171 Times Homes Had Such Awful Interiors, It Was Unclear What The Designers Were Thinking

Call the Aesthetics Police because we’ve got a crime spree to report. They say there’s no arguing about taste, but there are some truly awful design decisions out there. They don’t just ask to be judged, they demand it. ‘Quirky and unique’ don’t quite cut it anymore.

We like to think that we’ve got a good eye for quality designs. And on the flip side, we think we know what best to avoid when decorating your home. That’s why our team here at Bored Panda has put together this list of the very worst home interior design fails. Some of these are so epic, they’re bound to make your inner designer wince. Check out the best of the worst, and remember to give the pics you hate with a burning passion a big old upvote.

Read on for Bored Panda’s in-depth interview about our sense of aesthetics, how it forms, and how we can develop it. Spoiler warning: nobody is ever truly lost, no matter how bad their current sense of style might be.

Meanwhile, if you find yourselves in the mood for some jaw-droppingly horrific design ‘solutions,’ take a look through Bored Panda’s recent articles about them right here, here, and here.

#1 This Bathroom With Too Many Stairs

Image credits: bgwinup

#2 This Combination Of Staircase, Cellar And Bathroom Gets Worse Every Second You Look At It

Image credits: GdoubleWB

#3 Can't Stop Thinking About This Sink

Image credits: aprilcotz

Bored Panda reached out for a chat about aesthetics and developing our sense for it with pie artist Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin. She is the author of 'Pies Are Awesome: The Definitive Pie Art Book’ and has made a career from putting her great sense of aesthetics to use in the kitchen. Her work is as much about design as it is about delicious baked goods.

We were curious to get her take on whether or not good taste is something that we can develop or if we’re born with it, and how subjective she thinks our sense of aesthetics really is.

“Our sense of taste is a product of our upbringing and the people and content we are exposed to throughout our life, particularly during our formative years,” artist Jessica explained to Bored Panda how we develop our aesthetic tendencies.

#4 I Raise You Carpet Wall Bathroom

Image credits: LukeV18

#5 This Shower At My Airbnb

Image credits: daredelvis421

#6 Have A Good Sleep

Image credits: Flyingfox178

“Different cultures, different families, different peer groups place different value on different aesthetic conventions. If we want to ‘fit in’ with whatever group we are affiliating with, we tend to morph our own personal tastes to match that of the group,” she said that we tend to sacrifice a part of our taste to better adapt to our new social circle.

“But what if we don’t want to ‘fit in’ and conform our taste to match the crowd? Well, that’s where things get interesting,” Jessica mused.

She said that we start developing a truly personal sense of aesthetics when we start looking at different types of design, learning about various artists and artistic movements, listening to different types of music, and reading fresh new authors whose books we usually wouldn’t flip open.

#7 Bottom Side Of The Stairs. Just Why

Image credits: vinylas

#8 Nice Paint Job On The Cabinets But Why Purple

Image credits: AstronomicalCat

#9 My House Has Many Of These Architect Flaws (I Live In Brazil), One Of Them Is The Flaw In The Ceiling Of The Living Room's Stairs That Makes My Mom's Bathroom Have Stairs

Image credits: Louas52

“Once a person has, for whatever reason, decided to expand their horizons beyond what is naturally presented to them in their immediate circles then something magical happens: their true ‘personal taste’ begins to coalesce,” the aesthete said.

“We may be born into a family/community that places a high value on exploring different aesthetic forms and embarking on journeys of personal discovery. We may be born into a family/community that punishes any deviation beyond the accepted norms,” Jessica told Bored Panda.

“But we always have the choice to learn about something new. Taste may always be somewhat subjective, but the more forms of aesthetic content we seek out and allow ourselves to be exposed to, the better our shot at claiming that elusive, “good taste” badge!

#10 Someone Played Cat's Cradle With These Heating Pipes

Image credits: AhegaoSuckingUrDick

#11 You Have To Step Over The Bathtub To Get Between The Toilet And The Sink

Image credits: Mococe

#12 What Was The Point Of This Again

Image credits: colorfulsoul_

According to Tim Antoniuk from the University of Alberta, it’s up to the designer to ensure the client’s project turns out well and that the builders turn their vision into reality.

“Everything, in my view, rests in the designer's hand. This is why some of the most outstanding designers in the world have such a deep knowledge of materials, manufacturing processes, of the problems that can happen during installation,” the Associate Professor of Design Studies told Bored Panda during an earlier interview.

#13 Lars Ulrich

Image credits: miguelopop

#14 Fleshy Shower

Image credits: lalavilala

#15 My Grandparent’s Carpeted Bathroom

Image credits: Iamwallpaper

"It's hard, but that's why the best designers get paid so well for their outstanding work. They do great design/aesthetic work, but they also create efficiencies and they foresee and spot (some) problems from happening."

Essentially, this means that the designer has a huge responsibility when it comes to making sure the house is designed well. And that means being on-site, often. "Many jobs can not just stop because a designer is not onsite or is not able to be reached. That said, builders need to honor the designer's vision, but again, if there is 'fuzziness' in the drawings or plans, decisions will be made by people that we may not want to make them."

#16 Stairs To More Stairs

Image credits: madethisjustforpewds

#17 Stairs Retrofitted Into Old House Are A Death Trap

Image credits: Wynton99

#18 When They Said "Half-Bath", I Wasn't Expecting This

Image credits: ArmyMPSides

In Tim’s view, designers need to focus on good and clear communication, doing great drawings and visuals, and constantly educating themselves in the field of construction while keeping on top of any important changes. “We exist in a field that is ever-changing with the introduction of new materials, new construction requirements, and restrictions," he said.

#19 Privacy? Never Heard Of It. Only Showers With Full Viewing Windows In This House

Image credits: ctomp8

#20 The Intersection Of Three Rooms At My New Place

Image credits: spsajewski13

#21 One Closet. 6 Feet Above The Ground And No Stairs To Get To It. Why?

Image credits: RussiannTaco

Previously, Tim from the University of Alberta explained to Bored Panda that there are objectively good and bad interior design decisions. Not everything is subjective. Though that doesn’t mean that our sense of taste is unimportant. In fact, it’s what causes a gray area between quality and a lack of it in interior design.

#22 Okay, What The Hell

Image credits: reddit.com

#23 My Grandparents Have A Fish Pond In Their Living Room

Image credits: brokentelescope

#24 Well You Asked For A Kitchen Island Didn’t You?

Image credits: foxrealtyaustin

"The gray area comes in when people start to talk about taste and about degrees of aesthetic. I may love the design of Bauhaus furniture, for example, while somebody may feel that it is too cold and void of personality. Not unlike great art, I believe that much of what came from this era is ‘great design,’ in part because it represents an era and a philosophy. When we start to mix in discussions of taste and preference, that is where the gray areas of good and bad design get blurred,” he said.

#25 Studio Apartment. No Thanks

Image credits: Cyanidesuicideml

#26 My Parents' Bathroom Is On A Platform Next To An Angled Ceiling So You Hit Your Head Every Time... And It Has A Telephone

Image credits: Bdipentima

#27 The Builders Decided That They Wanted This Bannister To Clip Through The Wall

Image credits: the_nugget77

According to the expert, we can intuitively tell if a particular design is good or not. "Quite often, this relates to ergonomics and the usability or functionality of the products and services and systems. Having said that, I think far too many people expect poor design that doesn’t really work well," he said.

"For me, great design is what Dieter [Rams] talks about—it is also intuitive, it is deeply sympathetic and empathetic to the user at all levels, and at some level, it is emotional. It is a catalyst for giving us feelings."

#28 My Uncle's House Got A Bathroom Without A Door, Literally The First Thing You See When You Enter The House

Image credits: muurilin

#29 This Bathroom In A House I Was Shown By My Realtor

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#30 You Can Take A Bath And Die Immediately

Image credits: the_geek_next_door

#31 Fish Scale Stairs At My Grandma's

Image credits: BumperTABBY21

#32 My Eyes Are Hurting Me

Image credits: MyMomSaysIAmCool

#33 My House Has A Working Toilet At The Top Of The Basement Stairs

Image credits: litriod

#34 "Don't Come Down The Stairs! I'm Pooping"

Image credits: Chomilk23

#35 An Apartment In London That Has No Front Door. Just A Set Of Stairs Leading Up To A Window

Image credits: Lord-Crimble

#36 Because Having Two Staircases Is Better Then One In The Bathroom. Toilet Is Behind The Wall On The Left

Image credits: mrhealthy

#37 Let Me Just Hop Into The Bathtub To Fill/Empty The Washing Machine. No Problem

Image credits: Sami Kuhmonen

#38 We Have A Really Small Radiator In Our House

Image credits: Arre90000

#39 Ice Fishing In Your Bathroom

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#40 Sacred Resource

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#41 Nice View Isn’t It?

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#42 Part Three Of Things In My House At Annoy The Hell Out Of Me

Image credits: Locos_Tacos4

#43 Some Maniac's Bathroom Tile

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#44 The Lamp Prevents The Cupboard From Fully Opening In My New Apartment

Image credits: 88miyou88

#45 Room Was Advertised As Having An Ensuite. Because There's Nothing I'd Like Better Than Having The Toilet Actually In The Bedroom

Image credits: Verzhal

#46 Beautiful

Image credits: imakethefilms

#47 Refrigerator Island?

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#48 Man Opening The Curtains Of His Windowless Hotel Room

Image credits: imgur.com

#49 It's Going In The Corner One Way Or Another

Image credits: randomactsofkari

#50 The White Is Actually A Part Of The Marble Floor

Image credits: SatanistPenguin

#51 This Is A Bad Idea

Image credits: reddit.com

#52 Guest (In-Laws) Bathroom

Image credits: IAMmojo

#53 DC Condos Really Pretend That This Is Ok (5'7" Man For Scale)

Image credits: cosinetangentini

#54 This Is Apparently A Clean Wash Basin

Image credits: Won_dream

#55 The Outlets Are All At Different Heights In My Mom's Apartment

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#56 The Family I Work For Just Renovated Their Home And This Was The Can Light Configuration They Ended Up With That I Get To Be Annoyed By Every Day

Image credits: airyfairyfarts

#57 Don't Come Stumbling In This House Drunk At Night. As Seen On Zillow

Image credits: togish

#58 Good Thing That Door Is There To… Ummm, I Don't Know

Image credits: ermahgerdMEL

#59 Old Estonian Apartment

Image credits: Andreas2Leetsar

#60 Why Cut The Door When You Can Cut The Carpet. Found In Basement Of A Friend’s Newly Bought House

Image credits: mattrowskayaks

#61 This Outlet + Radiator Configuration Is Everywhere In This House. Why

Image credits: CASR410

#62 The Bathroom In A House I Spent My Vacation In

Image credits: LoganCrimson

#63 Shower Curtain On The Other Side Of The Shower In The Bedroom

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#64 Luxurious Apartment For Student

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#65 Who Comes Up With This Stuff?

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#66 This Chandelier At A Restaurant I Ate At Bothers Me So Much

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#67 You Can Take A Shower And Don’t Worry That You Will Miss Pizza Delivery

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#68 Staircase Beautified With Loose Boulders And A Broken Pelvis

Image credits: SteveCalloway

#69 Flat For Sale In Kiyv, Ukraine

Image credits: imgur.com

#70 I Feel Like It's A Safety Hazard

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#71 Not What I Had In Mind For A Double Vessel Sink

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#72 A Lovely Chicago Apartment Bathroom

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#73 A+ For Being Ingenious

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#74 Installed The Toilet, Boss

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#75 Everything About This Bathroom Is Wrong

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#76 This Pebble River

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#77 Hotel Shower Has No Edges So It Floods. Door Has Water Damage

Image credits: SolarMoth

#78 The Stairs To The Attic In My Old House Built During WW2 Is In The Bathroom. Luckily I Live Alone

Image credits: MulleDK19

#79 Crappy Design Indeed

Image credits: R1SECSGO

#80 “Puddle Mirror”

Image credits: chocotaco3030

#81 This Bathroom I Saw While Looking For A House

Image credits: YellowOnline

#82 These Stairs

Image credits: Nobody259

#83 This Is Just So Tacky And Unappealing

Image credits: Rod Selva

#84 May I Present To You: The Weird Stairs At My House

Image credits: Trashadonna

#85 These Stairs In My Sister's House Are A Joy To Use

Image credits: SlumberingParrot

#86 My Dad Moved To A New House In Vegas. This Is The Light Switch For My Room. It's Avant Garde I Swear

Image credits: yishujiaa

#87 Is Ok. No Water Will Come Out

Image credits: powder_gwn

#88 Found While House Hunting. This House Is Clearly Plagued By Malevolent Spirits

Image credits: Wet_Sasquatch_Smell

#89 I Don't Think I Need To Explain This One

Image credits: DudeGamerDario

#90 I Like I Like His Her What

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#91 This Tiny Gap, Where My Wedding Ring Now Lives

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#92 Is This Hell

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#93 It Finally Happened To Me. I Found A Carpeted Bathroom

Image credits: Aurorannnn

#94 Invisible Step At My Parents' New House That Has Injured 4 Of My Family

Image credits: Vindicore

#95 This Was The First Thing I Saw, When I Came To My Friend's House

Image credits: Honzin_CZ1

#96 The Games Room In My Friend's Grandparents' House

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#97 Four Doors, One Corner. Left To Right: Closet Door, Door Leading To Bathroom From Living Room, Door Leading To Bathroom From Bedroom, Bedroom Door

Image credits: rflohoe

#98 This Gap In The Bedroom Wall

Image credits: felixd_h

#99 When The Architect, Engineer, Interior Designer, Fail To Communicate

Image credits: a-wayne45

#100 Princess Potty

Image credits: imgur.com

#101 Convenient

Image credits: Lugna1298

#102 This Stovetop

Image credits: A_z_z_a

#103 This Bedding Set With A Romantic Rose Bud Print

Image credits: reddit.com

#104 Strange Bathroom

Image credits: hthechemist

#105 Oh, What A Cute House For Sale. Aaaaahhhhh What?

Image credits: thebeerbabe

#106 Multitasking

Image credits: C2AYM4Y

#107 My Toes Tend To Get A Little Cold At Night

Image credits: reddit.com

#108 $500 Per Week Excluding Expenses. Close To Shops

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#109 Guillotine Urinal

Image credits: Fantastic World

#110 These Drawers In My New House

Image credits: abigailw13

#111 Just Noticed This In The Living Room

Image credits: jj_poophouse

#112 That’s It, I Am Architecture And Home Design Shaming

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#113 Technically You Can Close It But

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#114 Seriously?

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#115 Great Place For A Toilet

Image credits: elpaw

#116 Bring Your Horse To Work Day

Image credits: pleasehatethesethings

#117 The Perfect Place To Store 15 Years Worth Of Dust

Image credits: pleasehatethesethings

#118 This Six Inch Wide Triangle Window In A Stairwell On My Campus. Just Why?

Image credits: KamikazeBeaverShark

#119 Having My Bathroom Remodelled And They Installed My Shower At Less Than Knee Height

Image credits: MrHuk

#120 This Apartment I Used To Live In Where The Door And Toilet Had Trouble Coexisting

Image credits: strumthebuilding

#121 This Non-Adjustable Shower Head Holder That's Set Up To Spray The Water Directly Outward Across The Bathroom

Image credits: Mish106

#122 Bathroom Open To House And Visible From The Entryway

Image credits: chiII_piII

#123 You Can't Really See The Step

Image credits: NoahSpielt

#124 The Arch In My Hallway Doesn’t Quite Cover Up The Stairs In My House

Image credits: yeetatron6900

#125 My College Has A Bathroom With A Toilet On A Mini Stage

Image credits: AlaskaDota

#126 This Flat's Bathroom Up For Rent

Image credits: Abula_Conundrum

#127 The Placement Of My Toilet Makes It Physically Impossible For A Toilet Covering

Image credits: Poopyheaf3457865

#128 This Shelf In My House Is Blocked By The Toilet

Image credits: pleasedontsmurf

#129 Can't Close The Bathroom Door In The Hotel Room I Just Stayed In, It Hits The Toilet

Image credits: cl8855

#130 This Disgusting Arch In My Friend's House

Image credits: BugGenocide

#131 This Half-Eaten Post On My Staircase

Image credits: BulgersInYourCup42

#132 This Sink At My Uncle's House

Image credits: awadsam88

#133 So My Cousin Bought A New House And This Is One Of The Two Bathrooms

Image credits: Nuker1000000000

#134 My Mom's House Has A Complete Dip In The Floor. I Can't Tell You How Many Times I've Tripped

Image credits: XxObamaYoMamaxX

#135 Bathroom In Airbnb's Party House Doesn't Have Shower Cabin Or Elevated Water Drainage Which Leaves Whole Room Flooded After Showering

Image credits: doxara

#136 This Airbnb In Warsaw Had Completely Useless Curtains In The Living Room. Who Needs Privacy Anyway?

Image credits: ejaksla

#137 Living Room Bath Anyone?

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#138 My Friend's Stairway To His Bedroom

Image credits: JickityJackJJ

#139 My Bedroom Hallway Door. It Opens, Just Looks Really Bad

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#140 Cozy

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#141 The New Homeoffice, Where Important Executives Take Care Of All Manner Of Their Business?

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#142 Door Gone Wrong

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#143 Have You Ever Been Working On Something And Stopped Giving A Thing About Half Way Through?

Image credits: reddit.com

#144 In My Hotel Room, I Can Either Close The Closet Or The Bathroom, But Not Both At The Same Time

Image credits: whycantusonicwood

#145 I Guess There Is No Need To Turn On The Light

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#146 Convenient When Everything Is In One Place

Image credits: UselessGadget

#147 Let’s Hear It For Amber And Tiffani Coming Up On The Main Stage Next

Image credits: pleasehatethesethings

#148 When You’re 8’7”, 150 Lbs

Image credits: pleasehatethesethings

#149 Some People Are Feeling Lonelier In Quarantine Than Others

Image credits: pleasehatethesethings

#150 My Dorm’s Bug Screens Have Gaps On All Of Them

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#151 Took Me Five Tries To Read

Image credits: The_Gold_Phoenix65

#152 (Left) Oh Look How Cute The Natural Light In This Hotel Shower Flows In Through This Window. (Right) The View From The Bed At 4AM When My Wife Has To Pee

It lights up the whole room.

Image credits: mightyfldad

#153 What Kind Of Monster Would Do Something Like This

Image credits: Drunken_Economis

#154 My Grandmother's Bathroom Is An Abomination

Image credits: dtquin16

#155 Can't Open The Drawer Because The Handle Blocks It (The Same Thing Happens With The Drawer On The Right)

Image credits: WelshTurtle69

#156 Sofa Sleeper Can’t Come Out Fully Because Of The Fridge And Microwave Cabinet Right In Front

Image credits: faiqelite5

#157 This Hotel I Stayed In Built The Wall Around The Window

Image credits: Noisegarden135

#158 I Was Browsing House/Apartment Rentals When I Saw This Monstrosity Of A Shower. How Does Anyone Even Use This?

Image credits: reddit.com

#159 It Is Like This In Minecraft When You Miscalculate And You Are Left With This. Expect This Is Irl At My Friend's House. You Have To Duck Down Half Way Up The Stairs

Image credits: benxvarga

#160 Is It A Bathroom In The Bedroom Or A Bed In The Bathroom?

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#161 Ronnie's Kitchen

Image credits: Bababooeey_noine

#162 Alternate Placement For Toilet Roll Holder

Image credits: VerGuy

#163 The Door That Never Should've Been. Let Alone The Handrail - It Would've Opened Onto The Stairs

Image credits: DRUMS_

#164 Very Well Planned

Image credits: dagsommer

#165 Searching For An Apartment Today And Ran Across This Picture. I Think I'll Pass

Image credits: imgur.com

#166 Just Installed My New Radiator

Image credits: RyanSamuel

#167 That Symmetry

Image credits: KormendyTrott

#168 I’ll Just Trip Then

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#169 Couples Toilet

Image credits: imgur.com

#170 Why?

Image credits: lindadeegotmebanned

#171 Wall Mounts Are Overated

Image credits: ItsLikeDat