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50 Times Common Sense Went Over The Heads Of These Interior Designers
Good design is about finding the delicate yet pleasing balance between form and function. Though a lot depends on what you want to get done, a good rule of thumb is to keep your designs simple, so that they’re easily understood, practical, and aesthetic. But some people throw the rulebook out the window into the dumpster. And then they wing it.
Even though bad home interior designs are something you should practice social distancing from, you can’t deny that they can be hilarious… as long as it’s not your home we’re talking about! Bored Panda wanted to make you laugh and feel better about having to stay in your lovely home during the lockdown, so we’re bringing you the funniest, most facepalm-worthy interior design fails that prove common sense is actually quite rare.
Are you in the mood for some more horrendous examples of design? Well, once you’re done scrolling through this list and upvoting your fave horrible design pics, we invite you to check out earlier posts about design fails here, here, and here.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Steps That You Can't See
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#2
Up The Drain It Goes
#3
My Uncle's House Got A Bathroom Without A Door, Literally The First Thing You See When You Enter The House
Designer Dieter Rams is one of the world’s brightest experts when it comes to design that’s done well. Back in the 1970s, he said that the world was full of “an impenetrable confusion of forms, colors, and noises” and then went on to create his 10 principles for good design. In our opinion, he expressed timeless rules that are as important now as they were back then.
For Rams, good design has to be innovative but also useful. It can’t sacrifice form or function for one or the other: it has to be a blend of both. If a product is self-explanatory, even better! That goes for designs everywhere—if something is over-designed, it can create confusion.
#4
My Friend's Under-The-Stairs "Bathroom" Where The Toilet Is Diagonal And Partially Installed Into The Carpeted Wall
#5
Can't Stop Thinking About This Sink
#6
Kitchen Made By A Sofa Maker
Similarly, Rams argues that good design is honest, long-lasting, friendly to the environment, has a shelf life longer than current trends, and does away with non-essentials. In short, aim for purity. Show the essence of the design. Do away with what’s unnecessary. More is less.
However, we’re not the only ones who think that bad designs can be a lot of fun (and not just a warning about what to avoid doing). The founders of the Ugly Design Instagram page, Jonas Nyffenegger and Sébastien Mathys, told Bored Panda in an earlier interview that bad designs jump out at people from the screen and grab their attention.
#7
At Least You Don't Have To Reach For It
#8
The Almighty Toilet Throne
#9
All It Needs Is A Jukebox And A Soda Fountain
What’s more, atrocious designs also keep on surprising people. Just when you think you’ve reached the bottom of the (Un)Aesthetic Abyss, you realize that it was just the tip of the Iceberg of Bad Taste. What’s more, the founders pointed out that the world would be a very boring place if everything looked tasteful and nice.
#10
Imagine Having To Scrub Or Clean It
Truth Monster 5 years ago
so if you filled in the gaps with an epoxy resin, it might be cool, but this looks impossible to keep clean as it is.
#11
I Almost Fell Down And Rolled My Ankle On This
#12
New Kitchen Style
#13
Why Is There Wood Separating The Hallway In Half
#14
Yup, The Fridge Fit Boss
#15
My Parents Have A Bathroom With Carpet That Goes Up The Bathtub Walls. Bonus Points For The Terrible Wallpaper
#16
Who Says Crown Molding Is Overdone?
#17
I Think My Stairs Fit Here
#18
Middle Class Fridge. Lower Class Aesthetic
#19
It's Not A Mirror, It's A Doorway
#20
A Shower Designed To Be As Hard To Stand In As Possible
Kisses4Katie 5 years ago
Lemme just cling to this rock like a derpmaid while water runs over my body
#21
This Bathroom Covered In Carpet
#22
This Single Square Inch Of Raised Carpet Complete With Lining
#23
I Can Just Imagine The Whole House Shaking Like Crazy
#24
Wash Your Hands You Animals
#25
Imagine Trying To Piss While Drunk
#26
These Stairs Leading To A Bedroom Loft
#27
My Friend Just Finished A Kitchen Remodel
#28
Prayers For The Contractor Who Had To Call These Homeowners And Explain They Needed A Second Set Of Front Doors Because. Math
#29
Today My Mom Hit Her Toe With This And Was Bleeding. I Hate This Kitchen So Much
#30
Why Is The Big Face Bleeding, Why The Monkey, Just Why
#31
This Shower Has Blinds Instead Of Curtains
#32
This "Form Over Function" Kitchen In My Apartment
#33
Social Distancing Looking A Lot Like Being Married For 10+ Years
#34
Toilet Room Design
#35
8000 Magic Cards Covering 39m²
#36
This Staircase Bathroom
#37
Why: 1. They Put In A Sliding Door To A Bedroom. 2. They Placed Curtains On The Outside Of It. 3. They Also Placed The Lock On The Outside
#38
This Entire Kitchen’s Counters And Backsplash Are Covered With This “Faux Mold” Tile
#39
Imagine Being A Firefighter And Entering A Dark Smoke-Filled House From The Outside Through This Window
#40
Is It Possible To Change This?
#41
This Throne Room
#42
Neck Pain And A Head Injury Anyone?
#43
My Grandma’s Bathroom
Stephanie Did It 5 years ago
I bought a used mobile home with the garden tub carpeted exactly like this. They attached the carpet with a staple gun and 49,000 staples. Took me forever to get them all out and toss the nasty carpet.
#44
The Bathroom Door Of The New Place My Girlfriend And I Just Moved Into. I Was Sat At The Dining Table When I Took This
Stephanie Did It 5 years ago
That's clearly an exterior door on that bathroom, it even has a deadbolt lock!
#45
The Queen’s Seat
#46
Clean Entrance
Helen Haley 5 years ago
This looks practical for farmhouses and the like for a back door, walk in, wash off all the mud, keep moving. It is like next level mud room.
#47
The Raised Cutout Of This Ceiling Doesn’t Allow The Fan To Suck In Any Air
#48
These Tiles That Are Designed Pre-Worn And Dirty
#49
How Would Any Of This Work
wandile dludlu 5 years ago
It's a horrible design, but it will work. steam doesn't care if something is perpendicular or what
#50
Creativity
The 5-star rated 5-star rating system 5 years ago
Why is the toilet diagonal? Have fun sitting there with that corner digging into your leg.
#51
By The Light Of The Mac And Cheese Lantern
Capelli rosa e patate 5 years ago
Imagine if that was where Jadis threw the lamppost in The Magician’s Nephew? Instead of narnia you’ve got a really concerned landlord 😂
#52
Surprised It Is Not Red From Blood
#54
This Bathroom With Too Many Stairs
#55
These Curtains That Look Like Cigarettes - Perfect For The Smoking Room
#56
This Bathroom In My Dad's New House. I’m 6’1”. The Room Is So Short They Had To Cut Holes In The Ceiling Over The Toilet And Sink So You Can Stand Up
#57
Found This While Bored And Looking At Houses I Can't Afford
#58
The “Pants House” That’s Always For Sale In My Neighborhood. Every Room Has More Pants
Are those load-bearing pants by the bar?
#59
I Present My Apartment's 1/3 Outlet
#60
If You Walk On The Right You Fall Down A Staircase
#61
Living In This Apartment For Almost A Year And Something Has Always Felt A Little "Off" About The Bathroom. Turns Out The Entire Room Is Horribly Crooked, Even The Doorway
#62
This Chunk Of Stairs That Pokes Out Of The Wall At My Work
#63
It's A Justin Bieber Couch
#64
I Wonder Who Had This Bright Idea
J. Zingler 5 years ago
In Germany you would lose you license as an electrician for building this, accepting it or even paying for it.
#65
Oh Well
#66
The Toilet Paper Roll Holder In My New Apartment Is Inside The Shower Curtain
#67
The Basement Entrance Of Our House (I Am 178 Cm)
#68
If You Roll Over You Die
#69
Can’t Stand To Shower. Can’t Fully Open The Cabinet Doors. Can’t Stand In Front Of The Sink
Helen Haley 5 years ago
So you trip over toilet trying to get away from the sink, hook the back of your skull on the hooks, and bleed out in the tub. This is less interior decorating, more premeditated homicide.
#70
"Honey, The Turkey Is Done, Go Get The Ladder"
#71
Remarkable Wall Desing In The Toilet Room
#72
I Was Told There Would Be An Outlet In This Bathroom Before I Moved In
Riani Kivela 5 years ago
Have you tried drawing plugs for the things you need to use in there?
#73
The Spiral Stairs At My House. I'm Barely 5'7"
#74
Only In Texas
Stephanie Did It 5 years ago
We have Texas-shaped EVERYTHING here, including Texas shaped corn chips. Not kidding.
#75
It’s All Fun And Roofline Games Until You Have To Figure Out The Floor Plan
#76
Horseshoes On The Ceiling Is A New Level Of Commitment
#77
Did The TV Really Need Its Own Parthenon?
#78
The Rocky Horror Archi Show
#79
I Mean, You Could've Rotated The Toilet But Whatever
#80
I Am Forced To Look At This Every Time I Get Up
Sian Edwards 5 years ago
That's a shame, the ceiling is very pretty and would look fine with the fan, if it was placed properly.
#81
I'm No Contractor Or Interior Designer But, I Think There Is A Better Way
Lily Mae Kitty 5 years ago
why in the world did they think it had to attach to the other one? two separate banisters would make more sense.
#82
Oh Yeah, I Got The Door Hung
#83
This Door Slides Shut Onto A Light Switch
The 5-star rated 5-star rating system 5 years ago
You can now close the door and turn off/on the lights in one action.
#84
We Do Really Loud
#85
Nah, They Don’t Need A Window, Let’s Glue It Shut And Put A Pillar Over It
#86
Who Thought This Was A Good Idea
#87
Is This A Master Bathroom? A Kitchen? Why Is There Carpet?
#88
My New Apartment's Toilet Is So Narrow That Even My Skinny Ass Doesn't Fit In It
#89
3/4 Of An Electrical Outlet
#90
Mosaic
#91
Actual Picture Of A Pillar In My Basement
#92
Our New Bathroom Is Finally Finished
#93
What On God's Green Earth Is This Abomination
#94
I Stubbed My Toe Just Looking At This
#95
A Pole Right In The Middle Of The Kitchen
#96
Done
#97
So My Dad Renovated The Bathroom Upstairs With. Carpet. I Hate It
#98
My Grandma’s Bathroom Is Carpeted
#99
If The Foot Bed Was On The Simpsons
#100
These Stairs At My Grandma's House
Tarcandor 5 years ago
Strange how often these "alternating tread stairs" appear in these 'bad design" posts. They are specifically designed like this to be placed in spots where a regular stair won't fit. Because of their design, you can put in a much steeper stair which still is easy to traverse. When you think about it, your foot-placement is exactly the same as on a regular stair, you just have to start off on the right (correct) foot, so there is no safety issue. (There's one of these at my local climbing gym, used it hundreds of times. without any missteps, even at high speed)
#101
Nothing Says Opulence Quite Like Life-Size Mannequins
#102
This Shit At My Parents House
#103
Kitchen Island
#104
The Corner. The Hellish Corner
#105
Who Doesn't Want To Think About Luggage Over Breakfast? The Entire House Is Luxury Brand Themed. Also: They Mispronounced "Louis Vuitton"
#106
Yes, That's Carpet
#107
The Higher The Mantel, The Closer To - Texas
#108
This Decision
#109
My Family Got A New House And This Is Where They Put The Light Switch For The Stairs
Lily Mae Kitty 5 years ago
that's where the switch always was. at some point they added a banister for safety.
#110
Vent In The Middle Of The Floor
Ivy Ruonakoski 5 years ago
Are these vents an American thing? I have never seen on in real life.
#111
Dorm Was Renovated Over The Summer. I’m Only 5’7
#112
No One Is This In Love
#113
Great Social Distancing
#114
This One Post In The Stairwell At My Apartment Annoys The Heck Out Of Me Everytime I Pass By It
#115
Apartment#: 2020
#116
Carpet In Bathrooms
#117
These Stairs Must Be For Pets And Children Only
Luther von Wolfen 5 years ago
Remember those alternating stairs you hated? They solve problems like this.
#118
June, We Don't Need No Handyman, These Are Easy To Put In
Lily Mae Kitty 5 years ago
imagine being so stupid that you do this instead of exchanging the fan for one that fits the space.
#119
The Shower Was Made For People Literally 3ft Tall
#120
"We're Out Of Material To Finish This Wall". "That's Ok, Just Put A Mirror There Instead"
#121
This Chandelier
#122
Cute Kitchen, Carol
#123
DIY Built-In Toilet
#124
When You Haven't Had A Drink In Five Years But Wake Up Every Morning Hungover
#125
Ok. Here’s My Chance To Show You This
#126
This Apartment Was Advertised As A "Studio With A Balcony"
#127
2, Antler, Two, Three, Four, Five, 6
#128
When The Random Sink Island Isn't The Weirdest Part
#129
This Drawer In My New House's Bathroom
#130
Who Should I Be Upset With- The Designer, Builder, Or Interior Decorator?
Steve Wall 5 years ago
Centralise the mirror within the fireplace and ceiling. Add a tall slim bookcase. 2 slim vases on hearth if fire not used. Enjoy the best of a bad lot :)
#131
Can I Play? Light Switch On My Stair Moulding
#132
Do It Yourself
#133
In Unit Laundry Though
#134
I Was At A Party By A Friend And Saw This In The Toilet Wall
Luther von Wolfen 5 years ago
Every time I took acid, it somehow included a bunch of people in a bathroom being fascinated by the walls. This would've blown minds.
#135
Inception
#136
This Pillar In My Bathroom Eliminates All Leg Room
#137
This Lamp In My Apartment Room That Was Clearly Split In Half
Giovanni Omanand 5 years ago
To show You the power of Flex Tape. . . I sawed this lamp in half!!!
#138
Why Is My House Just Infinite Content For This
#139
I Can't Afford Two Air Conditioner
Robert Catte 5 years ago
I notice that in other places, the green tiles are three apart, but in on place, it is 6 apart. Is that on purpose? 2021-01-06...a6-png.jpg 
#140
Window Without A Window
#141
DIY Fail
#142
I Lived In This House For A Year And Just Noticed This
#143
It Can't Be Opened
Add New Image
What do you think ?
nanashi 5 years ago
I'm having a Fight-or-Flight instinct just looking at these terrible designs from Hell.
Gin. No tonic 5 years ago
Please do not confuse the work of professional designers with anything on this list.
BlahBlahBlackSheepah 5 years ago
The best part of this article may have been the comments. Pandas on fire today
nanashi 5 years ago
I'm having a Fight-or-Flight instinct just looking at these terrible designs from Hell.
Gin. No tonic 5 years ago
Please do not confuse the work of professional designers with anything on this list.
BlahBlahBlackSheepah 5 years ago
The best part of this article may have been the comments. Pandas on fire today
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