Feast your eyes on these homes

Nantucket Red · Dec 22, 2008

I basically agree with hypersonic.

I disagree with mafoo jr. about the term "noveau riche." It refers to people who acquire money before they acquire taste, meaning they are prone to ostentatious displays with no mitigating sense of restraint.

nate10184 · Dec 22, 2008

I don't really get the obsession with size. Unless you have 10 kids you really don't need that much space and most of it will end up going unused. I drive through the historic "old money" neighborhoods in my town and the homes have so much elegance and charm. I can't understand why someone would pass them up for an 8,000 SF cookie-cutter monstrosity 45 minutes from work.

johnapril · Dec 22, 2008

Originally Posted by nate10184

I don't really get the obsession with size. Unless you have 10 kids you really don't need that much space and most of it will end up going unused. I drive through the historic "old money" neighborhoods in my town and the homes have so much elegance and charm. I can't understand why someone would pass them up for an 8,000 SF cookie-cutter monstrosity 45 minutes from work.

Better HVAC systems and insulation, probably.

suited · Dec 22, 2008

Originally Posted by nate10184

I don't really get the obsession with size. Unless you have 10 kids you really don't need that much space and most of it will end up going unused. I drive through the historic "old money" neighborhoods in my town and the homes have so much elegance and charm. I can't understand why someone would pass them up for an 8,000 SF cookie-cutter monstrosity 45 minutes from work.

Unless you have a race track, you don't "need" a Ferrari that goes 190mph, but people still buy them. What's your point?

dkzzzz · Dec 22, 2008

I think a lot of people may be not even trying to emulate European aristocrasy, but simply drawn to time-tested classical lines of mideterrenian (Italian and French) architecture. Just like Dubai residents are drawn to Middle Eastern motives.
I love French provance houses and although I would prefer to own one in Provance if I had to built one in LA I would copy Provance house rather than living in a glass cube of great architectural importance.

nate10184 · Dec 22, 2008

Originally Posted by suited

Unless you have a race track, you don't "need" a Ferrari that goes 190mph, but people still buy them. What's your point?

That I'll take a well built, unique, elegant, historic, 4000 SF home in an established neighborhood over an 8,000 SF mcmansion on the outskirts of town that looks exactly like the one next to it.

Because I'd never use that additional 4k SF I might as well buy the better home instead of the bigger one.

$unny · Dec 22, 2008

Originally Posted by hypersonic

From the great nation that gave us Frank Lloyd Wright and Philip Johnson, why oh why do so many Americans go for this ostentatious rubbish? It is quite unsophisticated really -- like the owners read too many Richie Rich comics when they were kids.

I have never understood why nouveau riche Americans build obscenely large mansions that look like 200 year old European houses -- its all pastiche with little substance -- almost like living in a stage set. Most of these mansions have little or no importance as far as architecture goes -- they are shameless status symbols for people with very predictable and bourgeois (at best) taste.

YES
Those home are foul. It is one thing to own a neoclassical home, it is another to own an imitation. Opting for size over quality of materials, thoughtful layout and respectful scale is not my idea of a wonderful home.

I enjoy a big house just as much as i do a small house, provided they are both done sensibly.

$unny · Dec 22, 2008

Originally Posted by johnapril

Better HVAC systems and insulation, probably.
^not going to win an argument that claims 8,000SF is a more cost-saving/energy-efficient solution to anything...

regardless... POST MORE PICTURES... less squabbling

hypersonic · Dec 22, 2008

Originally Posted by dkzzzz

I think a lot of people may be not even trying to emulate European aristocrasy, but simply drawn to time-tested classical lines of mideterrenian (Italian and French) architecture. Just like Dubai residents are drawn to Middle Eastern motives.
I love French provance houses and although I would prefer to own one in Provance if I had to built one in LA I would copy Provance house rather than living in a glass cube of great architectural importance.

Yes, I certainly take your point ...I'm not a fan of a lot of the glass cubes and white boxes either. Just like some of these mega-mansions, there are some very inspired examples while others are completely cold and pretentious.

There is no reason why a house in LA that is inspired by a farmhouse in Provence could not be very successful if it was conceived with integrity.

johnapril · Dec 22, 2008

Originally Posted by $unny

^not going to win an argument that claims 8,000SF is a more cost-saving/energy-efficient solution to anything...

You would be surprised how efficient new construction is.

Nantucket Red · Dec 22, 2008

Originally Posted by johnapril

You would be surprised how efficient new construction is.

Same goes for restored old construction.

$unny · Dec 22, 2008

Originally Posted by johnapril

You would be surprised how efficient new construction is.
i am very much aware of the advancements in new construction versus old construction. my point is that no matter how refined your HVAC system is, you are still using it to heat, or cool, an 8,000SF home. If you have 8,000SF of Family, fine... but if that is energy being spent on unused rooms you are failing your argument about energy efficiency.

dkzzzz · Dec 22, 2008

Talking about construction materials and efficiency: US is going to discover how inefficient their home construction really is during upcoming global depression.
This country never worried about efficiency look at paper walls with no insulation and cars that move 7 MPG.
I have lived in old and new houses/apartments in Scandinavia, Russia and in US. I have to say that the lack of craftsmanship, attention to detail and engineering are mind boggling when it comes to US homes.
A lot of it could be explained by the fact that majority of US residents are nomads with no permanent address or home thus construction quality in this country is disposable, kind of like conversations and personalities of inhabitants.

Night Owl · Dec 22, 2008

Originally Posted by hypersonic

From the great nation that gave us Frank Lloyd Wright and Philip Johnson, why oh why do so many Americans go for this ostentatious rubbish? It is quite unsophisticated really -- like the owners read too many Richie Rich comics when they were kids.

I have never understood why nouveau riche Americans build obscenely large mansions that look like 200 year old European houses -- its all pastiche with little substance -- almost like living in a stage set. Most of these mansions have little or no importance as far as architecture goes -- they are shameless status symbols for people with very predictable and bourgeois (at best) taste.

There's usually about 5 or 6 different architectural styles thrown together. Bleh.

JoelF · Dec 22, 2008

It's ostentatious crap architecture, true enough. I still would not mind living there.

Feast your eyes on these homes

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