I just read thru the “Ugly McMansion Winner” thread. While I agree that most, if not all, of the buildings pictured are completely hideous, I detected an underlying smugness that I find a little discomforting.
So, I challenge all of you that had some critique of these buildings (or “builts” as George Carlin or somebody calls them) to whip out a pic of your personal domain so we may “critique” (not critisize, now) your personal choices. And no fair blaming it on the wife or husband. You picked the spouse, so you picked the decor or design by proxy.
Doesn’t matter if you built, decorated, designed, or just moved into it. Everybody’s got to live somewhere. Let’s see ’em.
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The link you provided is that your abode? If not why not start us off?
Wallyo
The link you provided is that your abode? If not why not start us off?
That's my website. Not my house. I can't afford a copper roof.
Show me yours, I'll show you mine.http://grantlogan.net/
But you all knew that. I detailed it extensively in my blog.
Great idea Grant, should prove interesting.
cant wait to see the pics.
Doug
cant wait to see the pics.
Don't hold your breath.http://grantlogan.net/
But you all knew that. I detailed it extensively in my blog.
Here's mine lets see yours, it is the fastest photo I could come up with we have since repainted.
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But you all knew that. I detailed it extensively in my blog.
OK, but mine's a litle dirty.
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Edited 3/25/2008 9:27 pm ET by MarkH
Can't come close to that, but as ranchers go this one has a ways to go...
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Edited 3/25/2008 9:52 pm by wrudiger
Now that's what I call a green roof!
Jeff
I did not critizie it and liked it but i get to put my pics up anyway, we bought our house with a fake storefront on it, very strange
Looks very much like the previous owner was going for the "general store out on the prairie" look.
I'm sure the neighbors thought it was interesting. Rest of the homestead looks comfortable.
gonna keep it? The storefront I mean.
ciao, ted
i took it off and just went with the flow of the existing roof, sorry thats the first pic after i took it off, Funny how you can get used to anything after awhile
My corner of Colorado.
John
Wow! If that is what being sent to the "corner" is like in Colorado, I want to be very bad!BEAUTIFUL!Jason
House 1
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House 2
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I looked, because calvin posted a few picts of this place after the 2002 mini-fest - - but I can't find them -
you'll just have to come and see for yourself - be as critical as you want - I look around and think 'what the f--k was I thinking?' all the time -
So far I think we all get to throw stones because none of us live in a glass house Uh errr McMansion.
Wallyo
OK, here's my K&B 1965 tract house with the 2nd floor, used brick and bay window additions that I designed.
somebodys got a green thumb there , nice
Work in progress
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Here are a couple from the first year or so when we first moved in( 3 years ago)this roof has way to many roof lines itself--but i thought it would be fun to roof( which I did last fall---although some minor details remain) these pictures are the old roof-- i don't think i have any of the new roof yet.
stephen
Cute house...how old is it?
susiekitchen,
i have the original plans for it--it was built in 1941.It's alarmingly bigger than it appears in the photo----tax people say its about 3700 sq. ft. I owned a house about 1/3 it's size a few blocks away--this one came up for sale and my wife had to have it. she fell in love with it's handmade tile fireplace suround from Moravian Tileworks in PA.-depicting Picwick Papers. It's fot oak floors( with issues), 2 fireplaces, an ostensibly finished basement,Walnut woodwork, mostly original tile work in 2 of the baths, spectacular morning light in the main living room and it's a fantastic house for big parties.
it's also the cause of about 17 years more work fixing stuff because not much has been maintained since 1941!Here is the house nearby that I used to live in--- i will be roofing the house next door in a week or so,
Stephen
The previous house was a cutie, too.
When I saw the pic of your current home it reminded me of a picture of a catalog house featured in the March "Cottage Living". That one, in Downer's Grove, IL, was built in 1930 and was partially "timbered" on the gables, but very much along the lines of your house.
Sounds like a great house!
I like your house, Hazlett - 1920's???Jeff
Jeff-- it's 1941but your guess was good---it was meant to be directly simpatico with our good friends and neighbors house( our driveways are directly opposite each other at this intersection0
anyhow---here is the house it blends with circa 1926
BTW Jeff--- the whole neighborhood is mostly 1920's---and most of the homes are quite modest---(see the other picture i posted for suzie)--originally--most of the houses were built as factory workers houses for the nearby tire plant.
In this neighborhood,if you want a 4th bedroom, or an office, or a second bathroom, or a lot bigger than 40x120--- you just about have to buy at this interesection--maybe 10-15 houses to choose from. It was a good house for me--because this neighborhood is my primary market--and because of this specific intersection most of my potential customers drive past my house at least once a day.Stephen
Edited 3/27/2008 6:44 am ET by Hazlett
Okay, okay -
Looks pretty good from a distance -
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Creaky, but it's home -
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Downstairs bedroom -
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Kitchen -
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Pantry -
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Vandalism
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Upstairs bedroom -
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Forrest
Edited 3/26/2008 7:26 am ET by McDesign
Forgot some of the cleaner rooms -
Parlor -
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Other parlor -
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Edited 3/26/2008 7:38 am ET by McDesign
And the dawn comes up like thunder over China 'cross the bay...
Does the quote have some signifigance to you or the house?
Peach full,easy feelin'.
<And the dawn comes up like thunder >
Pretty good!
We like Kipling; I especially love Barracks Room Ballads. No particular relation to the house, other than that's supposed to be a somewhat over-the-top, manly "gentleman's" parlor. Furniture will eventually be velvet.
Our daughter, when younger, thought the poem was about a woman named "Flotilla"!
We do a lot of stenciling, as well. Library has a quote from Homer; our bedroom, a passage from Ecclesiastes.
Some wonderful stuff in Bukowski, but DW doesn't want it on the walls . . .
Forrest - madman with an X-Acto knife
Here's mine. Its about 30 years old. We've had it for 10 years. I built the steps a few years ago.
Great steps!
Forrest
Forrest,
Thanks for the comment.I want to say that I REALLY like the projects you have done and posted here.
I actually first heard the poem years ago as a song on one of my dad's old albums showcasing songs from the early part of the 20th century. It was a little hard for me to catch all the words, so I was as perplexed as your daughter about what the song/poem was about.
It wasn't till about 10 years later, while reading some Kipling, that I realized the words to that old song were more than lyrics. I've always loved Kipling, too; his poems have such cadence.
I plan to add the phrase "Home again, home again" somewhere in or on my house, since my grandmother never took us to her home or returned us to ours at any time without saying that.
Of course, when we were little, she would recite the whole rhyme (To market, to market..) often. I don't think we made it past age 3 without saying "Home again..." the minute we hit the back steps, and I still say it today over 40 years later!
Another favorite quote: How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were?
Do post future pics!
here's one of the house i grew up in.
Every day is a gift, that's why it's called the present.
smaller pic
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Edited 3/30/2008 8:34 am ET by MarkH
thank you
Every day is a gift, that's why it's called the present.
Dad drunk when he sided the joint?
LOL....kidding. Very interesting design.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Pp, Qq
Hey, a bit of scraping, couple coats of paint, a little trim work, be just fine.
;)
t
Resizing photos with basic windows accessories, and including the photo itself within the post has been discussed here ad-nauseum.
And yet....I still can't figure it out.
I downloaded "Irfanview"...a free photo editing program....from their website (irfanview.com?) .
A breeze to use. Still can't include the photos in the post though.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Pp, Qq
"I detected an underlying smugness that I find a little discomforting."
I have to disagree. I'm not sure what level of contrition you're seeking with your post.
There's hardly anything smug about commenting openly on housing choices made by others that a large number of people find ugly, excessive, or otherwise offensive.
It's all out there in public since that's what the owners of these homes want - to be seen.
To be truly smug is when people spend huge dollars on a house that they know sticks out in an established neighborhood simply for the purpose of strutting their stuff. McMansions are emblematic of all that I find discomforting about our current society that places displays of wealth and status far above displays of charity and community.
When I bought my current house, it was a compromise made due to time and location constraints. It's not worthy of a spread in a magazine, and I desire no such attention. It doesn't stick out among its neighbors, and hopefully, it never will. It's simply a comfortable shelter for my family, flaws and all. I am sure most BT'ers feel the same way about their homes - could be better, could be worse.
McMansion owners however, seem to be largely concerned with appearances. They cherish status, ornament, and false praise for their achievements. They have this in common with the Victorians of over 100 years ago who lavished ornament on their houses in a display of wealth. They were criticized then too, even if now many examples of Victorian homes are being restored and preserved. For my part, I can only hope against hope that no one is staging a McMansion renovation 100 years from now having cherished the style given that there is no coherent style to be cherished!
To the McMansion owners I say, knock yourselves out. You don't see hearses with luggage racks so go for it. Just don't knock down any houses in my neighborhood in order to put up your phallic symbol.
Chateau Tappanrock
Maybe the Lords of the Roof can walk me through a re-roof this fall.
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Here's mine. Obviously not done, but moved into as of Dec 2007. Started job in June 2003 with driveway, poured foundation May 2004, timber frame up in May 2005. Paint tentatively June 2008. Hah.
Are those Marvin windows?
"It is what it is."
Andersons, 400 series, terratone. The house still has primed Hardiplank siding on it, but the eventual final color will be a typical New England barn red.
Jon E,
I like it. I has a gracefull sense of proportion about it--and I gotta love the uncluttered roof lines. I also love the overhangs
does that fascia board cant out of the vertical plane?--more like a crown mold???? ( my eyes are not so good.)Waht are the plans for the lumber stickered in the foreground?Very elegant. reminds me a bit of shaker buildings
stephen
Thanks. The fascia is flat all the way around the house. Reason is - the roof is a "cold roof" system consisting of 10" structural insulated panels, covered with Grace Triflex, strapped and sheathed with 1/2" ply, tarpaper and shingles. The fascia is simply a primed 1x10 covering all the layers, with a 1x3 to give it a shadow line. It's an extremely simple detail.
The lumber is from the property. Has been there since we cleared the lot, and it's destined for "future projects". Mostly furniture and cabinet work. It's a mix of cherry, ash, basswood and soft maple.
Everybody's got to live somewhere. Let's see 'em.
Ok.
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Here's mine, the rest of those bozos live in dumps!
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There all jealous I tell ya
Doug
I like the window on the big front gable. It reminds me of a happy windshield wiper flapping in time with bobby mcgee.
Me and bobby mcgee
Here's ours. Built in 1923. We are the third owner as of 1998.
The front.
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The Hollys seem overgrown, but provide some privacy.
The front porch looking east.
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Looking west.
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Chuck Slive, work, build, ...better with wood
I've shown mine before, but here it is again.
We had 8 F below at dawn yesterday, and yes, we are still skiing!
Outta here Tuesday, though. We're headed for the beaches of FL.
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"A stripe is just as real as a goddamn flower."
Gene Davis 1920-1985
Gene
I love that setting. And I see you have a snow plow/blower so that helps!
Dont forget your tanning lotion
Doug
I know that house. I built it. Only it was in St. Paul, MN ! ! !
Did you frame it? Or was that part of Sterling's package?
How about all the main floor's millwork? Wasn't it first done as her firm's display at the MPLS home and garden show, then dismantled and re-installed in her house?
Ours is a copy, right down to the light fixtures and plumbingware. And our daughter's plumbing contractor, in north suburban Chicagoland, did the work in yet another exact knockoff of the house, done there.
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"A stripe is just as real as a goddamn flower."
Gene Davis 1920-1985
The model built at the Mpls. Home and Garden Show was an abbreviated version of the house built in St. Paul. The shell of the house was panelized and some of the interior framing was prefabricated. What was left was the siding and trim, I did a lot of work on the exterior and odds and ends in the interior a lot of the trim was salvaged from the model at the home show and used in the original house and the same crew was used for finish work.
seeyou
I posted these pics before. But her is our home. I bought it in 1988. Run down and cheap. We must have been nuts.
Roof had so many holes it looked like an old barn roof. Still didn't leak. Old wood shingles were paper thin. Rain grooves in the sheathing.
Laundry room would get so cold water would freez in there. Ugly carpet through out the house.
Start the bath water and come back in 30 minutes to take a bath.
Our house, our stair way, our living room ceiling. Sorry one picture is a repeat.
Rich
I posted above but I want to see if I resized the photo correctly so it isn't so big.
Runnerguy
Edit: Looked like it mostly worked but the right got chopped off.
Edited 3/27/2008 2:20 pm ET by runnerguy
Like the way you worked around the tree.Wallyo
runnerguy-
Is that water out back?Mclaren
"Is that water out back?"Yes. Building just south of you here in Annapolis. We lived in the old house for three years and, due to zoning stuff, are building mostly on the same foundation. The house is now basically done and we're doing a detached garage near the street.Runnerguy
Nice!Waterfront is something to be cherished around here....Have some friends down near Fairhaven and Rose haven.
Congrats on completing the house, it looks beautiful.
Mclaren
24 yrs old,,, 4 to us. 2300 ft w/full basement. Looks better now... must be the lighting.
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A La Carte Government funding... the real democracy.
Here's my house. It was built in 1913; it's sort of a curious mix of colonial and shingle style, with a little Georgian revival mixed in.
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That's a wonderful house! Looks like a whole neighborhood of them.John
Thanks! This neighborhood was the place to be for all the movers and shakers back in the first part of the century, but unfortunately in the 1960s a lot of houses were either broken up into rooming houses, or knocked down altogether and replaced by crummy 2 1/2 story walkup apartment buildings. In the last 15 or 20 years it's come back around again and there's been a lot of renovation and restoration. You should see some of the other houses around here, they make mine look like a Quonset hut.
Here's a few of them:
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/hpc/landmarks/LaSalle_Ave_1900_George_Van_Dusen_Mansion.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washburn-Fair_Oaks_Mansion_District
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/hpc/landmarks/Pillsbury_Ave_S_2325-7_Elisha_Morse_House.asp
This church is about 100 yards from my house, I can see it from the window right here by my computer.
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/hpc/landmarks/Blaisdell_Ave_S_2608_Calvary_Baptist_Church.asp
What a great house!! Love the front door detail!
My house is nice to live in. Emphasis on the 'in.'
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=102025.1
On the outside, it's a horrible little blemish on our street.
I've posted photos before, but here is another one. House dates to 1830s. Barn with silo at far left belongs to my neighbor.
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Allen