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When you’re installing utilities or decorating a space, whether it’s a home, an office, or a clinic, there are usually a lot of decisions to be made. Plans have to be drawn up, measurements taken, materials selected, and everything carefully reviewed before putting it all together. And projects like these often involve multiple people, too. From designers and contractors to managers and clients, each has a chance to spot potential issues along the way.

So when you think about it, making a mistake (or an especially baffling choice) should be pretty difficult. Yet somehow, they still manage to slip through the cracks. And perhaps more often than you would imagine. To show you what they look like, we’ve compiled a list of some of the cringiest design fails recently uploaded to the internet. Ouch!

#1

Door hung upside down with a pet door cut out for dogs to see outside humor

designfailsofficial Report

Virgil Blue
Community Member
3 months ago

That's sweet.

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    #2

    Downspout creatively designed to look like a person washing hands

    designfailsofficial Report

    Display Name
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Oh my!

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    #3

    Useless golf tournament item with a camouflage golf ball

    bruhgram Report

    Display Name
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Golf is the most useless activity ever.

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    #4

    Confusing floor sign with missing space in 3F arts label

    explainingnews Report

    MiauMiau
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    🐈‍⬛☁️☁️☁️

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    #5

    Hoodie with confusing anti animal cruelty club message design fail

    huskcreative Report

    Susan Teter
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    That's so not right

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    #6

    Cringeworthy design fail with compass pillows showing incorrect directions

    bruhgram Report

    Eternally Invested
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Must be from Temu.

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    #7

    Wine bottles placed under a sign reading ready meals, illustrating a design fail

    creacultclub Report

    Display Name
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Well to be fair, if you're of drinking age and you have a way to open the bottle, that is a ready made meal if you want it to be.

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    #8

    Elevator panel showing misspelled floor names in design fail

    bruhgram Report

    DeviousOtter
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    I can see their 1th mistake

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    #9

    Wall text spelling water with awkward arrangement causing confusion

    marthas.funny.stuff Report

    Floeckchen
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    W fart free water

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    #10

    Funny drowning warning sign with lol text by the water

    scott_yancey Report

    Khavrinen
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    "LOL".

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    #11

    Bathroom door design fail blocking access to toilet

    interiordesign.addicts Report

    Jp@nda
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Perfect door hole so your cat can keep an eye on you without needing to be in the room

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    #12

    Inaccessible wooden stairs with disabled sign showing cringeworthy design fail

    propertystoriess Report

    Did I say that out loud?
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Wheeeeeee!

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    #13

    Bus with ill-placed exhaust pipe overlapping a person's image creating design fail

    zatustracom Report

    DeviousOtter
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    I was hoping they were advertising a male performance medication!

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    #14

    Bathroom floor drain raised above tiled floor causing poor drainage

    interiordesign.addicts Report

    Susan Teter
    Community Member
    3 months ago (edited)

    I bet I can figure out why there's mold in your shower!

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    #15

    Public washroom with glass doors containing toilets causing interior design fails

    lewisinfra Report

    Jojo Armani
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    No 💩 guys, good to see y’all, but hey who’s got the good old tp?

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    Never miss a story that brings joy to the world. Add us on Google

    #16

    Tiled floor with misaligned geometric pattern causing optical illusion

    creacultclub Report

    xolitaire
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    NNNNGGGGGG NOOOOOO

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    #17

    Road curb with handicap ramp blocked by a pole in a poor accessibility design fail

    designfailsofficial Report

    Jp@nda
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Bonk!

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    #18

    Poorly cut kitchen countertop around sink showing design fail

    interiordesign.addicts Report

    Floeckchen
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    "Yes, I can do it myself. Can't be that hard!"

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    #19

    Bathroom design fail with toilet elevated on steps and urinal on wall

    interiordesign.addicts Report

    chi-wei shen
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    The king shíts here.

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    #20

    Cabinet drawer handles blocked by wall causing usability design fail

    interiordesign.addicts Report

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    #21

    Bags labeled onions filled with corn cobs, showcasing a funny packaging fail

    creacultclub Report

    Verity Stewart
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    I know my onions and they are funny looking onions

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    #22

    Distorted hallway carpet design creating an optical illusion of a warped floor

    designfailsofficial Report

    Julie Rogers
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Deliberate to stop people from running.

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    #23

    Kitchen oven door blocked from opening fully by nearby pipe

    interiordesign.addicts Report

    Display Name
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    That place is probably a couple thousand a month to rent.

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    #24

    Clock glowing numbers with 11 and 12 overlapping design fail

    explainingnews Report

    Scarlett O'Hara's Ghost
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    What am I missing??

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    #25

    Car with white paint mimicking parking lines in design fail

    creacultclub Report

    Scarlett O'Hara's Ghost
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    When it says no parking they mean no parking

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    #26

    House with uneven window alignment showing a cringeworthy design fail

    scott_mcgillivray Report

    OneHappyPuppy
    Community Member
    3 months ago (edited)

    P00p windows. Edit - seriously BP? A kids word?

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    #27

    Kitchen sink with a power outlet installed inside the basin

    scott_mcgillivray Report

    Did I say that out loud?
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Even the sockets look shocked at this one.

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    #28

    Confusing stair carpet design making steps hard to distinguish

    interiordesign.addicts Report

    Armac
    Community Member
    Premium
    3 months ago

    My ankles hurt just looking at this.

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    #29

    Drain installed directly in carpet showing major design fail

    interiordesign.addicts Report

    A. Br.
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Ugh!! I can smell this picture.

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    #30

    Creepy clown face light with eyes glowing red in dark

    explainingnews Report

    Scarlett O'Hara's Ghost
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Nightmare fuel

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    #31

    Menu cover with placeholder text restaurant logo here and discover card logo

    creacultclub Report

    Eternally Invested
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    I hope they discovered their mistake.

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    #32

    IKEA design fail with a toilet brush placed inside a plunger

    bruhgram Report

    Inigo Montoya
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Wash hands after use.

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    #33

    Drain positioned higher than surrounding ground causing poor drainage

    bruhgram Report

    Ace
    Community Member
    Premium
    3 months ago

    Ground subsidence, the underneath drain system has stopped it sinking, the rest of the ground around has not.

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    #34

    Wooden door installed high on wall above radiator and chair, a cringeworthy design fail

    designfailsofficial Report

    Display Name
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    I love the chair being there suggests the door is actively used.

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    #35

    Door at top of stairs with no landing creating safety hazard

    interiordesign.addicts Report

    Mark Fergel
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    My guess is that this was some type of home/etc. converted into multiple units. Not super effective, but I understand what they were probably trying to do.

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    #36

    Kitchen faucet with water pouring onto sink surface showing design fail

    interiordesign.addicts Report

    Scarlett O'Hara's Ghost
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Whoever engineered that faucet...

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    #37

    Cringeworthy design fail with asphalt covering half a manhole cover

    creacultclub Report

    This panda says ur worth it
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Ah yes, much useful

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    #38

    Handicap parking space with a curb blocking vehicle access – design fail

    creacultclub Report

    This panda says ur worth it
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    -levitates-

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    #39

    Building with a seemingly unsupported balcony creating a design fail

    scott_mcgillivray Report

    Ace
    Community Member
    Premium
    3 months ago

    I love the fact that they've even put a light in there.

    #40

    Funny fire extinguisher sign showing fire coming out of extinguisher nozzle

    timscapes Report

    Alexia
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    More like, fire blower...

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    #41

    Public restroom with design fail having toilet stalls without doors for privacy

    flippinrustic Report

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    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Peekaboo! I see you!

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    #42

    Man sitting under oversized hanging lamp that blocks his face

    rszdesigndevelopment Report

    Multa Nocte (she/her/86 47)
    Community Member
    Premium
    3 months ago

    One of the few times I am lucky to be short.

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    #43

    Cringeworthy design fail of bathroom sink painted to look like legs wearing pants and shoes

    interiordesign.addicts Report

    Borg
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    No.

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    #44

    Kitchen stovetop placed in corner under a large hood causing impractical design fail

    interiordesign.addicts Report

    perylousdemon
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    🤬🤬🤬

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    #45

    Toilet installed in hallway space with red carpet stairs leading down

    explainingnews Report

    SmooshieFries
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Whyyy

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    #46

    Cleaning product bottles resembling soft drink branding design fail

    bruhgram Report

    DeviousOtter
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Delicious looking

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    #47

    Misaligned video game cases with inconsistent EA logo placement

    creacultclub Report

    Display Name
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    What's the problem here?

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    #48

    Room with mismatched plaid carpet and pink striped wallpaper design fail

    designfailsofficial Report

    Susan Teter
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Little seizures!

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    #49

    Building facade with design fail showing doors inaccessible in a high wall

    designfailsofficial Report

    Susan Teter
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    It's not the fall that kills you. It's the sudden stop.

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    #50

    Light switch awkwardly placed on door trim displaying design fail

    interiordesign.addicts Report

    perylousdemon
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    *eye twitch*

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    #51

    Staircase railing design with obstructive vertical bars and poor planning fail

    interiordesign.addicts Report

    Paul C.
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    I'm guessing they had kids and thought this was the safest bet.

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    #52

    Metal gate blocking access with no space to enter behind it

    explainingnews Report

    sbj
    Community Member
    Premium
    3 months ago

    So kind of them to leave a ladder for the thieves so they don't have to male any effort

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    #53

    Urinal awkwardly installed with block wall limiting use

    explainingnews Report

    Justarandomguy
    Community Member
    2 months ago

    So that anyone can admire what your doing

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    #54

    Cringeworthy design fail of bathtub disguised as a hippo at a bowling alley

    timscapes Report

    Phantom Phoenix
    Community Member
    Premium
    3 months ago

    How to make bowling balls look like hippopotapoo from a hippopotamarse

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    #55

    Bathroom design fail with bathtub surrounded by green carpet flooring

    gerberplumbing Report

    Marie Adamson
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    I don't know what's worse - the green carpet, or the moldy-looking wallpaper.

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    #56

    Kitchen design fail with microwave blocking stove light and space

    vikingkitchens Report

    Ace
    Community Member
    Premium
    3 months ago

    I don't think any "design" was involved here.

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    #57

    Pen with text including unintended font instruction design fail

    huskcreative Report

    Trophy Husband
    Community Member
    3 months ago (edited)

    Any place named after Cromwell deserves to be shamed

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    #58

    House siding with poorly installed angled window canopy

    designfailsofficial Report

    Pernille
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    The plastic and cardboard house melted:) Try using proper construction materials next time.

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    #59

    Cringeworthy design fail with a door and doorframe that have a mismatched, awkward cutout shape

    interiordesign.addicts Report

    Francois
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    This is probably for wheeling in or out a portable white/black board or projector screen when needed in other class rooms.

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    #60

    Door cut to fit awkward ceiling angle creating impractical design fail

    interiordesign.addicts Report

    Deborah
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    I've always thought this one was just someone being whimsical. I like it.

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    #61

    Kitchen island design fail with unstable base and no usable counter space

    interiordesign.addicts Report

    Eternally Invested
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Nice cutting board.

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    #62

    Mislabeled syrup bottles with parody branding design fail

    timscapes Report

    Did I say that out loud?
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    I think I'll pass. Probably too salty for my liking.

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    #63

    Kitchen design fail with awkwardly positioned fridge disrupting the layout

    lewisinfra Report

    Eternally Invested
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    This one has been used in just about every fails post on the Internet.

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    #64

    Bus ad with confusing quit school message as a design fail

    huskcreative Report

    This panda says ur worth it
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Do d***s instead! :D

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    #65

    Bathtub surrounded by kitchen-style chairs and counter creating design fail

    interiordesign.addicts Report

    El Howard
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Dinner AND a show!

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    #66

    Cringeworthy interior design with extremely narrow toilet space

    lewisinfra Report

    UnclePanda
    Community Member
    Premium
    3 months ago

    Imagine the acoustics. It's like a sonic columnating chamber.

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    #67

    Bad interior design with washing machine dangerously placed on bathtub

    lewisinfra Report

    #68

    Outdoor advertisement pole with posters obstructing phone access

    creacultclub Report

    Did I say that out loud?
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    You had one job.

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    #69

    Bathroom shower area with toilet inside the shower space design fail

    scott_mcgillivray Report

    SmooshieFries
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Biggest bidet I’ve ever seen

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    #70

    Floor space design fail with unused raised platform and window

    gravity_broker Report

    Premislaus de Colo
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    just needs a ladder and it's a perfect reading nook

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    #71

    Poor bathroom layout with bathtub obstructed by toilet

    tradeupmanitoba Report

    Ace
    Community Member
    Premium
    3 months ago

    Not sure what's supposed to be wrong with this. It's a little tight on space, but not much different from many places I've seen. Oh, OK, the toilet paper holder. Right.

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    #72

    Poor bathroom design with faucet and handle misaligned on bathtub

    designfailsofficial Report

    KingJalopy
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    That's a huge caulk

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    #73

    Cringeworthy design fail of countertop and cabinet that don't fit wall corner

    gravity_broker Report

    Jp@nda
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Husband /Dad "we bought the cabinet and we're using that d**n cabinet"

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    #74

    Outdoor concrete stairs with uneven and impractical design

    designfailsofficial Report

    Did I say that out loud?
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Poor design, but very well èxècuted.

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    #75

    Radiator installed awkwardly on staircase wall causing design fail

    interiordesign.addicts Report

    Chris England
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Hope the bleed n****e isat the top or you're screwed

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    #76

    Tiny narrow bathroom with step-like floor and cramped fixtures design fail

    interiordesign.addicts Report

    Kerry Miller
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    If they'd settled for just a loo and basin placed down the end, it would have worked.

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    #77

    Interior design fail with door handle installed where it can't latch properly

    lewisinfra Report

    Geobugi🇰🇷🇰🇭
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Easy to fix

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    #78

    Wall-mounted TV with no visible support or proper installation

    creacultclub Report

    Top Notcher
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Probably done so that people can't reach the buttons

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    #79

    Rustic fireplace with outdated wood stove in old house interior

    gravity_broker Report

    Scarlett O'Hara's Ghost
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    This is obviously preserving the historical aspect of the house

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    #80

    Colorful tile design fail under a small arched brick fireplace

    cuyahogalandbank Report

    Susan Teter
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    That's a fireplace. Phone nooks aren't on the floor.my guess is they capped the fireplace because it needed too much work, and just use fake logs or candles to decorate this.

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    #81

    Metal gate with a fruit-shaped design blocking a pathway

    timscapes Report

    Did I say that out loud?
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Dàmn. Better find another route.

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    #82

    Bathroom design fail with toilet and sink installed on carpeted floor

    gerberplumbing Report

    Eternally Invested
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    I've always wanted a bathroom in my bedroom - but an ensuite.

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    #83

    Garage floor painted as a Monopoly board game design fail

    gravity_broker Report

    BlackestDawn
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    I wouldn't say this is a "design fail", strange yes but not a fail.

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    #84

    Cringeworthy design fail with warped and uneven floor tiles

    designfailsofficial Report

    Ace
    Community Member
    Premium
    3 months ago

    Yesh, when it moves from a "work in progress" to a "redo from scratch". At least they caught it in time. I hope.

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    #85

    Room with wall painted to look like cracked stone causing a design fail

    designfailsofficial Report

    Potato Vic
    Community Member
    Premium
    3 months ago

    I feel like cult type things will happen there lol

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    #86

    Living room with an oddly designed stone fireplace that looks out of place

    _the_art_of_installation_ Report

    Display Name
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Oh I'm sorry sir, your lobster is too buttery and your steak is too juicy?

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    #87

    Floating stairs design fail showing dangerous and unusable steps in modern interior

    credoqueluxo.ig Report

    Verity Stewart
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    I have eds hypermobility and stayed in a air b n b and I asked for one level and I had stairs like this to the bedroom and the owner said the stairs were cool and easy to use so I slept in the living room. The owner thought I was being fussy I had to sue him to get my money back

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    #88

    Entryway with stained glass door leading directly to stairs design fail

    designfailsofficial Report

    Krd
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    Either a remodel leftover, or it's only used to bring large furniture up to the next floor.

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    #89

    Kitchen sink cabinet plumbing blocks door from closing properly

    designfailsofficial Report

    Potato Vic
    Community Member
    Premium
    3 months ago

    There's so much going on here 😂

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    #90

    Airplane seat charger poorly taped to outlet with USB cable

    thesachinpatel Report

    martin734
    Community Member
    Premium
    3 months ago (edited)

    This isn't a design failure, it just looks like someone forgot their UK plug adapter.

    #91

    Dining area with blue cushioned bench and palm tree wallpaper design

    nikkilevyinteriors Report

    DeviousOtter
    Community Member
    3 months ago

    I can’t quite see what is happening here