The Little McHouse That Could (Patreon)

Sometimes the "good" post is devoted to houses with good architecture, but other times it's devoted to houses with architecture you just don't see anymore. In this case, this Milwaukee-area house, while deeply mid, has been virtually untouched since its building in 1999. It's not really a McMansion, or even a McHouse. It's simply a house. Ordinary and unremarkable yet unchanged. 

Aside from the hellish portico (the worst part of this house) - it's very normal. Vinyl siding meets a simple hipped mass. It's aspirational but not ostentatious. It is, as the kids say, mid. 

However, if you were a child in the late 90s, this is the time capsule house for you. It demonstrates so many of the typical architectural and decor choices of that time, including an open floor plan (a concept that had reached full maturity by this point) and colonial revival(-revival) interiors. (the brown chairs!)

As you can see, the scale of this house is relatively small (though it is still a big house by my personal standards.) The great room is more of a living room with aspirational McMansion attributes (big window with silly curtains, overpowering fireplace.) I love the sofas and the CRT TV. 

This is what I call an "Emril" kitchen - it's a half-concealed half-performative kitchen gesturing out toward the living room at an oblique angle. The oak cabinets and beige countertops are paired expertly with some neutral-historical wallpaper. 

I'm always impressed by how long late 70s trends like matching wallpaper/drapery/bed linens persisted well into the 90s. The 90s version is far more stale -- matching furniture sets, often a dark wood against a light-colored interior. 

My parents' house (originally built 1995) did this a lot -- a wallpaper/border/secondary wallpaper layout. Wallpaper comes and go but I don't see this trend coming back. This bathroom is a bit weird - the tub/mirror thing is...yeah. 

Again, we are dealing with some deeply rare interiors. The 90s - the dawn of work from home!

Rear exterior is more cluttered and chaotic, and of course there is endless grass. I've covered the main rooms here, but if you want to see some more excellent wallpaper specimens, you can view the listing here.