I regret having to say this bellburgmaggie but I don’t think the infatuation with McMansions will ever go away. There is a segment of our population that thinks “bigger is better” & “more is more” . I have single friends who live in huge homes stuffed with items of questionable taste, Every trend is a must have, ... but it seems to make them happy ( at least in the short run ).

K.Laurence, my 70 year old mother in law and her husband sold a nice home and bought a McMansion.(part of the bigger is better crowd) I couldn't believe it. Now it is 6 years later and they need to sell and find a smaller 1 story home. The 3(!) floors are literally killing them. Hips, knees and feet have all gone bad. He even fell down the stairs. I know it was the best home either of them had ever owned, But I don't know what they were thinking.

I own what you would call a McMansion...

Is that "awful"?

wmsimons85,,,u mean like this? lol

I don't hunt and I love animals. My husband does hunt,,but not lately. yes, we used the meat. he hung the trophy in our sons room. I don't find it creepy,,and these were wall ornaments long before it was cool.

As for hide rugs,,,what's the big deal? why let them go to waste? they're from beef cows. might as well use every part of the animal. if you have leather on your shoes and furniture, why not a nice rug?

There was a comment earlier about decorating your house in your own style and damn the "trends"!! I could not agree more!

I hate that all the rooms have to "flow" into each other! What??? And all of the flooring has to all be the same! What?? Why?? A kitchen does not function like a dining, sorry dinning room!, or like a bathroom or like a laundry room. Why does the flooring and the "flow" have to be the same for those areas? Isn't that what I have doors for??? That is a trend I hope will GO AWAY!!

I hate it when people come here and ask for counter top, cabinet, door handles and more and the room is already demo'd. What were they thinking? Did they not have a plan to begin with? How can you do that?

Or they buy huge, huge, huge furniture and get upset when they are told it is too big and won't work.

Not planning a project ahead of time is something that needs to jump the shark!!

Did I go off subject? Of course I did!! Sorry!

Beth, if you have your house decorated as you like it, then who cares what others think?

That is why I have really never asked on here, what do you think of my remodeled....., because frankly, I like it and that is all that matters!!!!

Beth H, yes! Haha

I shouldn’t have said anything because sods law of course someone here especially like yourself with good taste would have it! Lol

If your son likes it over his bed than fine just personally would have nightmares! But again has nothing to do with design. :))))

kathi,,totally agree. if I had to have the same paint, flooring, decor in every room, I'd go insane. I don't care what anyone thinks. I'd prob be told by 'pros' to match all my flooring in every room. lol. I have polished concrete, wood, tile, carpet. each room, to me, is it's own entity.

wmsimons lmao,,,actually, we moved it to that other wall. he didn't want it over his bed because of the earthquakes. now it just 'stares' at him all night. and truth be told,,,I wouldn't hang that thing anywhere else! we don't live a lodge for crying out loud!

Beth lol!!!

Beth H thanks for the laugh when I saw your picture. I don't mind the deer mount but the wood mosaic would drive me batty. Somehow it works there though... at least there is no busy granite near it! lol

Why I love Open Concept- It's been a very awesome & extremely helpful...and even somewhat of a scary experience posting pics of my open small concept ranch townhouse. Firstly, I like it due to my physical limitations such as aging and living alone. So...I'm all for open concept depending on individual lifestyles and needs. I also love all the ideas presented on Houzz and in magazines to decorate it. As I've navigated through the posts on Houzz one thing I would love to see is a better overview of the lifestyle of the OP. Maybe a new comment overview form to complete prior to posting?

Secondly - What I needed & loved when my kids were growing up is much different than what I need and/or love now. I looked back at my posts and I think if I gave more details about my lifestyle in the beginning and more pics it would help others understand my desires and needs. Whether or not I like current styles being advertised should not matter as long as the final goal makes me smile. For instance, I don't like word-art on walls and I don't like bulky leather sofas but many of my friends & family do. I just know that when I enter their houses I feel welcomed because they love their environment. That to me makes a home.

I will say I don't like the term "McMansion" because I have several friends & family members with very large homes and they share their good fortune by inviting others for dinner, long weekends and even host special events. Example...my daughters wedding venue had to be changed last minute (in one day) due to a destination resort flooding. Her Aunt has a large home & property and did not blink an eye...it was the best wedding I've ever attended. People may envy her large home and things but she and her husband are not selfish with what they have and love sharing what they have. Thank goodness because we had 100 guests to relocate.

Personally for me, I sincerely love seeing all decor opportunities and then assessing what intrigues me. I've mentioned before, but wish I'd found Houzz when building. However, since I was late to find, I fortunately found Decor items I would never have chosen if not for Houzz and so happy I had the advice and made new friends along the way. In the end, I think we all know what the truth is...we either loved the advice, disliked it somewhat or we are still discovering the possibilities, and that is progress. If you are new here and building a new home...start with structure/design layout advice and then have a great time getting decorating advice from AWESOME people here on Houzz. Happy New Year everyone!

I’ve heard that the pieced hide rugs (not the ones that are one big skin, the ones that are like a quilt?) really don’t hold up well at all.

ETA - it’s not just size that makes a McMansion. It’s excessive size (especially relative to lot size) and bad design of the space and the building. What’s excessive depends, of course, on what your needs are, but very few people legitimately need a kitchen the size of a football field that’s designed so you have to run laps to cook anything.

Since opinions differ on home size, home/lot ratios, needs vs. preferences, and good vs. bad design, I think it's nice the housing market offers options so I am okay the McMansion house staying and the McMansion label going away.

Not bad design as in do you like quartz or granite, bad design as in how space is used and how the roof is shaped so it functions properly, those sorts of things which are not actually just personal preference and opinion. (I mean, you can like a certain style of roof all you want, liking how it looks won’t make it able to handle the snow load typical for your area, or meet wind speed requirements. Some things just plain don’t work right depending on where the house is located.)

Speaking of Property Brothers, I saw the episode where they renovated the home Drew bought for himself and his new wife. It was a really old home in LA, I think, and had loads of charm. They bought it because of the beautiful old wood staircase. Then unfortunately they found termites (why didn't they have a termite inspection before they closed????) and had to demo the staircase. You think they would have replicated it with a new one in the same style. BUT they replaced it with a modern-looking metal one! So strange!

I actually like "shiplap." Never knew it was called that--to me it's just horizontal wood paneling. Just like "subway" tile is just a rectangular tile. (And lots of tile in the NYC subways are 6 x 6 squares, colored relief tiles, and intricate mosaics.)

If you are interested in understanding what makes a McMansion poor design, read www.mcmansionhell.com which is a blog written by a graduate architect student.

I'm not much for blogs or opinions....

I think that's what this is about anyway. Why does one persons taste equal good or bad design?

Ir's not the same and that should be considered when posting (or commenting) here.

Yes, Mc M hell is hilarious, you’ve got to love that bath in the Oklahoma house, yikes!!!

If “ bad taste “ was criminal, then those houses ( or whoever is responsible for them ) would be guilty of a felony. I suspect much of the blame goes to the owners .... & the architects, designers go along with it... trying to please the client.

I guess I'm just not mean enough for this thread, or this forum.

Yes, I’d put it in the category of “crime against humanity.”

Penny, I lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma for 25 years and there are many wonderful homes in that town and many wonderful people. Charles Faudree was from Tulsa and my decorator for my home up north is from Tulsa. Every era has great design and bad design. Great design is timeless. I can open the pages of Charles Faudree’s home that was in Traditional Home from the 1980’s and it still is relevant, still beautiful and still good design. Have I ever made a design mistake, OF COURSE, and I laugh at it. My decorator laughs at it and he isn’t being “mean” he is being honest.

Once again: bad design is not just about aesthetic preferences. A kitchen with walkways and no safe ‘landing’ space on either side of the range or cooktop? That’s bad design because it functions poorly, it has nothing to do with if you like how it looks. Much of good design is based on practical realities - how much space people need to do things, how people typically work if you study lots and lots of people, etc.

What's out: Exposed lighting, granite countertops, bamboo flooring, open shelving, diy storage, rose gold, all white everything, reclaimed wood, chalkboard walls, tv over fireplace, rustic chic, faux mid century modern, barn doors, copper, heavy industrial themes, powdery pinks with gold, shades of grey, corals and nudes, white and stainless sinks, accent walls, word art.

What's in: Mixed metallics, organic materials and traditional handcrafts, products that relate to Wabi Sabi, earthy and dark toned woods, terrazzo flooring, statement ceilings, spa inspired bathrooms, jewel tones (color of the year - ultra violet), velvet, heavy cabinetry, statement storage, shapely furniture, bold floral prints, black and white, marble, onyx, agate, and alabaster, natural accents.

Wonder how many of the 2018 trends will be out by the end of the year. Have to buy what you love and how you live.

Penny, what I hope you will take away from this, especially the McMansion, is that bad design is bad for a reason.

Too many ridiculous roof lines lead to leaks and very expensive repairs that would be unnecessary if the roof was done properly.

A kitchen that has nooks and crannies and unsafe spaces that are not aesthetically please and are down right dangerous.....see no safe landing space for cook tops and no proper back guards for those mega stoves and cook tops.

A bathroom that has a bad design with columns and geegaws is a dangerous place.

A family room with no walls and 6 walkways and a huge fireplace with no room for seating and no room for a television is nothing but a very large hallway that makes decorating impossible and furniture placement impossible and being able to be used as a family room impossible....whew!!!!

I know you think blogs are.....not your thing, BUT there is a good reason that good design is NOT just one person's good or bad taste.

If you take anything away from this, I would hope that you would try to see WHY something is considered good or bad design. WHY the McMansion philosophy is frequently scoffed at. Once you learn the WHY of something, then you can break the rules to your hearts content!!!!

DianaBier,,,,I just saw that episode yesterday. very familiar w/that area. all the homes there look like that. Its a beautiful enclave of homes from the 20's-40's.

How did you like that kitchen? those windows? wonder how much those were alone? The herringbone flooring must have cost 30K easily. The stove, hood, windows, cabinets,,,another 100K. must be nice.

what did you think about them painting all of that original wood trim?

bellburgmaggie, thanks for sharing that mcmansion link, great site!

Hi Beth H., I'm sure everything Drew and Jonathan did was top-drawer, unlike a lot of the low-budget fixes they do for the people on the show. However, I'm a traditionalist, and I was very dismayed to see just how modern they made that house. I'm not sure about the trim--it's hard to see what kind of wood it was and what shape it was in.

I love the homes built in that era--they were all custom (it was before the tract housing boom) and the craftsmanship was very good. Plaster walls, hardwood floors, and the proportion and scale was made for human beings, unlike the McMansions today with their ridiculous 20 foot ceilings, disproportionate rooms and moldings, out-of-scale windows, and silly recesses and bump-outs.

I love Fonzie!!!

McMansion does not mean any large home. Many large homes are very well done. It refers to large homes which appear to have overdone certain aspects in order to appear grand and missed the mark, looking ostentatious or confused design wise.

I've seen post from that blog a few times and the houses were over the top.

The Property Brothers seem like nice people, but they take a lot of traditional elements, call them dated and replace them with elements that won't last or will be very second decade 2000's. They covered a traditional, rather timeless brick fireplace (with nice brick, not ugly) with tile that matched the kitchen floor. - that will be dated in 15 years or less. I've seen them tell people ordinary 2 1/4 solid hardwood is dated and then replace it with engineered (style will be discontinued in 18months) hardwood - which may or may not have a good wear layer- mostly because they don't want to repair the original floor after removing walls. (Tom and Norm on This Old House save old floors.) They are one of the main reasons people are dissatisfied with an ordinary staircase - see comment I made before. They are the first I saw to use lots of small glass mosaic tile - everywhere. Since I don't watch HGTV much and haven't at all for a year, they might not be totally responsible for mosaic tile overuse, but if HGTV is showing reruns - people think it is still big.

Catch a bit of Fonzie tonight on tv.... I copied this little bit:

"Captain Kirk and The Fonz? Two performers that I literally grew ... my childhood watching “Star Trek” and “Happy Days.”

Diana, yes. those homes over in the Hancock Park area of LA are to die for. back when they gave you large yards, and beautiful, individual looking houses. All that beautiful character in those homes. I'd kill for one of those. I don't even know how young couples can afford them. (they can't,,,unless your'e a property brother!) I haven't seen the rest of the house yet,,,just the downstairs. I'm just mentally tacking on the price for everything as they go through construction. That basement? sheesh. I can only imagine what that cost. for the downstairs area, I'm guessing about a 1/2 mil ? maybe more for upstairs ? Did they landscape yet? Just curious if the show paid for it at all.

jhmarie, I agree with you--it's very distressing to see this type of "renovation." This Old House online calls it "remuddling."

Yes, Beth, definitely big bucks. Even if the show didn't pay for it, those brothers must be rolling in dough--I'm sure they can afford the best!

"Color of the year" - Pantone, Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, etc.

The gray trend has bled over to clothing too. Good luck finding things that aren't gray or charcoal. I love color, the brighter the better, and that translates to my clothing too.

Beth H. — I'm dying to hang a cute 'wall art' sign over that bed.... 'Deer God, please watch over me and keep me safe as I sleep!' (And protect me in case of an earthquake....) ;-)

In regards to the Propery Brothers, have you noticed that they never want to negotiate too hard on the price. They seem to always suggest offering more than the buyers suggest to offer. They obviously also get a commission on the sale. I do watch occasionally but this is my least favorite show on HGTV. Well this and Fip or Flop. haha

All gray, all over is what I hope to see die. Ditto for blinding white kitchens, and the term "modern farmhouse"- an oxymoron that has come to mean...Nothing.

Projecting/predicting? Danish style is on the rise. Expect to hear a lot more about that, and a lot less about mid-century modern, in the year to come.

mjconti it's a construction loan. The buyer has to qualify for the total amount of the loan and the home has to be found of value for the future fix ups. Usually then the bank pays, we'll say the the original $70k then pays out the construction money as things get done.

The term mid-century.....a way to make the 50's style furniture and look seem sheek...stop it's a piece of furniture from the 50s stop with the mid century...call it what it is old 50 year old furniture...

HGTV...needs to have more variety in their shows every show has grey, white, white on white, etc. It's like all of the designers share the same brain...or say to themselves...."ok, this year we are pushing gray...all together now!" very misleading to the public who wants their kitchen with all the trimmings etc by tomorrow!!!

to mjconti--I'm sure that some buyers may have the cash to both buy the home and do the renovations. If not, banks will issue "bridge" or "construction" loans if you want to buy a home and then renovate it, or if you're building a home from the ground up. When the construction is completed, then they convert the bridge loan to a long-term mortgage loan. As to the amount they will lend a buyer, that depends on the creditworthiness of the borrower, and the market value of the home, as appraised by the bank. It all depends on the risk the bank wants to take--the risk as to whether they will be paid back.

I think that the TV shows compress the time period not only for the work being done, but for all the paperwork and due diligence that need to take place before any filming or demolition is done. What you see on the TV show is a fraction of the time and effort that goes into the making of it, including the financing, permitting, architectural work, interior design, etc.

Benches as seating with dining tables - so uncomfortable and inconvenient to get in and out of

I live in NC and farmhouse design makes me a lil crazy! A little goes a loooong way. The N.E people are moving here (they are GREAT people) and they LOVE that they are able to own property and a house (bonus-with a yard). They love it here and we don't have to question why. The Carolinas are really, really great and we are known for our cozy homes and great hospitality. Heres the struggle as a designer... with their belongings its terribly difficult to blend their furnishings with their new found love of farmhouse, sigh. I can incorporate a little bit of farmhouse but when decorating a new build with the modern builder finishes already done and with their traditional furnishings to infuse its nearly impossible to make it cohesive and look "farmhouse". Frustrating, but we work it out and eclectic is always refreshing when they have stories to tell based on what their accessories, art, etc. their friends see in a room. Regardless...IMO, the farmhouse style can begin its decent out unless you truly live on a farm or in a small community. The industrial look belongs only in an old building refurbished for loft living in the city. And an EAT sign in the "kitchen" is silly because duh, we dont need reminders to eat. Next, imo if you never use your formal dining room, create a lounge space/hangout with 4 club chairs (or add in two sofas) encircling a round table with board games in plain sight to "encourage interaction". You know..., with your family and friends because we NEED it and your kids will love it if its not on a night where they want to be/need to be at school event. Only rule? No cell phone for 1 hour. Play board games, listen to music, sing karaoke, eat, drink, whatever.

As for the millennials? I dig the way they are embracing life. Doing what makes them happy. I could go on and on about what millennials are looking for but trust me, just google it! Its not farmhouse, industrial, etc.