Designed to Persuade

I find myself watching far too much HGTV these days. I particularly like Property Virgins and Designed to Sell. I’m a bit enamored with the visual rhetoric of home interiors. From these shows, I’ve learned that getting someone to buy your house is not just about adding a fresh coat of paint. Apparently, you have to make the home seem as impersonal as humanly possible. By getting rid of any bold colors, taking down any personal photographs, and going with a slightly more contemporary style, the house hunters can envision themselves in your house. This is all an exercise in rhetoric. Everyone is actively trying to portray a particular image to persuade buyers that, yes, this is not only a place where they could live, but that this is their home and the only possible place they could even think of buying.