The very point of hiring a professional designer is to get the job done right. Or so we’d like to think. But it seems sometimes the best laid plans can go down the drain, along with your vision of the perfect execution. Fortunately, shaming bad designs has become a favorite pastime of the internet. From the crazy, to the confusing, the downright dangerous or just plain stupid, there’s no shortage of pics on the proverbial "Design Fails Wall of Shame".
If you’re looking for inspiration on what you probably don’t want around you, you should check out the Design Fails Insta account. It has hundreds of posts of epic interior design and architecture fails. Some might make you laugh, others could make you want to cry. Then there are those that just hurt your eyes.
We've put together our personal favorites. Keep scrolling for a feast of fabulous fails, and upvote the ones that leave you stunned. Don't miss the chat Bored Panda had with Eric Dillman, the interior designer behind the account, and the host of the Pro Series with Eric Dillman podcast.
This post may include affiliate links.
Mom finally cashed in her Marlboro Miles
When you open like 8 tabs by mistake
Everyone kept hitting their heads as they walked down my stairs, so I hung a sign as a warning
Someone said this faucet looks like the squirrel from Ice Age and now I can't unsee it
Imagine forgetting that Gramma's on the porch
Seems kinda photo-shoppy. There's no driveway, and the grass doesn't look worn from vehicles driving on it.
A hotel in Germany uses 3D carpets to keep guests from running in the hallway.
In this bathroom I would not know whether to wash my hands or open the chamber of secrets
What a great way to break a neck
Home remodeling is my passion
Oh dear a bowling ball just happened to fall from a great height, I think it fell from the ISS and smashed my worktops so here is my insurance claim.
Some personal news: We're replacing our countertops tomorrow and I'm so excited, mainly because we get to remove this abomination of a kitchen sink
If you're feeling stressed, remember to IN EX HAHA LE LE
And remember kids, eat school, stay in drúgs, don't do vegetables.
Great way to have your guest break their leg
I need an explanation to why this was a thing
Maybe they did that to make room for a dishwasher and I can respect that
That’s what I call a “throne”
When Boomers wana talk about how stupid millennials are... Just remember what generation covered real hardwood floors with linoleum
That's a bit harsh... Hardwood floors are really expensive to maintain. Maybe they just wanted to be practical. And I'm saying this as a hardwood floor lover myself.
I know this gonna bother someone
If you thought you did something dumb today…….. at least you’re not the person who did this
Pretty sure that shouldn’t happen
Her: "babe, I want a castle in the sky"
Me: "say no more"
Why hire a professional when you can do……. Nvm
If at first you don't succeed.....never mind, just hire someone.
Some might think this is the beauty of this type of tile but the unevenness bothers the sh*t out of me
Ummmmm what?! How is this staying up?
My neighbor recently had some work done to his house. Definitely not gonna use his contractor
The contractor said he knew what he was doing
That’s a lot of cuts
I would stub my little toe on every one of those corners. Multiple times.
This reads a very frugal person who collects tiles from all the shops in town and installs it to save some money
Better hope the tree doesn’t fall
Nice open kitchen, with a perfect working triangle
Not so bad. If it works, it works. (Honey, I finally used these screws I'd been keeping for decades! Don't you ever suggest throwing parts away that I might still need "sometime"!!)
I'm no wheelchair engineer, but...
Whoever did this tile work needs a map, a compass, and a lesson in basic geometry!
Something off here
It's important to know the difference between a 'tread' and a 'riser'. In the UK, the tread must be 22-30cm, the riser, 15-22cm, and the angle of the stairs can't be greater than 42 degrees. Perhaps, just perhaps, um, definitely, these stairs have been installed the wrong way around. The bottom riser should have been the top tread.
What would you even do with this room?
Fill in the gaps/window spaces, add shelves, books, comfy chair, lamp and lockable door. Mini library. Oh, and wine and cat. Sorted.
This physically hurts me
When the contractor take the door swing clearance on the blueprint too literally
So how you getting up there?
Seems people really don't know what to do with these weird spaces in houses. I never thought about it when I'd see them. But now it makes sense. What to do with a weird little staging area?
Really hard pass on the countertop
I guess you get what you pay for
Reminds me of when my relative dropped a heavy men's perfume bottle in the sink. Guess which one broke?
Great way to get people to not shop in your store
Not event the same molding
Speaking from experience, if you own an old house and want to make amends, you are likely not to find the exact same thing.
I need to talk to the designer on this one…..also introduce them to some spec books
It took the tile person more time to cut to fit the pipe than it would to furr out the wall
If this was in NYC, there'd be a tiny counter with a microwave to the right of the shower, the door would be the front door, and the toilet would be down the hall & shared with at least 3 other 'apartments' - and it would go for 2k/mnth and listed as 'spacious' studio apt!
Cabinets like these are useful for things that are used once a year. It might be you have a set of plates only used for thanksgiving, Diwali, Hanukah, Christmas... Store them in this cupboard. They are not in anyone's way for the rest of the year, but can be accessed for celebrations.
want to know another design fail? telling somebody they have a reply to their comment but not letting them know where it is on a page with almost a hundred entries when they try to click on it.
Over half of these are in no way 'design fails' - a lot are a matter of taste/fashion/age and some are downright brilliant. I made it to the end, but it was irritating me more and more!
A lot of these aren't "cringeworthy fails" and it's like... Such a s****y list that I'm questioning this "writer" Robyn Smith more than any of the garbage listed. I mean seriously, come on. You can't even make an accurate title for the content you stole???
Are you this s****y author's alt account
Load More Replies...want to know another design fail? telling somebody they have a reply to their comment but not letting them know where it is on a page with almost a hundred entries when they try to click on it.
Over half of these are in no way 'design fails' - a lot are a matter of taste/fashion/age and some are downright brilliant. I made it to the end, but it was irritating me more and more!
A lot of these aren't "cringeworthy fails" and it's like... Such a s****y list that I'm questioning this "writer" Robyn Smith more than any of the garbage listed. I mean seriously, come on. You can't even make an accurate title for the content you stole???
Are you this s****y author's alt account
Load More Replies...
