Welcome to the dark side of millennial home renovations: Enterprising young homeowners splash white or gray paint over cabinets and walls, stick on vinyl flooring, and mercilessly chuck out anything eccentric they might have inherited. Scary, right? 

Some compare it to the design crazes of the 70s, when suburbanites covered their gorgeous hardwood floors with high pile carpeting like their lives depended on it. In equal measure, though, are videos of people (usually members of Gen Z) roasting and decrying these imitation HGTV nightmares. So why is a new generation of homeowners so bent on transforming their vintage homes into the lobby of a Hampton Inn, and more importantly, why does Gen Z care so much?