The subreddit r/McMansionHell is devoted to what the community describes as "large, cheaply built, suburban homes with design flaws and a lack of architectural integrity." And one recent post encapsulated nearly all of these traits.
One member posted photos of what they labeled "A Quintessential McMansion Monstrosity," which featured soaring ceilings, oversized rooms, and some head-scratching design choices.
"Why I think this house is a McMansion," one commenter explained, is that it has a "nonsensical layout (everything seems crammed, even though this is a ~5k square foot home) and cheap materials." They also added features like the faux balcony, multiple exterior materials, a double turret feature, and a "lack of consistent design."
Others agreed — this was certainly a McMansion and a waste of space.
"I really hate this one," one person wrote. "The giant curtains really bother me for some reason." Another called it "beige and garish at the same time."
And when one person queried whether or not an architect could have reasonably designed this, another responded: "No architect was involved in the creation of this monstrosity. Just some builders pulling stuff at random from a catalog, like an 11yo making a house in the Sims."
But these McMansions aren't just an eyesore — they represent a brazen wastefulness that many people find distasteful. Building and living in a home as excessively large as this one requires vastly more energy and materials than a more modest home. Not only is this expensive for the owners, but it's costly to the environment; the fuel burned to heat, cool, and power the home emits planet-warming emissions that ultimately impact everyone — not just the McMansion owners.
Additionally, homes as large as this one encourage an accumulation of material items that many view as excessive and pointless, contributing to a consumerist mindset that promotes the creation of waste.
Instead, many people are embracing the opposite and buying as little as possible. And when they do need to make a purchase, many shoppers are instead looking to thrift shops and online communities like Facebook Marketplace. Not only does this save money, but it avoids contributing to the planet-heating toxic emissions of manufacturing and shipping — essentially achieving the opposite of the McMansion effect.
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