Say Goodbye to the McMansion and Hello to the McModern
Updated: Jan. 14, 2022
You thought the McMansion was bad enough
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.
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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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