There has been a lot in the news lately about McMansions. Most of it unflattering. To achieve good to excellent aesthetics  for any building of any size, shape, or price range, the principles of design must be applied as in any designed project.

McMansions seem to have missed that part. They seem to want to express to the world what they have in location, size, price, and status in a most undignified manner without the required intelligent and aesthetic qualities. Beauty, quality of thought, and logic are not leading characters in their drama.

Too big houses are built on too small lots. How many tons of marble can we use? How big and glittering can we make that chandelier? The furniture should be big, of dark woods, ornately carved, and with a very shiny finish. How many swags and yards of fabric can we use to cover the windows? And we must use lots of velvets, damasks, and brocades. And the latest works from the current leading popular artists. And the kitchen must have the latest  equipment to keep the wine and celery at the right temperature. And the final touch, the crowning glory: On how many things can we put gold?

None of these things in and of themselves are bad. It is how, when, where, and why they are used. It’s like a recipe. If the ingredients do not have the right proportions and relationship to each other, the food doesn’t taste good. So, what’s the point?

To many people, and especially for those who build McMansions, one of the main purposes of building a house is to show the world what you have. And if you don’t, then there is something wrong with you.

Using the elements of design – line, form, mass, color, and texture – with intelligence,  imagination, creativity, and well thought out compositions will produce beautiful results in any manifestation.

As in many aspects of human behavior, people who build McMansions let emotions, ego, and arrogance rule their decisions. “If you’ve got it, flaunt it.”

Perhaps a more dramatic, profound, and direct way when you want to show the world what you’ve got would be to put on the front of your lot in a very distinct and easy to read attractive font form a statement of all of your financial assets and have it verified by a certified public accountant and that way you don’t have to build a McMansion for the world to see what you’ve got. You just show them.

Food for thought.