17 Cringeworthy Design Fails That Are So Bad, They’re Funny

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 some just hurt your eyes. Pictolic has put together our personal favorites. Keep scrolling for a feast of fabulous fails, and don't forget to upvote the ones that leave you stunned.

17 PHOTOS

#1

#2

The amount of skill it took to do this is insane

#3

Mom finally cashed in her Marlboro Miles

The brains behind the Insta page is a qualified interior designer. Eric Dillman has a few social media accounts and a podcast. Dillman got his Bachelor's degree in Interior Design from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. And started his first design account in 2018. “I was at the start of my career and wasn’t getting any good leads from my first job and wanted to market myself and get my customers,” Dillman told Canvas Rebel.

“Within the first month, I had my customer and ever since then, I have just grown my online presence. I went from an inspirational home renovation page to my business design page... my networking events, and my podcast.” Dillman's podcast “Pro Series with Eric Dillman” sees him interview professionals from the design, construction, and real estate industries, as well as stars from home design television shows.

#4

When you open like 8 tabs by mistake

#5

Everyone kept hitting their heads as they walked down my stairs, so I hung a sign as a warning

#6

Imagine forgetting that Gramma's on the porch

Dillman said when he started, he posted products that he loved or materials that he had designed. Eventually, he got to the point where he was able to post work he’d done for clients. Dillman wasn’t expecting the events of 2020, much like many of the rest of us. On top of the disaster that was COVID-19, the content creator had to deal with his Instagram account being hacked. It was a turning point in his journey.

#7

#8

A hotel in Germany uses 3D carpets to keep guests from running in the hallway.

#9

In this bathroom, I would not know whether to wash my hands or open the chamber of secrets

“In June of 2020, I was working from home and got an email saying my account (at the time I was around 15k followers) was hacked and I had to pay a payment to get it back. At first, I thought it was a joke, so I checked my Instagram app and I no longer had access,” said Dillman. After an uphill battle to get his account back, he eventually hired someone to help him.

#10

This is why I have trust issues

#11

Imagine being drunk and walking into this bathroom

#12

What a great way to break a neck

“I knew this brand meant something to me, but I didn’t know how much until I lost it. When I lost it I wasn’t going to take no for an answer or give up. I am forever grateful for the help I received,” said a relieved Dillman, adding that he realized immediately that he needed to "up his game" on social media.

#13

#14

Gonna turn this Pizza Hut into a Pizza Home

#15

Home remodeling is my passion

Up until then, he hadn’t featured on his podcast. It was merely professionals answering the questions he put to them. Dillman discussed his turning point during an interview with Bold Journey. “Once 2020 came, I knew I needed to put myself more on my content,” he revealed. He decided to turn his podcast into an IGTV show and released a new episode every few weeks.

“I was lucky enough to have a lot of HGTV stars, and some very high-up people in the design industry in the very early days of this show. At the end of 2021 I had some requests to make this into a podcast given it's already in that format,” he said.

#16

Oh my God

#17