I had a realization about McMansions:
Part of why they feel so dominant might be a visibility bias thing. McMansions are often built by people who want to look rich, so the house itself becomes a giant status signal: loud, oversized, attention-seeking, and impossible to ignore.
Meanwhile, people with actual taste, and often actual wealth too, are probably more likely to value privacy, restraint, and design that doesn't scream for validation. So the really beautiful rich houses are less likely to be the ones shoved in your face from the road.
Basically, bad taste advertises itself. Good taste hides.
Not saying every rich person has taste or every McMansion owner is “fake rich,” just that our mental picture of “rich houses” might be skewed because the tackiest ones are the most visible.
Curious whether this makes sense to anyone else or if I’m overthinking it.