30 Hilarious Kitchen Design Fails People Have Seen

There’s nothing that says bon appé[private part] like a train-wreck of a kitchen. And boy, are there plenty of those out there. Kitchens that make you wonder whether the architects who designed them have ever eaten (or cooked) in one before. Kitchens that make you realize why not everyone who gets a degree in architecture is worth the paper their diploma is printed on. Kitchens that get bullied by other rooms in the house for looking shabby, kitschy and weird.

How about hanging up a piano above the stove? Sounds like a good idea! Or how about we build the kitchen behind the refrigerator? Aye-aye, skipper! Also, we should probably install all the appliances in such a way that makes it impossible to open up any drawers. And don't forget a mass of terrible kitchen decor that'll accumulate grease, dust, and the smells of burning dreams.

One Instagram account called pleasehatethesethings collects “absurd, ugly & just plain stupid things in home design”, including worst kitchen design fails. The account has over 202,000 followers and has uploaded more than 621 photos that will make you want to call the design police.

But when exactly did kitchens start being a thing? Well, the first kitchens were outdoors because that’s where fires were built. According to John Desmond Limited, the smoke created by fires was a major problem indoors until the 16th century — that’s when chimneys became widespread in houses.

Wood-fired kitchen stoves appeared in the 18th century, which were later replaced by ones that burned coal. The gas stove was first patented by James Sharp in 1826 and became a widespread addition in most kitchens by the 1920s. That’s when the electric stove started competing with its gas counterpart. However, it’s not what stove you use that’s important — it’s that you place it somewhere so it doesn’t block half the kitchen’s drawers.