising. Wagner wrote that McModerns are frequently built in gentrifying areas, making their existence a political issue, too. Do you know the states with the best housing markets?
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McModern Problems
McModerns can also present a problem in some areas because the are replacing old modernist houses, Wagner wrote.
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McModern Origins
The McModern takes its inspiration from the Craftsman style with items like tapered piers, Wagner wrote. The Craftsman turned into the McCraftsman and then the McPrairie and eventually the McModern. See what a Craftsman-inspired kitchen looks like.
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Butterfly Roof
Butterfly roofs have a unique place in architecture and McModern builders have latched on to the design element perhaps in an attempt to give the house some architectural significance. Find out the six most popular architectural styles in the U.S.
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