McMansion Hell

McMansion Hell is a blog that humorously critiques McMansions, large suburban homes typically built from the 1980s to 2008 and known for their stylistic attempt to create the appearance of affluence using mass-produced architecture.

The website is run by Kate Wagner, an architecture critic who holds a master's degree in audio science with a specialty in architectural acoustics from Johns Hopkins University's Peabody Conservatory.

[1][2][3][4] A standard entry consists largely of photographs from real estate listings for a particular McMansion juxtaposed with Wagner's commentary, using arrows to note features she finds questionable or in poor taste.

[1] In addition to individual homes, the website's commentary often extends to the broader perceived material culture of wastefulness represented by McMansions,[5] providing anecdotes of situations when McMansions have been a poor financial investment[6] and offering stand-alone essays on urban planning and architectural history.

[1][8][9] Wagner has been interviewed about McMansion Hell by publications including Paper, The Washington Post, Slate, Business Insider, The Hairpin, and Der Spiegel in Germany, and has appeared on the 99% Invisible podcast.

A typical image on McMansion Hell , featuring commentary added to real estate photos