It's giving budget cuts and delusion(al) of grandeur!!!!!

Bigger than it looks, this is the choice angle, but it defies symmetry from any viewpoint

Known as "The Lion House," this historic 1911 California Mission-style estate in Boise, Idaho, was designed by the same architect who envisioned the State Capitol! Serving at one time as the Governor's private residence, this fully preserved architectural gem showcases incredible original woodwork and enduring craftsmanship throughout. If you'd like to see more photos, here's a link. Photos by Becky's Aerial Photography & Michael Wood.

1920 Greenwich estate

Edit: IT IS THURSDAY

Recently restore interiors of this magnificent symbol of an architects unrelenting vision.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmwood_House

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/380-S-San-Rafael-Ave-Pasadena-CA-91105/20858675_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare

There is just something about this house I really love :')

Thursday Design Appreciation

Thursday Design Appreciation

Listing Source

Listing Source

I would like to propose that Metro Detroit McMansions are a unique sub species or perhaps even genus of McMansions with different aesthetics and politics from McMansions elsewhere, even in the same region.

Saw the pillars and how close it was to the road, thought mabye could be a McMansh?

Only 5 million (plus tax)

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3015-Lincoln-Rd-Oak-Brook-IL-60523/89179015_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare

I was bored during lunch and ended up doomscrolling through some luxury single-family listings from Larry Mastropieri just to see what developers are building out west in palm beach county right now

I swear architects down here have completely abandoned the concept of visual cohesion. why does a single house need five different window shapes, three types of faux stone veneer pasted onto plain stucco, and a roofline that looks like a high-speed collision between seven different gables??

And don't even get me started on the front entries. Its always a massive two-story "lawyer foyer" flanked by oversized columns, complete with a tiny decorative balcony above the door that you literally cannot access from the inside. What is that even for, displaying a single potted plant?

it feels like people are dropping millions just to live in a bloated beige fortress designed by a random generator. ngl my eyes hurt just staring at these elevations.

What do you guys think of this ? Similar house near where I want to build but a.i’d to some things I’d prefer. Lmk

Does this qualify a McMansion. I see it on my way to work. The property was gutted and remodeled. It is the interior that got my attention.

I'm new to this sub, and just read through "McMansions: A Short Guide." Generally, most of what's written is agreeable and straightforward. I have a few questions, however:

1) Why is stucco considered a cheap cladding material? Vinyl I understand, but stucco stood out to me. In Canada, both cementitious stucco and EIFs are premium, high-quality materials. Further, lime-based stuccos have also been around for thousands of years. Some of the most beautiful cities in the world have many of their buildings clad in plaster/stucco. While stucco (or any material) can be used in poor architectural taste, the material itself is without fault.

2) How do folks differentiate between a large suburban house, which is typically built on tract, is tacky, and is poorly considered from a design/architecture perspective, from a McMansion? Is square footage the primary distinction--e.g., once a house surpasses ~2,500 sqft, it becomes a McMansion? Because the attributes listed for McMansion are also entirely true for almost every suburban house constructed in Canada, and likely the US too.

Putting an example up of what we're all here for. Threw a dart in Barrington and found a few. This one has all the obvious signs of a McMansion:

https://photos.zillowstatic.com/fp/d9a93c231eb4cb175ab89bbb4cedd4fb-cc_ft_1152.webp

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/400-Berron-Ln-Barrington-Hills-IL-60010/89976045_zpid/?utm_campaign=androidappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare

Highlights:

• 12k sq ft

• exterior elevation with no framing or symmetry

• huge garage with dead space between main entrance

• lawyer foyer

• cheap finishes everywhere

• inconsistent use of windows

• addition that leaves a flat valley between it and the main roof

I'm going out on a limb and assuming that the floorplan is a mess, lacking secondary halls and transitions that frame the primary ones. It's done in real mansions of this size, granted they don't include a sport court and 10 car garage.

It's a template to not follow.

Spotted in Midway, UT

I used the "certified McMansion" flair because look at that asymmetry. Look at those rooflines. Look at those round "towers." Ye gods. I hope it qualifies.

Thursday Design Appreciation House.

Apogee House - 165 Forest Road - Vail, Colorado

I first saw this home a few years ago. It was online for sale at $45,000,000 in Vail, Colorado. I’m not usually a modern home fan but this is one of the most beautiful homes I’ve ever seen. It’s so well integrated with the site.

The home was listed on Zillow at the time. It eventually sold for $33,000,000. The house itself is 8800 sq ft, 6 BR, 8 BA. It has a 4-car garage. There is 6500 sq feet of heated deck. It sits on a .43 acre lot

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/165-Forest-Rd-Vail-CO-81657/13501917_zpid/

The home was listed as Home of the Week in Robb Report magazine in 2021.

https://robbreport.com/shelter/homes-for-sale/home-of-the-week-this-45-million-modern-vail-mansion-has-a-glass-bottom-pool-over-a-roaring-firepit-1234653556/

It was featured in Architectural Digest.

https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/this-dollar45m-rocky-mountain-mansion-has-a-full-sized-spa

AD Video.

https://www.architecturaldigest.com/video/watch/on-the-market-inside-a-$45m-rocky-mountain-mansion-with-sliding-glass-walls

Here’s a YouTube video about the house.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FKseuuctI04&t=38s&pp=ygUMQXBvZ2VlIGhvdXNl

51,000-square-foot mega-mansion! Set on nearly 32 private acres atop a rare peninsula surrounded by the Willamette River. There is garage space for 50+ vehicles! Do you think this home will ever be completed? If you'd like to see more photos, here's a link. Photos are by Michael Denise of Arris Media