McMansion Hell, a popular blog that criticizes nouveau riche residential architecture in the US, has seen a shift in the aesthetics of wealthy homeowners in recent years.
The blog’s author notes that it has become increasingly difficult to find unique, whimsical homes and instead, they are replaced with vast, empty rooms painted in gray and fitted with beige-gray (greige) laminate flooring.
The same trend can be seen in other forms of lucrative real estate, including condos in major cities, recently flipped apartments, and new construction.
The author posits that this trend towards greige can be traced back to the reorganization of the real estate industry towards the internet, specifically platforms like Zillow and Redfin, which shift home viewing away from in-person visits towards online browsing.
This has made it easier for potential buyers to compare properties and increased pressure on realtors to encourage sellers to neutralize their houses.
The author argues that this is a broader symptom of the increasing commodification of the idea of a dwelling, where the home is seen primarily as an investment and asset, rather than a space of personal expression or comfort.
