10 "McModerns" that are taking over from McMansions

Forget the once-popular "McMansion" that popped up like crazy in suburban neighborhoods during the 1980s and '90s. "McModerns" are the new trend that will soon be showing up on your street.

Most people can recognize a McMansion when they see one. They're large, inexpensively constructed houses that lack a cohesive architectural style. If you see craftsman-style columns on an otherwise Mediterranean-style house, for example, you could be looking at a McMansion.

With the resurgence of modernism over the last decade -- for which the 2007 TV show "Mad Men" is often credited -- the McMansion has adapted to homebuyer tastes.

"What's so interesting is it's the first evolution in exterior home trends in the last 20 or 30 years," said Kate Wagner, founder of the popular website McMansion Hell, which is dedicated to roasting the worst McMansion offenders. "The traditionalist design aesthetic of McMansions has been consistent since the 1980s."

The McModerns resulting from this aesthetic shift aren't all that different from their predecessors, Wagner said. Think of modernism as more of an outfit that McMansions wear. The interior of a McModern will typically follow the same design logic of a McMansion, as if the house was built from the inside out. While the exteriors follow the straight lines of modern architecture, they still have an erratic appearance.

"You'll see different parts of the house clobbered together," said Wagner. "The entryway might be covered in stone, but there's aluminum panels for the garage. It gives it a piecemeal aesthetic."

So what makes McModerns so popular? For one thing, Wagner said, modernism is a design language that has been enthusiastically embraced by wealthy millennials, who are attracted to its simplicity.

McModerns also typically have a more cohesive architectural style than McMansions, due to their more specific inspiration.

Lastly, McModerns preserve what a lot of homebuyers like about McMansions. They often have big rooms, open-concept floor plans, lots of garage space and luxury amenities like high-end kitchen appliances, spacious master suites and "bonus" spaces, such as sunrooms and offices.

While McModerns are popular for a reason, attracting lots of attention in recent months, they also have qualities that are easy for architectural purists to dislike. For Wagner, it's "the huge wastefulness of them." Not only are these homes oversized, she said, they don't advance architecture the way that homes built and owned by the (relatively) wealthy once did.

Love them or hate them, it seems McModerns are here to stay. Click ahead to see 10 examples of what could be popping up in your neighborhood.

Rochester, Minnesota

This five-bedroom, four-bathroom, 4,365-square-foot McModern, built in 2016, is in Rochester, Minnesota. The giant multicar garage making up a great deal of the home's total square-footage is a typical marker of a McMansion.

There's also another giveaway: The home's concealed, multistory entry. Inside, it features modern light fixtures, a subway-tile kitchen backsplash, a Wi-Fi-enabled shower, mudroom and exercise room.

Sharon, Massachusetts

This five-bedroom, six-bathroom, 7,200-square-foot McModern, built in 2016, is in Sharon, Massachusetts. A previous listing describes the exterior materials as concrete, stone, stucco and wood, which are higher quality than many of these other properties.

The giant attached garage and tall two-story entry, however, are classic markers of a McMansion. It features an open floor plan, pool and hot tub, several decks, an enormous master bath, walk-in closet space and what Wagner describes as "roofline soup."

Portland, Oregon

This three-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom, 2,581-square-foot McModern, built this year, is in Portland, Oregon. This house has numerous façade surface materials, like many of the other properties on this list. The concrete foundation is more visible on the left side of the house than the right, and the wood over the two-story entryway stands in stark contrast to the other paneling above it.

It features several window styles, an open floor plan, modern light fixtures, a tile kitchen backsplash, an attached garage and a large master bath.

Twin Falls, Idaho

This five-bedroom, three-bathroom, 3,332-square-foot McModern, built this year, is in Twin Falls, Idaho. It's what Wagner might refer to as a "beigehaus" -- an almost entirely beige-colored home -- despite having three different exterior materials between the stone, stucco and vinyl siding.

The house is also heavily weighted toward the left, where the attached garage is located (the garage on the right is detached, but does add some visual balance). The house features an open floor plan, a walk-in closet, large master bath, modern lighting and an iron front gate.

Bellevue, Washington

This five-bedroom, 5.5-bathroom, 4,309-square-foot McModern, built this year, is in Bellevue, Washington. In the case of this home, the three different exterior materials create what Wagner describes as a "piecemeal aesthetic" that is typical of this style.

Additionally, it has many different window styles and a thin front column that adds to the property's asymmetrical appearance. It features a large pantry, an office, a spa-like master bath, laundry room and covered patio.

Boulder, Colorado

This five-bedroom, six-bathroom, 5,002-square-foot McModern, built this year, is in Boulder, Colorado. It has four distinct sections with several different exterior materials and roof forms.

The property features a large attached garage, open floor plan, multistory "great room" windows, a large master bath, walk-in closet, deck and finished basement.

Cresskill, New Jersey

This five-bedroom, six-bathroom, 4,800-square-foot McModern, built in 2016, is in Cresskill, New Jersey. Easily the most obvious "McModern" quality of this home is what Wagner calls the "strange collage aesthetic" of the windows, best viewed from the rear of the house.

"I guess it's creative, but it's so absurd," Wagner said about these types of window arrangements in McModern houses. "They almost look kind of like a cubist painting."

The property also features a pool, pond, deck, mudroom, three-car garage and spa-inspired master bath.

Issaquah, Washington

This four-bedroom, four-bathroom, 3,510-square-foot McModern, built last year, is in Issaquah, Washington. The chaotic roofline and front façade make this house look more like a traditional McMansion than many of the others on this list.

However, the house has plenty of McModern features as well, like the multiple, contrasting exterior materials and window styles. It features a three-car garage, open floor plan, master bath with heated floors, modern lighting, a covered patio, walk-in closet, pantry and mudroom.

Jackson, Wyoming

This four-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom, 4,238-square-foot McModern, built last year, is in Jackson, Wyoming. It's described as a "contemporary western" in the listing, but it's clear that whomever built this house equated "contemporary" with "industrial" and stuck to it.

This home is a strong example of the asymmetry of typical McMansions. If you imagine a line straight down the center of the house, you can see how the second story sits squarely on the right side of the home. It features multiple façade surface materials, an open floor plan, a spacious master bath, deck and an attached six-car garage.

Seattle, Washington

This four-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom, 3,421-square-foot McModern, built this year on a lot where a 1948 house once stood, is located in Seattle, Washington. It has a concealed, two-story front entryway, and the exterior façade uses several different materials. This home also features a problem Wagner sees in a lot of McModerns with flattened rooflines.

"It's hard to maintain a house with a flat roof," said Wagner. "Even midcentury modern houses have sloped roofs because they needed to accommodate weather, such as lots of rainwater, which can become stagnant on the top of flat roofs." In Seattle, that could be a big problem.

It also has an open floor plan, ample rooftop deck space, modern lighting, an attached two-car garage, a laundry room and walk-in closet.