I tried this cursed build challenge

[@HypnotizingGreen]

I just can't get over the massive platform block roof

[@kimberlytaylor7861]

Yes! I feel like it could’ve used a fancy pointy iron fence along the edge for that McMansion feel

[@sabbrinalynn]

For real…I hate it so much

[@apatosaurusanna]

It is stressing me out too. 😅

[@AmyL._orcgirl]

McMansions have multiple stacked hip roofs for no real reason and James missed that opportunity

[@ashleynoyes4103]

I hate it so much!!! Lol like hes so good at what he does, he couldnt come up with something else!?!? 😂😂😂

[@lisa_g981]

Also, don’t worry about the empty hall space, the mailbox will probably spawn there later since you didn’t put one on the lot haha

[@zararobnett8284]

😂

[@disguisedhamstergames8299]

😂😂

[@disguisedhamstergames8299]

😂😂😂

[@disguisedhamstergames8299]

😂😂😂😂

[@disguisedhamstergames8299]

One for my every room

[@jessasstrophe]

James, you were so focused on whether you could do something in this build, you never stopped to think if you should.

[@ileeeenify]

That fits the McMansion perfectly

[@CuppaSimsnStuff]

LMAO

[@milrose4113]

Grey everywhere is absolutely not bringing down the vibes, this is exactly how these kind of properties end up decorated 😭 It was the perfect colour scheme lol

[@seriliaykilel]

Feel free to repeat this challenge as often as you like - so freaking entertaining.

[@piperbird7193]

I've always felt that McMansions were for people who just came into a lot of money and have no idea how to spend it. They're always just so incredibly tacky. The kind of people who think a chandelier in the bathroom is classy.

[@abio3171]

Yep they definitely scream new money tacky

[@samanthawhite2801]

they also tend to put top secret documents in the bathroom too

[@ksicheneder]

@@samanthawhite2801 And have gold toilets.

[@spinpuff00]

@@samanthawhite2801 I understood that reference haha!!

[@piarateking8094]

@@abio3171 arnt they old money though?

[@nitsirkroy]

“Maybe we need more columns” *triggers flashbacks to island living LP*

[@sherrybrissette1614]

Me too!

[@destynnee]

😂😂😂😂

[@michellelang305]

Totally my thoughts lol

[@KayRD]

‘White is a shade of gray’ James genuinely cracks me up. I loved this challenge 😂

[@robinchesterfield42]

It technically is! So is black. :)

[@ashrowan2143]

If theirs one thing I know about Mc mansions it's that the windows need to be ridiculous and that it needs way more roof than a house that size should ever have

[@AmyL._orcgirl]

Like 6 increasingly smaller hipped roofs like a matryoshka doll.

[@ashrowan2143]

@@AmyL._orcgirl exactly the roof lines should be a nightmare even if it's a shape that should be simple to roof. Give me the dormers that have no business existing

[@nitsirkroy]

Yessss. Waste as much money as possible adding more roof lines than needed

[@AnnekeOosterink]

And none of the windows should match in size or style. I was also missing the carhole bigger than the house itself. :P

[@trainchomp6184]

It's so funny watching james struggle to make the kitchen dining living room all one room cause my kitchen dining and living room are all oneroom. Its super common where i live.

[@ILuvAyeAye]

I suspect it's fairly common in Australia too (I think it's relatively common in modern builds, and it sounds like Australia has a lot of modern builds). But it's definitely not James' style.

[@deliriouscheeto]

Where do you live?

[@JamesTurnerYT]

Normally I don’t, I meant specifically in an opulent McMansion style in such a small space, that was what was challenging 😅

[@lifeofLaerke]

Yeah, I looked out at my kitchen dining and living room which are also one room, when he said that. In Denmark, where I am from, it is super common to do it like that, especially in newer houses.

[@brittanyfuller3461]

​@lifeofLaerke I did too 😂😂😂

[@gracie_l_lee]

You should move Oak into this house. It’s strange nature suits the cursed, teleporting baby.

[@InsaneCreeper23]

lol 🤣🤣

[@BengtBagels]

Oak would love this house, where is he... is he in the living-dining-kitchen room or in the dining-kitchen-living room or in the kitchen-living-dining room ? no one knows

[@annoar9776]

pls yes :D

[@AmandaC.]

I would love to see James build an actual McMansion without restrictions 🤣🤣

[@TeruteruBozusama]

Would fit Rye maybe?

[@giraffesarecooltoo7530]

Yes! Actually trying to do one and make it "nice"

[@joanagodzo]

he did some years ago, just type “james turner mcmansion” and you’ll find it

[@WriterOfMany]

Maybe he can make another one!

[@ec2497]

Not me thinking a McMansion was like a McDonald’s themed mansion 😂

[@dia3654]

Definitely what I thought too, don't worry. 😅

[@EpicRealistTV]

Nooooo LOL

[@rjtruth1779]

Yoooooo I thought the same thing and was wondering how that would work in grey themes

[@belenrb]

I was thinking about Scrooge McDuck 😭

[@alwaysjale]

@@belenrb same

[@deligracy]

Our dream home ❤😂

[@JamesTurnerYT]

Let's move in

[@sweetmusicwoman984]

Congratulations on finding your dream home lol

[@annoar9776]

😂

[@TsarNick1995]

That terrible roof over the front door tho... 😅

[@MBJK_baby]

More like a nightmare 😂😂

[@sergiu295]

The forced perspective made me think of a building challenge inspired by Alice in Wonderland. Where the sims appear giant in relation to the house and objects, but it's still livable.

[@KM-ld9ln]

Lilsimsie made a tiny home like that (I think) where she had sized down everything she could that remained functional to make a 2x2 and then a 1x1 tiny home, not whimsical, but tiny

[@robinchesterfield42]

Now I'm remembering when GrayStillPlays made Sims sleep in? baby-sized Murphy beds, to see if it could still kill them at that size. The Sims floated above it, but it was still functional.

[@menoguchi]

Never thought I'd say this, but you managed to build something so chaotic it was too much even for me lol You sure nailed the aesthetic, though, I'll give you that. It's definitely a house!

[@thestorykeeper6818]

the funny thing is in the past few years McMansions in the US all have the same grey "wood" floors

[@WelcomeApathy]

I was waiting for the grey wood floors! lol

[@whitneylivingston5706]

I actually saw a listing for a home and thought “hmmm, they gray scaled all the pictures”… until I saw one picture that had a flyer on the counter and was all “I think this house was in Schindler’s List”.

[@imsuanne]

Half walls are a thing in McMansions that would’ve served you well here. 😅

[@galaxychar]

This is giving the vibes of early TS4 gallery builds. I would see houses just like this all the time.

[@hugothepinkcat]

Once you put in the garrish columns and the terrible roofline, it locked in the 'McMansion' theme. Perfectly disgusting hahaha

[@lisa_g981]

I have literally just finished watching Plumbella’s one and all I could think was how badly I wanted you to give it a try haha. Then I refreshed my homepage and see this. Today is a very good day!!

[@superfansophie]

I like everything else but that big platform on top is just not it for this one 😂

[@Daiska_Plays]

yeah, I kept expecting him to redo that part. A tall roof with a dormer where that was would have made it look like part of the house and illusion of two stories. Still fun to watch though

[@recordtapesbackward]

I think he didn't even cover the platform with half walls which I thought he would do for continuity..😅

[@rosameryrojas-delcerro1059]

@@recordtapesbackward And debug stuff.

[@marykalter13]

With peace and love the outside is giving funeral home and tbh that's pretty fitting for the McMansion vibe

[@seghuolog2957]

James’ love language is actually columns 😂

[@EpicRealistTV]

I had the same thought. Haha

[@evelieningels9408]

Love the definition of a room in this video, a completely separated space by walls with 1 little opening? Not a room obviously. But a completely open space with no walls, just lowered a bit? That's obviously a room

[@theedwardianwriter]

The random column placement is really giving me flashbacks to a Virginia house we rented that had so many random columns it actively made the place difficult to put our furniture in

[@Rabellaka.]

The village where I live is growing rapidly, and almost every house built in the last 15 years is what I would consider to be McMansion. Huge looking houses on tiny lots with terrible layouts inside that waste a lot of space. They go oh so well with the rest of the neighbourhood, which is a mix of ranch and split level houses built in the 50s and 60s, on larger lots. We even still have a working well on our lot, although the municipal water hookup was mandatory.

[@kimbertree]

Clicked so fast hoping it was Plumbella's challenge!

[@vajavajush]

i love james' "yehehah!" giggle

[@aeli999]

A ridiculously tall roof would make the whole place look bigger too. Or an actual 2 story entry that is open so it wouldn't count since there is no liveable 2nd floor space. Also, I just had to do a census thing and one of the things they asked was how many rooms my house had (like they needed to know that!) and it said not to include the bathrooms so you could use that an excuse to make one of the other rooms separate. lol

[@heyitslane_sl7741]

hearing james go "good luck babe hug kiss hug kiss plumbella" was very cute for some reason? super endearing. but also one floor mcmansion..... obsessed lol

[@Supergirl9909]

i rewinded it to hear it again 🥹

[@sashimicheetah]

Btw a little build mode tip for you; USE HALF WALLS FOR THE KITCHEN. they look amazing connected to a dining area and don't count as an extra room! (Also you can put plant pots and other small items on them, which is super cool!)

[@nomoreillusions]

This both pained and delighted my architect's heart :'D Terrifying how well you hit that challenge! "Maybe we need more columns" - My favorite repeating theme!

[@purpledragonfly4]

...James...wtf? 😂 McMansions inside are modern, open plan and clean lines. You thought too hard on this one and resulted in cramped chaos. LOVE IT!!!!

[@aoneal3723]

Lol I was gonna say, "McMansion" makes me think of cheap, beige, builder grade homes with oversized rooms and fake fancy "architecture" on the front

[@purpledragonfly4]

@@aoneal3723 They're grey now inside lol

[@imsuanne]

In Texas they tend to be poorly planned with ridiculous finishes and tacky expensive furniture. It’s regional. LOL

[@aoneal3723]

@@purpledragonfly4 I hate the gray even more! That's everywhere here in the Midwest now

[@taylorwalker7417]

That's interesting! In the northeast I think where the style originated, original McMansions (which you can still buy) are more craftsman and victorian, and I personally grew up loving them. The more modern ones they make suburban plans out of are the same cookie-cutter, ultra-trendy vibe I think you're talking about. Still nothing like what James made😂😂

[@scifugitive2]

I live in a HUGE subdivision of McMansions made in the 90s. They take up about half of their lots. And they have SOOO much trimming and roofing on the front, but the sides and back are surprisingly bare. Sometimes there aren't even any windows on the sides. And maybe 1 windowed door to the outside and 1-2 windows on the back. Only the front (on the outside) is ostentatious.

[@AnnaReed42]

I like to go by McMansion Hell's criteria in defining a McMansion: 1) 3000+ square feet 2) 5 or more bedrooms 3) a massive garage 4) Built after 1980 Important features include cheap and poorly executed imitations of classical architectural features; disproportional entryways and roofs; mismatched styles and windows; asymmetry that feels off balance; needlessly complex roof line; little to no landscaping; etc. James, I think your build perfectly encapsulates the feeling of a McMansion within the constraints of the challenge.

[@sabrinasugar2819]

James snickering at all of his McMansion ideas had me dead. 🤣

[@nunyabusiness42069]

I think there's technically a 10x10 lot in the hidden world from Willow Creek but it's kind of a pain to get there lmao

[@plumdutchess]

It's probably talking about the lots you can actually use to build. If the gallery says smallest is 20x15, then it is. I doubt you can upload anything on the 10x10 lot.

[@WelcomeApathy]

@@plumdutchess You can build on hidden lots using the freebuild cheat. (I think Sylvan Glade's lot is 10x15, though. I don't remember the sizes of any of the other hidden ones.) Are you not able to upload a build there to the gallery?

[@aslasirius]

copium McMansion is definitely a good description, lol! very fun challenge!

[@TYCOIX]

"I feel like the potential fire hazard is very McMansion too" 🤣 this is too good hahahaha McMansion copium as James said

[@leilaphillips7699]

i think the kitchen and living space should have been switched with the bedrooms; kitchen in back with the back door, living room near the front, reading book in the half circle, etc. you did a great job though this video was so fun to watch!

[@marycanary86]

the windows matched too nicely. mcmansions never use the same style of window twice lol

[@annoar9776]

I love that the sims tubers all support each other!

[@darrylwhitefeather207]

I love seeing you experiment with different building styles! Would love another one of those!

[@sophiematthews5265]

Loved her video! So happy you’re trying it out too!

[@mascott16]

I feel like not having a bathroom vanity mirror really adds to the McMansion feel 😂

[@rosameryrojas-delcerro1059]

They HAD to have them in the kitchen instead.

[@ArmundJay]

0:38 PLEASE i need to see the three-story one-room orange asymmetrical industrial prison unit

[@morningplum1234]

This was so much fun! I'd love to see more of these. Thanks to Plumbella for that generator!

[@Nimsay-459]

Yes, would definitely like to see more of these! The options on plumbellas generator can come up with some wacky challenges for sure!

[@PositivelyNice]

This is that house with a Napoleon Complex.

[@SlimChayT]

YESSSS, I've been so excited to see someone use her generator, soooo happy its you!

[@Fuseddd]

This was so much fun to watch, I couldn't stop laughing the whole way through!! McMansions are hilarious, you really captured the McMansion essence XD

[@rikkin7993]

I wanted to try this and mine said I needed 3 rooms on 4 floors. Re-did it and got 8 sims in 1 room on 1 floor! Wish me luck!

[@angelabrummett3695]

Only Plumbella could create something so chaotic I love her

[@ganapatikamesh]

It’s like you read my mind. When I was watching Plumbella’s video and she was showing some examples and then did one herself I remember thinking “I’d like to see James do this!” And here you are indeed doing the challenge. Awesome! I think you mastered the McMansion exterior concept. It looks so much like the neighborhood a friend lives in. All the houses are nearly identical and have that same small house pretending to be a mansion look. The interior of my friend’s house probably would’ve worked for you since her house is two bedrooms and one bath. You enter the front door and immediately to your left is the kitchen which the room is entirely open so from the kitchen you can stand at the island and literally watch tv on the far wall. The kitchen is actually small with the refrigerator, stove, and some counters and cabinets along the wall and then the sink and dishwasher are part of the island right across from that. There’s a small bar with two barstools that separates the kitchen space from the dining room space and she just has a round wood table with four chairs. Her sofa/couch is just passed that with its back to the kitchen and then she does indeed have a fireplace with her big tv mounted above it and there’s bookcases on either side. From the front door entry space like I said left goes into the kitchen/dining/living space, right in front is the door to the bathroom and then to your right is a hallway that leads to the two bedrooms. One of the windows that faces the outside front yard is literally along this hallway. She has plants on a small table in front of that window. Her bedroom has a walk-in closet that’s has one wall that connects to the bathroom, one wall to the living room (you can hear the tv on the other side when it’s on) and one to the outside. You’re absolutely correct that the houses are built without much yard space. Her house sits on a lot the same size as my house does, yet my two bedroom/one bath house built in the 1940s leaves a lot of yard space. My bathroom and bedrooms are smaller, but my kitchen is bigger. She does also have like a laundry room in her house just off the kitchen, it’s not really a separate room, more like what you did in your build, but my house doesn’t have that. Her house is newer having been built in the early 2000s, too. But yeah, I think you captured the McMansion vibes really well!

[@ForLitenSvenska]

It’s almost tragic how much certain elements of this build remind me of the homes of my ‘wealthier’ friends growing up 😂

[@meow7629]

16:25 in my opinion platforms do not count as rooms because in my sims house i have auto lights and i tried using platforms to separate a studio type of house so lights in the sleeping area would turn off when sims weren’t there. so according to auto lights in the sims platforms are not separate rooms

[@venusc5709]

i just finished mine and then i see that you also uploaded one i love that, mine was The building style of your house is tiny home, and your colour theme(s) will be only orange. It will have 1 floors and 3 room(s). Your budget for this build is 86,625 simoleons exactly. It houses 4 sim(s). Your disadvantage for this build is that you cannot use any cheats. Good luck babe, xoxo plumbella

[@mobabyhomeslice]

I love his little giggle. It's a verbal expression of how people feel when looking at those stupid McMansions in suburbia.

[@suan333]

I love to see my simmers suffering just for fun 💜

[@littleiz1157]

😂😂 omg ya should have flipped that layout bedrooms on the other side , ya dont know how badly I wanna fix this 😂

[@sophicarne]

Exactly!!

[@TheCharzarr]

Oh God this is legit a nightmare lmao. And technically theme and accent colors are different - so you can definitely get away with grey and something lol

[@danawilliams5622]

Impressive. Very impressive 👏🏻 Also love how you go "Yeeaahhh" and then the laugh when you're excited 😂

[@TheCharzarr]

Actually the roof got me seething and we gotta fight Semaj 😭😭 Cause whyyyyy lmao

[@julianalicciardi]

i was so mad at that block above the front door 😭

[@JamesTurnerYT]

It wasn’t me, it was McMansion

[@l33tspaniard]

That roof platform is going to haunt me for years

[@Gumbaid]

Impressive, but hideous. I love it.

[@MiamoryHJ]

This is so fun 😂 I loved plumbellas video too! I’d be happy to watch more of this build challenge! :D there seems to be a lot of different styles there!

[@WizBunny3]

We need more cursed builds. This was grey-t

[@Daiska_Plays]

Remembers a bin but forgets a computer and mailbox

[@JamesVanc]

the backyard completely devoid of landscaping is very mcmansion so 10/10

[@Rosebud_official]

This is how every house looks in the Midwest 😂 in a slightly above average suburb, just without the ridiculous block on top of the house lol

[@mdsmalta]

“What’s a McMansion?” - and then first thing you build is the turret. You nailed it! 10/10

[@Kristenhas3cats]

Some of those other challenges as you counted to three, dang that's a horrible build generator lol. Loved how you tried to pull it together, it makes so little sense but that makes it more real because McMansions are just like that. I used to live in a tiny California farming town that was on track to be swallowed by sprawl into a bigger city. So the houses were 99% old poor-to-modest rural area style housing. Then on the outskirts of that, in what had been the literal middle of nowhere but now was turning into commuter homes, there were these gigantic opulent McMansions. Except it was hot and dry there so the huge lot would be bulldozed before building and then nothing would grow there. Huge mansions surrounded by nonstop dirt. It's been nearly 20 years and some of those mansions are still dirt with like, one palm tree. Looks weird as fuck.

[@thekennediem]

Not me thinking McMansion was a McDonalds Mansion

[@cSquaredFactotum]

Me too 😭

[@waticfan]

That's basically where the term comes from. they're the fast food of houses, Mass produced and cheaply made.

[@TeruteruBozusama]

​@@waticfan thanks for telling ^^

[@leannelynne]

This was so much fun. Can't wait for the Gallery to work again lol.. I'd say outside platforms should be allowed to not be a separate room, but as outside decorations. If you can fit a full on bbq/lounge/pool area outside, it's technically not a room, right? Can't wait to place this somewhere and generate a random budget for it

[@WelcomeApathy]

I've used the gallery and seen simmers use it yesterday, at the very least. It worked fine.

[@ksicheneder]

As an American who is very familiar with the McMansion, you missed a few key elements. I think you were on the right track, but the kitchen should have been tiny with an island that is way too big. And you needed to keep the great room with living on one side, and dining on the other. And definitely grey wood floors. I always feel like I have to renovate your builds :P

[@AmandaTroyer]

I was thinking all this too. As an American realtor in McMansion land this was so hard to watch. Gotta have the giant entry way straight into the kitchen/dining/living ROOM. And the windows should be so much smaller 😂😂

[@ksicheneder]

@@AmandaTroyer I decided to make them bigger, full wall height, because of course. And floor-to-ceiling windows in the great room. A way-too-big fireplace, an island that you can't sit at because the couch has to go there.

[@AmandaTroyer]

@@ksicheneder lol i would end up filling the whole lot with house, only a tiny square of concrete for the grill and a strip of grass in the back 😂😂😂

[@Bubblz64]

I tried the building challenge generator, clicked it 3x and this is what I got: Build The building style of your house is greek revival, and your colour theme(s) will be warm toned colours. It will have 3 floors and 1 room(s). Your budget for this build is 25491 simoleons exactly. It houses 3 sim(s). Your disadvantage for this build is that you cannot place the same object twice. Good luck babe, xoxo plumbella How can you possibly make 3 floors with only 1 room? I am stumped on this one.

[@angelickaveach]

Idk. Maybe could have used more random roofing. The neighborhood next to my parents I swear required a certain surface area to be roofing so you could encourage as much leaking as possible.

[@ronathebear]

PLEASE do another one of these James! 😍

[@vik1644]

this reminds me of the house of one of my neighbors. its pretty much all grayish white, the biggest rooms in the house are the hallways (no windows in them), everything else is super small and cramped. the floors were like marble tiles or something so it was always cold. huge glass crystal chandelier in the living room (way too big for the room). definitely the weirdest most uncomfortable house ive ever been in

[@jess5387]

I love the chaos of this. I watched her video yesterday and hoped other simmers would participate

[@Bizille]

McMansion wasn't a word I've used for the past 20 years, but man, this brought me back. Early 2000s, american, shitty architecture, tacky, too many roof lines. Check check check! I love this challenge.

[@ScooterinAB]

I love that the solution to every problem is more columns.

[@EconGirl]

Love it!!! Laughing so hard at the end result - so ridiculous!! Please do another one! These are soooo funny.

[@Sayitaintso223]

When I lived in NY, McMansions were lavish houses built on a small piece of land and split up into apartments on the interior.

[@foranzo1582]

4:00 You could put the roof on a separate space with foundation and simply raise it as high as it should be, and then drag the roof over the platform by the arrows. Works like a charm

[@elenas3571]

You should try completing the Mansion Barron aspiration on a tiny home! Could be fun.

[@sezzalou8]

Not me living in a 2 bedroom council flat in the UK with a 1 room living/dining/kitchen area its so weird seeing you put all the extra walls, I love the 1 big room vibes.

[@hannahcarney6987]

omg why do i lowkey love this video so much. i could sit and watch a series of you building each scenario.

[@TownieSimBuilds]

This came out great considering the parameters of the challenge - really loving the interior with the 'greige' Hollywood Glam look!

[@plumdutchess]

I see it as a freshly built McMansion. No landscaping. Just moved in with the "essentials", so the hallway is still bare.

[@FirebladesSong]

There IS actually a single smaller lot! It's the lot your sims spawn in at in the Sylvan Glade hidden world.

[@dahlmasen3084]

Good luck building something like this on that😂

[@plumdutchess]

You couldn't upload that, though. So it doesn't count.

[@digitaldiana]

This was so ridiculous (in a good way)! Thank you for the much needed laugh as you built this opulent McMansion. It actually reminds me of a lot of homes in Texas (my state).

[@nickmoney]

That's something Ace Family would live in as they're going smaller and smaller each move, so it's a McMansion for sure.

[@dioliksniper5618]

17:45 but like... we are obviously going to make a vampire family live in this household, right? Grey/dull-toned, rich and ambitious, small yet large. The parent vamps are the head-masters of the house of course, and their only child is supposed to lure other individuals in the household, to transform them into a vampire, specifically into their family. Anyways, before a ramble on, I thank you for your videos as they are a blast and leave me with interest and a smile on my face.

[@ShadoeLandman]

Where I live, a McMansion is a long, sprawling house of a vaguely Victorianesque style, with an open floor plan, and all the money spent on size instead of quality.

[@breabeyrouti7834]

gosh I SO want you to do this again. It would be amazing if you could build this into some kind of challenge like deli's tiny village where you have to use your aspiration/trait generator and this bonkers build challenge for multiple people on one lot and make it look like a village!

[@ashall5673]

When I read McMansion I immediately envisioned a tall, narrow, 3 story mansion with red and yellow colors and topped off with good ole golden arches. Had never heard that term before 😂

[@DaRat711]

The way james just fully commits to any ridiculous is my absolute favorite 😂😂

[@rebeccabilly7466]

"It's an original Monet--and by that, I mean Hazel Monae of the Bigwallet Let's Play."

[@nataliesiddle8507]

Someone summed up McMansions perfectly a while ago: it’s not the overall size of them, it’s that the architecture they employ is not designed to be scattered across such a huge canvas. You have dainty trim on a porch the size of a barn. French shutters on a window so tall no human could possibly operate them safely. Buckingham palace is huge and was designed to be that size; windows and doors are in proportion. McMansions have a three story carport because someone clicked and dragged to a drawing of a house bigger and didn’t think of the practicalities of it. Or they planned to keep giraffes as a hobby….