“A Combination No One Has Ever Wanted”: 66 Times Designers And Engineers Messed Up So Bad, They Got Shamed Online
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And when it comes to design, people have plenty of different opinions. Perhaps you want to live in a modern home with windows from the floor to the ceiling. Or maybe you’d prefer a house from the 1960s with wood paneling on the walls. But regardless of your preferences, you probably don’t want a toilet in your kitchen or a drain in your carpet.
Bored Panda has compiled a list down below of some of the most epic design fails the world has ever seen. From questionable choices to downright dangerous designs, these buildings have it all. Enjoy scrolling through these homes and offices that you’d never want to visit, and be sure to upvote the jobs that you can’t believe people actually paid for!
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The Hotel I'm Staying At Features A Glass-Ceilinged Men's Toilet Right Below The Main Entrance
One. Single. Blind
It's from a bad measurement on the construction company, I'm fairly sure that the rest of the window is in the next room to the right.
It's photoshopped. Look at the reflection in the picture on the right.
Guess Who Set The Alarm Off At The Movie Theatre Today. Men’s Room Was Around The Corner And Down A Hall
Most people don’t ever have the opportunity to design their dream home. It’s expensive, it can take an extremely long time, and often, there’s already a place out there that will do the job just fine. But if you ever have the chance to design a space from scratch, it’s crucial that you make it exactly how you like.
Design Builders notes on their site that personalization and comfort are extremely important when crafting your home. Your house should be the one place on the planet where you feel 100% comfortable and relaxed, and that means creating it with your lifestyle in mind. If you love cooking, you might opt for a huge kitchen. And if you work from home, you may need a large office. Consider exactly how you’ll use the space when making design choices.
10 Year Old Me Lighting Up Any Room In The Sims
When my parents were renovating their house, my mother had drawn logos wherever she would install electrical sockets and switches. My sister and I copied the drawings in somewhat random places... a handful of them made it through. Puzzled more than one person through the years...
When my in-laws were building a house, an electrician followed my MiL around while she touched the location she wanted light switches to be installed. He marked them with an X, then installed the switches at the EXACT location, no matter the height of the X!
Load More Replies...Conversely, my daughter moved into an apartment in New York and there was not one single ceiling light wired in - you had to buy standard lamps and table lamps for every room.
Some older places are like this. The 1913 place j lived in had no over head, and very few outlets so it was kinda annoying.
Load More Replies...The Sims should just have a fixture-free lighting setting for people who want light but don't want to think about the ceiling.
Well, that's the way I play, I never use ceiling lights and only use floor lamps, wall lamps and table lamps.
Load More Replies...Hideaway Bathroom Behind Stairwell
Go halfway up the stairs and make a jump while moving forward like in platformers
I'm afraid my dinghy would capsize before I could dock...
Load More Replies...Bathroom And Kitchen Combined
Talk about an efficiency. Are they sitting on the bed while taking this pic?
Oh hell no! I can't imagine where this wouldn't be illegal - preparing food in the same place as someone shittting is wildly unsanitary.
Wasn't there some study that showed bathrooms were cleaner than kitchens?
Load More Replies...At the same time, functionality and practicality are very important when designing a space. Design Builders points out that your home should be not only beautiful, but it should make your life easier. Before making any design choices, you should consider your family’s routine, size, and future needs.
Meanwhile, if you can anticipate any changes to your family dynamic in the future, you might want to prepare for those when creating your home. For example, if you plan on moving an elderly parent into the house within the next few years, you might want to create a space for them now.
My Soul Just Fell Down These Stairs
and buttocks. they felt every-single-edge-all-the-way-down.
Load More Replies...Attic turned into extra rooms and not enough space to have a little plateform between the doors with the stairs they got on discount? Or someone miscalculated and would rather do that weird thing that admit it?
Load More Replies...Long Invisible Steps
Innovative Water Trap Disguised As Public Seating
It’s also wise to maximize your property’s potential when designing your dream home. Consider how much natural light your home can get when designing the windows. And if there’s gorgeous nature such as a beach or forest on one side of the property, you may want to ensure that you get a great view of it from your kitchen or bedroom. Think about what makes the location unique, and use that to help make your home special.
Wheelchair Ramp Or M.C. Escher?
Legally you have to go only few feet a time for grading. It’s not supposed to be a disabled roller coaster. These are Tim’s I am happy for my power chair
Someone Has Definitely [Urinated] In These Sinks Before
The sinks look suspiciously like the urinals behind the OP taking the pic.
Dang! You don't usually see them all together! That's A Day, Bidet, C Day and D-Day as seen in their natural habitat!
Knee-Height Microwave Is Extremely Annoying To Use
It is preferable to the front opening ones, if it is under-counter.
Load More Replies...I have seen one this low in a house and it was put that low because the owner was in a wheel chair.
As a wheelchair user, I wouldn't call it a fail. But I also hate it for me. I want accessibility for everyone, not either/or. But this is in someone's home and if it's works for them, fine.
first thing I thought of, I live in an accessible apartment and it has waist level peep holes in the doors, the outlets are higher, etc.
Load More Replies...Easier for me than the ones on top of fridges! When I babysat my cousins in my mid 20s, I had to get a kitchen chair to stand on each time.
How is this annoying to use? Unless you have absolutely NO flex in your knees or waist, this can't be any harder to get things in/out of than an oven or cupboard. If you can't bend at all, you already have bigger problems than microwave placement.
But design isn’t something that you should only think about when building or moving into a new home. House Beautiful notes that it’s important to consider it all year round, especially now, in this time right after the holidays.
When it comes to common design mistakes people make in their homes during this time of year, House Beautiful warns that leaving open spaces is a big one. Once you’ve taken down your Christmas tree and holiday decor, don’t leave those empty gaps. Fill them with decorations you’ll want to see all year long that will make your home just as cozy and beautiful as it was during December.
The Place I’m Staying Has Running Water On Top Of A Cabinet That Doesn’t Have A Sink
A Combination No One Has Ever Wanted. So Awful I Had To Make My First Post
It’s not the urinal or the shower that’s the problem… Why are the two urinals that close together? Surely nobody would use one if someone is at the other. That would lead to you standing rear to rear
Everything about this is a festering petri dish of stuff yet to be discovered by science.
I have seen this combination before on a marine research vessel off the coast of California. Except, on that ship, the shower was an emergency chemical rinse and had all that corresponding signage. Anyway, this looks like maritime design and has its reasons.
Wouldn't the equipment be stainless steel instead?
Load More Replies...Beach House With An Amazing View... Of Their Fireplace. Literally Across The Street From The Ocean
I mean, I see so many flats where people put their TV right in the middle of the bay room window. 2 birds with one stone - ruin your view AND overheat the back of the TV in summer!
Our tv is in front of the window like this but its because the room is horribly laid out where there is no wall space and no other way to place furniture: one wall has the fireplace, one has the window, one has railing and stairs and the other has no wall but leads out to the kitchen.
Load More Replies...At the same time, you shouldn’t pack up all of the softness from your home just because it’s a new year. Warm, fuzzy blankets and throw pillows can work wonders for your space during every season. Plus, they’re not just decorative; they’re functional too. You’ll always be warm and cozy when wrapped up in a great blanket!
Carpet Around The Drain Is Crazy
When we moved to England in 1977 the bathrooms were fully carpeted. That was strange, but this is worse.
When I moved into rental lodgings in England in 2002, the bathroom was carpeted. There were 5 or 6 different patterned carpets throughout... Psychedellic.
Load More Replies...Feels like mold... So much mold that this was the start of Last Of Us 😅
Accidentally Locked Myself In A Room With No Doorknob In School
It probably isn't. But some places don't have much construction rules.
Load More Replies...How can someone be trapped if there's nothing to keep the door from being pushed open/pulled open by the hole in the door?
Stairway To Heck
My SWAG - the steps and the sewer drain were there from a prior house, they didn't measure the distance between them for new mobile home, and decided a working drain was more important.
"Back a little more! A little more! A little more! Oops! Meh, close enough."
House Beautiful also notes that relying on the big light in your home can be a mistake this time of year. It’s tempting to turn it on, as there’s not much natural light during the middle of winter. But it can be harsh and uninviting. So it’s better to use lamps, string lights, and candles to keep your home feeling cozy. And if you have to use the overhead light, make sure you’re using light bulbs with warm tones, rather than cool.
A Room I Booked In Belgium
I think that the prisons in Belgium have more room...
Load More Replies...Not horrible for a single occupant, but it looks like he's sitting on a bunk bed. That means somebody gets grossed out.
Horrible for a single occupant, too. There's no lid on that toilet so every flush sends an ultra-fine mist in the air to settle onto the bed. 🤢
Load More Replies...Seen this one (and most of the others, TBF) before. The flexible waste pipe and water inlet makes me wonder if this has simply been twisted round for the photo (can't tell if there's actually a s***w holding it down into the floor or not). But why is there a doorstop next to it, and why no toilet seat?
Maybe toilet seats kept getting stolen or broken. Not worth the expense for a cheap room
Load More Replies...I suppose this could be convenient if you go too hard on Belgian beers
Sinks That Look Like Urinals Mext To The Actual Urinals... At A Beer Garden. If You Need A Sign, It's Crappy Design
Do You Like My Kitchen Stage?
And I’d trip on that at 3:00 AM trying to get chips in the dark!
Load More Replies...Another factor of design that’s easy to forget but can go a long way is scentscaping. We often don’t have to worry about this during the holidays, as the oven is typically full of something tasty, candles are burning, and the Christmas tree has a lovely scent of its own. But even if there are no guests around, you deserve to be in a space that smells amazing. It will relax you and make you feel more at peace when your humble abode looks and smells wonderful.
This Sink Drips Water Like Rain, It Is All One Pipe With Holes So If One Person Uses It Wastes Enough Water For 5 People And Doesn’t Even Provide A Steady Stream
But petty little details like that don't matter, because it fulfilled the architect's Artistic Vision!
I think it's a really cool idea, the best on the list, but I (not an expert (unlike the designer of this)) can think of several ways to better execute this
Meanwhile in Australia we have many taps that only run for 5-10 seconds to save water, never mind you are supposed to take at least 20 seconds to wash hands properly.
Somebody's House Down The Block
A natural consequence of 'mobile' homes. Those were for the last house that packed up and left.
Looks to me like they are in the middle of a remodel project. The door has be re-located, but they haven't yet torn out the old concrete stoop and replaced it with something in front of the door. I've both seen this and done this, so it's not too weird to me. Give it a few weeks or months and I'll bet they have something in front of the door.
Load More Replies...What Could Go Wrong! (Btw It’s Pitch Black Until You Hit The Light Switch)
Are you enjoying your scroll through these tragic design fails, pandas? Keep upvoting the ones that you can’t believe people actually signed off on, and let us know in the comments below what the worst design you’ve ever seen was. Then, if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article featuring absolutely awful design, look no further than right here!
My Local Park Benches Made Of Stainless Steel. Too Cold To Sit On In Winter, Too Hot To Sit On In Summer
Seems like a good idea on paper and it would seem it has a lot of upsides, but the noted drawbacks are significant considering the ultimate purpose of a park bench is to be able to sit outside regardless of temperature or sunlight. Too bad because this design easily drys after rain, easy to keep clean and free from graffiti and damage, durable, and modern looking. Milo Baughman designed metal benches for indoors, that were beautiful but were more of an accent piece and fine for tying your shoes, rather than than comfortable furniture for prolonged sitting.
What the hell? They didn't put dividers on it. How are they supposed to ignore basic human decency and stop homeless people from sleeping on them?
Because it's too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer to sleep on.
Load More Replies...At A Hotel I Am Staying At In Johannesburg. Cool Idea, But [A Pain] For Anyone In A Wheelchair!
You can get the feeling of weaving like a drunk without all that expensive alcohol!
Sink. And No, There Is No Dishwasher
Flood the kitchen washing a dish. And if it is carpeted??
The grounds are clearly visible in the picture, and they may be under a GFCI somewhere upstream of the outlets.
Load More Replies...Given the sketchy wiring and generally low-grade construction I'm going to guess that someone remodeled their garden shed into an airbnb.
That looks like a bar sink in a Butler's pantry, not a kitchen.
I think this needs more context. Is there a full kitchen attached to this sink?? It looks like a converted garage or basement rec room. Might not need to be big enough to wash a stock pot.
User-Friendly Pool Ladder
At this point, you're deliberately TRYING to get someone to split their skull open on that sharp edge.
My Landlords “Carpenter” Hooked Us Up With This Beauty Today
And he'd probably have to be careful to avoid bumping his head all the time on that lowered part of the ceiling.
Load More Replies...This Toilet At The Hotel I Went To
I Have So Many Questions
If that's a false ceiling, understandable but it looks like a real one.
Typical case of I bought it, I'll use it. They dug in the ceiling just enough to fit the pipe and patched it up.
Load More Replies...This “Sink” In My Swedish Hotel Room
You don’t need a drain, the water will just bounce off the pebble and all over you. Actually, I take that back, a drain in the floor would probably be more effective.
Load More Replies...Idk How To Feel About This
Water is still going to get everywhere. And my big bu.tt would probably get stuck at some point. 😂
Bad enough for the average user, never mind anyone needing mobility aids.
Who Doesn’t Love Having Soggy Loo Roll From People Washing Their Hands
I Was Wondering Why I Kept Ending Up On The 4th Floor After Pressing 2
Could be some form of half levels, where the elevator is in one part of the building, but usually those are named 1a and 1b, not 1 and 2. It's not uncommon when you join two older buildings together to expand a hotel for example.
Load More Replies...Holy Grail Of Bathroom Doors, No Lock On Outside Door Either
This Was Not A Fun Experience
ATM In The Wall And Window Of A 1690 Building
That would be SO illegal in the UK. A building of that age would be given protected status, and virtually any alteration of the structure would require permission. There is absolutely no way they would be allowed to mount that there.
I Give You The Tale Of The Crooked Banister
Nothing wrong with this as it is simply following building code for continuous handrail.
The two parts that make the right angle should be one sloping piece, just like it slopes above the other steps.
Load More Replies..."Bathroom Window" In Our 12 People Airbnb (Toilet‘s To The Left, Also In Plain Sight)
Impossible To Plug Anything Into This Hotel Lamp Outlet
This „Bench“ That’s As Comfortable As You’d Expect
Hostile architecture: An inhumane practice to beautify a place but just ends up being dissed on bad design websites.
We have ones like this (but all metal) in many railway stations in Melbourne. Not really meant as a seat, more as something to lean against. Really stupid, but mean you can pack more people on it (as without bent hips you're not as wide), as well as discouraging people from staying too long.
Yep, but at least the homeless people can't sleep on it!!! It's worth it!!!! (sarcasm)
$1800/Mo 1 Bedroom Apartment In NJ
I've probably 'bobbed' half a dozen light and outlet plates over the years. Weird old houses call for weird new solutions. My work looks 'uck all better than that, though.
We've also had to add a couple of random blank plates to cover weird old house obsolete electrical outlets that are no longer connected to the house main. I think we've limited it to two outlets. When we removed the in wall electric heaters, hubs was creative and installed in wall speakers that hook up to either an amp or our juke box that has been converted to be a giant MP3 player 👍
Load More Replies...We used to have a light switch for the master bathroom outside of the bathroom, fun times when the family wants to play. We moved it to the inside of the bathroom and patched the hole 👍
Hotel Bathroom Sink With Barely Enough Room For Your Hands Because The Spouts Are Too Long/Low
Generally, people 'cup' their hands to get them wet. Pain but is actually functional.
Just... How? How Would You Even Utilize This??
Scary AF but the spacing is about right to use as stairs. But if that was the goal, why not a handrail to give a sense of hope-while-clinging-for-your-life excitement?
This Stove In A Premium Airbnb
Oh Wow What A Great Table
Put a basket under the hole and you have easy disposal of chicken bones, stripped spareribs, shrimp tails, corn cobs etc. if that appeals to you, go to the Southeastern US and treat yourself to a "low country boil"!
The tragic part is that's a slice of wood, and someone has painted it white.
The waiter pours the water and it falls on your pants.
It In Middle Of Your Face And Can't Use The Mirror
I went to a public toilet today and I could just see myself in the mirror, but my mum who is about a head shorter couldn't see anything!
Accident Waiting To Happen
Water Faucet In Hotel Chain Makes Washing Hands Incredibly Frustrating
So many public toilets (often in more 'upscale' shopping centres) in Melbourne have a similar issue. Counter looks the same but taps are at the back (usual position) and still can't reach basin.
I had a similar corner tap and had it replaced with a kitchen tap... Win!
Benches Designed By Someone Who Hates The Concept Of Sitting Down
I can't decide if I want to ride my bike or roll a bowling ball over it
Maybe. But not every piece of artistic design is hostile in intent. I'm going to give this one a pass.
Load More Replies...My School Locker Can’t Even Fit My Backpack Because Of Those Shelves
Take all the books out and place them on the shelves, then hang the deflated backpack in section to the right. Total waste of time though.
Kids just need to stuff their bag in the locker during lunch or possibly music class. Not much time to waste if they want to get to lunch or class quickly.
Load More Replies...I once worked in place where they had lockers like this, only smaller. I couldn't even fit in my puffy winter jacket, let alone shoes or handbag. I think it was designed by Satan.
Nice Spot For Scenery
When A Beam Blocks The Toilet Door
I Hope You Appreciate Your Paper Towel Airborne! Someone Installed A High Velocity Hand Dryer Right Above The Garbage Bin
As you throw it in, sensor activates and blocks your shot
Load More Replies...For a while this seemed to be really common. I think the idea was that the water would drip from your hands into the trash receptacle rather than onto the floor.
These Storage Steps In A Homemade Tiny Home Look Like An Accident Waiting To Happen
A friend fell down the stairs like this while staying in a tiny home. They are indeed treacherous!
Same with my wife. I'm just 6ft and kept banging my forehead on the "kitchen" shelves. The bathtub was the only cool thing.
Load More Replies...This Bathroom Design... Chef Kiss
I love that they've engineered a little flap on the left hand door to allow it to open underneath the work surface. Without context I can't say I totally hate it, but the two power outlets just above the taps do worry me - surely that can't conform to US building standards, can it?
US GFCI outlets can also protect ~8 outlets downstream. Hopefully, there's a working one upstream. It'd be a little shocking if not.
Load More Replies...Hand Dryers On Matt Painted Walls
Not sure if this is actually a matte paint, but it definitely shouldn't be used for a wall that has hand dryers attached.
It's what they call "eggshell" or "flat" paint used for rooms like a bedroom or living room, not a bathroom or kitchen or anywhere there is moisture or water in use. That's when you'd use a gloss or at least a semi-gloss that repells water or you can wipe clean. And these days they make paint for kitchen and bath that also has additives that deters mold, mildew and other icky stuff from growing.
Load More Replies...Those things have more bacteria than a toilet seat which is why I have a small bottle of hand sanitizer hanging from my pocketbook strap.
Found This Beauty At My Local College
It's just rendering proplem, upgrade your hardware and it should be fine 😅👍🏼
Roof Of University Building Intentionally Leaks Water And It Spatters Everywhere
They should have installed a living garden at the base in order to catch some of the water.
Stairway To Plumbing And Coax Cable Management Heaven
Possibly sketchy illegal installation of basement rental, i.e., Landlord special.
German Engineering
Sidewalk Engineering
You spend all your life wondering where the sidewalk ends, and once you get there, it’s a massive barrier in your way. Ahhh… such is life.
Load More Replies...A Client's New Stair Rail That Can't Decide What Style It Is And Where The Handrail Should Have Been. (It's In A Modern Cottage Hamptons Beach House)
The individual pieces are nice, but the whole thing has a terrible case of split personality.
It's the posts. Why those posts?? Those are clearly not supposed to have anything sit on top of them. Swap those out and this would be fine.
This Restroom Layout At My Local Legion
So you don't want people coming in and immediately seeing you pee?
Load More Replies...The ADA handles are giving hardcore bar vibes. You need to be really drunk if you need to hold yourself up to pee at the urinal.
The Bottom Drawer On Every Dresser Looks Like It Isn’t Fully Pushed In Even Though It Is At This Hotel
I can confirm this as this was the third room we were in at this place.
Possibly the TV wiring comes through the back of the dresser which blocks it from fully closing
