What Were They Thinking - 65 Architectural Fails That Leave You Speechless
From bizarre layouts to unsafe choices, these designs are hard to believe.
Beauty means different things to different people, especially in architecture and interior design. Some dream of sleek, modern homes filled with natural light and massive glass walls.
Others feel more comfortable surrounded by vintage details, patterned wallpaper, and warm wooden interiors that feel straight out of another decade. Taste is personal, and there’s no single rulebook for what makes a space feel right.
That said, there are certain design choices most people would agree should never happen. A bathroom fixture placed in the middle of a kitchen, a staircase that leads straight into a wall, or a carpet interrupted by a random floor drain quickly crosses the line from creative to confusing.
These are the kinds of decisions that make you stop, stare, and wonder how they ever got approved. We gathered a collection of some of the most unforgettable design mistakes ever spotted in homes, offices, and public buildings around the world.
The list features everything from awkward layouts to solutions that look genuinely unsafe. Each example proves that having a big budget or professional tools doesn’t always guarantee good results.
Scrolling through these photos is both shocking and entertaining. You may laugh, cringe, or feel secondhand embarrassment for the people who paid for these projects. One thing is certain: these spaces make a strong case for double-checking plans before construction begins.
"Guess Who Set The Alarm Off At The Movie Theatre Today. Men’s Room Was Around The Corner And Down A Hall"
Gaijinloco"The Hotel I'm Staying At Features A Glass-Ceilinged Men's Toilet Right Below The Main Entrance"
teeso"Bathroom And Kitchen Combined"
JopeliH
"Knee-Height Microwave Is Extremely Annoying To Use"
grambocrackah
"Wheelchair Ramp Or M. C. Escher?"
robitstudios
"Hideaway Bathroom Behind Stairwell"
MrTacocaT12345
"Long Invisible Steps"
roman_pokora
"10 Year Old Me Lighting Up Any Room In The Sims"
SilverSkilo
"One. Single. Blind"
ahgueso
"The Place I’m Staying Has Running Water On Top Of A Cabinet That Doesn’t Have A Sink"
Carrmann
"My Soul Just Fell Down These Stairs"
NerdyBirdyAZ
"Stairway To Heck"
Catalina_whine_fixer
"Innovative Water Trap Disguised As Public Seating"
Nohokun
"Beach House With An Amazing View... Of Their Fireplace. Literally Across The Street From The Ocean"
Old_Competition_6047
"Somebody's House Down The Block"
No-Car4760
"A Combination No One Has Ever Wanted. So Awful I Had To Make My First Post"
MrMago0
"This Sink Drips Water Like Rain, It Is All One Pipe With Holes So If One Person Uses It Wastes Enough Water For 5 People And Doesn’t Even Provide A Steady Stream"
Toxic_Don
"Accidentally Locked Myself In A Room With No Doorknob In School"
SzpakLabz
"Sink. And No, There Is No Dishwasher"
Ziiar
"Do You Like My Kitchen Stage?"
Last_Pay_8447
"My Local Park Benches Made Of Stainless Steel. Too Cold To Sit On In Winter, Too Hot To Sit On In Summer"
TheHyperFlame
"What Could Go Wrong! (Btw It’s Pitch Black Until You Hit The Light Switch)"
Potential_Lock_5212
"I Give You The Tale Of The Crooked Banister"
pronoialover
"Idk How To Feel About This"
killianbones
"Someone Has Definitely [Urinated] In These Sinks Before"
kronograf
"Carpet Around The Drain Is Crazy"
reddit user
"A Room I Booked In Belgium"
bigb123b
"This 'Sink' In My Swedish Hotel Room"
elevencharles
"This Toilet At The Hotel I Went To."
Independent-Eagle296
"Holy Grail Of Bathroom Doors, No Lock On Outside Door Either"
Ok_Imagination_6130
"At A Hotel I Am Staying At In Johannesburg. Cool Idea, But [A Pain] For Anyone In A Wheelchair!"
ManFromPerth
"Who Doesn’t Love Having Soggy Loo Roll From People Washing Their Hands"
DryChip8763
"This Stove In A Premium Airbnb"
itsbeachjustice
"German Engineering"
ZeyHD
"I Was Wondering Why I Kept Ending Up On The 4th Floor After Pressing 2"
ChrysisIgnita
"I Have So Many Questions"
Anirban_Sikder
"This Was Not A Fun Experience."
Atkinator1
"$1800/Mo 1 Bedroom Apartment In NJ"
DingusTardo
"My Landlords' Carpenter” Hooked Us Up With This Beauty Today"
jamesross801
"Just... How? How Would You Even Utilize This??"
reddit.com
"User-Friendly Pool Ladder"
reddit.com
"Bathroom Window" In Our 12 People Airbnb (Toilet‘s To The Left, Also In Plain Sight)"
anbeli_
"Sinks That Look Like Urinals Mext To The Actual Urinals... At A Beer Garden. If You Need A Sign, It's Crappy Design"
OldManOfAaron
"Hand Dryers On Matt Painted Walls"
cantaffordacar
"Impossible To Plug Anything Into This Hotel Lamp Outlet."
cyberchief
"This Bathroom Design... Chef Kiss"
Ashkoshbagosh
"Water Faucet In Hotel Chain Makes Washing Hands Incredibly Frustrating"
DustinKli
"This „Bench“ That’s As Comfortable As You’d Expect"
DankAizawa
"I Hope You Appreciate Your Paper Towel Airborne! Someone Installed A High Velocity Hand Dryer Right Above The Garbage Bin."
robjob08
"Oh Wow What A Great Table"
dankun-donuts
"Roof Of University Building Intentionally Leaks Water, And It Spatters Everywhere"
DaanA_147
"ATM In The Wall And Window Of A 1690 Building"
Sagaincolours
"Nice Spot For Scenery"
DifficultAd5175
"It In Middle Of Your Face And Can't Use The Mirror."
Phenix53
"Accident Waiting To Happen"
poeepo
"These Storage Steps In A Homemade Tiny Home Look Like An Accident Waiting To Happen"
ThorWinchester
"When A Beam Blocks The Toilet Door"
reddit.com
"Hotel Bathroom Sink With Barely Enough Room For Your Hands Because The Spouts Are Too Long/Low"
JealousVegemite
"Benches Designed By Someone Who Hates The Concept Of Sitting Down"
Actual_Count_6391
"Sidewalk Engineering"
sandiego256
"Found This Beauty At My Local College"
GelatinSkeleton3
"This Restroom Layout At My Local Legion"
UrAvrgCanadian
"Stairway To Plumbing And Coax Cable Management Heaven"
Typ0r8r
"The Bottom Drawer On Every Dresser Looks Like It Isn’t Fully Pushed In Even Though It Is At This Hotel"
FrankDonato28
"My School Locker Can’t Even Fit My Backpack Because Of Those Shelves"
zucclivan
Personal taste will always shape how we see design, but some mistakes go far beyond preference. These examples show what happens when creativity isn’t balanced with common sense.
They are funny, confusing, and sometimes uncomfortable to look at, yet they remind us that good design should first make everyday life easier, not harder.
