When we were kids, my best friends and I thought being interior designers was just like playing The Sims. Oh, how our dreams were quashed when we found out there was no "motherlode" cheat code in real life.
You'd think the 120,000 interior designers currently working in the U.S. would know how to balance limited resources with good taste. Alas, after scrolling through this list, you might lose your hope.
We've scoured the internet for the best of the worst interior design pics we could find. And so, we present to you this list of absurd design choices renters and guests saw and just couldn't help but share.
#1 Sink Attached To The Toilet, Forming A Perfect Slide
Image credits: batataqw89
#2 Rental Where The Combine Bathroom, Toilet & Bedroom In The One Room
Image credits: kawaiipikachu86
#3 Thanks, I Hate Foetus Lamp
Image credits: reddit.com
As you scroll through this list, you might notice a trend: tiny apartments with all the rooms of a house cramped into a one-room, 400-square-foot apartment. It's a phenomenon people have been noticing since the late 2010s.
In 2018, apartment search website RENTCafe conducted a study and found that newly built apartments were 5% smaller than they were in 2008. Studio apartments were getting smaller too: their square footage shrunk by 10%. The size of an average new apartment was 941 square feet in 2018. In 2008, it was 993 square feet.
#4 Saw This Apartment For Rent In San Francisco. Looks Like They Didn’t Have An Architect Involved In The Retrofit
Image credits: reddit.com
#5 Toilet Seat Makes It Looks Like Someone Didn't Quite Make It
Image credits: PanthermalUnderwear
#6 Thanks, I Hate Designer Stairs
Image credits: -NewYork-
Ironically, people were paying more in rent than ever before. During that decade, rent had increased by a whopping 28%. In 2008, people were paying around $950 on average for an apartment that was almost 1,000 square feet. In 2018, an apartment of 941 square feet cost around $1,994. Essentially, people were paying more and getting less.
Sadly, this trend continued during and after the pandemic. In recent years, the average rent increase peaked in 2021 with an 18% year-over-year increase. It slowed down in 2022, although it was still at "above historic levels" with 12.2%, according to experts.
#7 Two Windows Of My Workplace Are Constantly Fighting For The Honor Of Being The One Who Is Going To Be Opened
Image credits: ILikeCheeseSandwich
#8 They Put A Bed, On Top Of The Stairs
Image credits: unfortunatalie
#9 Leg Breaking Stairs
Image credits: kyleparker134
However, there's something to be happy about concerning the latest data. As of August of 2024, the increase of average rent was steady at a low 0.8%. And the average size of apartments doesn't seem to be shrinking anymore, either. In their 2025 report, NETCafe found that studios, one- and two-bedroom apartments got larger, reaching an average of 908 square feet.
#10 The Shower In My Dorm Freshman Year (I'm Only 5'7)
Image credits: xxsoulpunkedxx
#11 Maybe Not Best Design For End Table At Hotel Where You Place Items In The Dark Before Bed
Image credits: Crazy_Love_6265
#12 Who Wouldn’t Want A Ceiling That Looks Like It’s Covered With Hair?
Image credits: im-jared-im-19
Still, people are having trouble finding apartments to rent all over the world. In the UK, it seems nearly impossible to find a reasonably priced flat amid the cost of living crisis. In London alone, average monthly rent prices reached a record high £2,200 in November 2024. National monthly rent in the UK was £1,300.
#13 I Was Looking For The Microwave When It Hit Me… Just Like The Scalding Hot Food In My Face
Image credits: Sammy_clips
#14 Thanks, I Hate These Stairs
Image credits: CEO_Of_Rejection_99
#15 10 Year Old Me Lighting Up Any Room In The Sims:
Image credits: SilverSkilo
Australians are grappling with the same problem, too. SGS Economics & Planning principal Ellen Witte explained in November 2024 that there are households in the biggest cities such as Melbourne and Sydney that would need to pay 75% of their monthly income to be able to afford rent. Researchers dubbed these areas as "critically unaffordable".
#16 The Most Useless Kitchen Drawer
Image credits: self-trepanation
#17 Probably Wouldn't Be Such A Bad Idea If Every Angle Wasn't Slightly Off
Image credits: Any-Classic-5733
#18 Manhattan Apartment Kitchen, $1485 Per Month
Image credits: cbartlett
If you're paying more than half of your monthly salary, a bedroom with a shower or a toilet next to the bed would definitely feel like a punch in the face. These types of dwellings are also called micro apartments. And while not all are expensive, the common characteristic they all share is limited space.
#19 This Was The “Sink” In A Restaurant
Nope, this isn’t a minimalist, avant-garde design. The water just spills off the edges onto the floor, which is why the mop is right there. There isn’t even a drain pipe below this counter.
Image credits: CoolBDPhenom03
#20 $1 Million San Francisco Loft Has Diagonal Support Beam That Cuts Through The Middle Of The Kitchen
Image credits: DewayneJones
#21 The Mirror In My Hotel Room Let’s Anyone Look In On The Bed, Even With The Curtains Close
Image credits: TukTuk-OneLung
Micro apartments are usually recommended for students or professionals who spend very little time at home and can do with basic amenities only. Apartment List writes that micro apartments often have high ceilings and huge windows to make them look bigger than they actually are.
#22 My Hotel Desk Drawer
Image credits: i_believe_you_NOT
#23 “Having All The Plumbing In One Area Just Makes Sense!” - The Landlord Trying To Rent This Out
Image credits: Bukowhiskey
#24 Why Cut The Door When You Can Cut The Carpet Instead (Found In New House Basement)
Image credits: mattrowskayaks
Although they're tiny and suited for one or two people only, micro apartments are usually in the best parts of cities. The lack of amenities in the apartment itself is balanced with a trendy, convenient location and amazing views. Some people even prefer micro apartments for how minimalistic they are: there's nowhere to accumulate clutter, there's less space to clean and keep tidy.
#25 We Rented An Apartment
Image credits: demka88
#26 Knee-Height Microwave Is Extremely Annoying To Use
Image credits: reddit.com
#27 This Is Everyone's Favourite Window At My New Job
Image credits: SoThisIsHowThisWorks
Environmental activists also say that micro apartments can be the most planet-friendly choice of dwelling. Tiny apartments use up less materials and there's no construction waste if we don't need to build more new apartments. They also don't need as much heating and energy as bigger ones. For an urban dwelling, micro apartments might just be the perfect, environmentally conscious choice.
#28 I Saw The Carpeted Bathroom And Would Like To Share This Lovely Kitchen Carpet
Image credits: ImJedi420
#29 This Looks Illegal
Image credits: hinadirah
#30 The Ad Literally Says, "Modern Kitchen, Great Layout, Bright And Spacious!"
Image credits: mercuryrising137
But what about these questionable interior design decisions on this list, Pandas? Which ones made you laugh the most? And which annoyed you? Let us know in the comments, and don't forget to upvote your favorites! In the meantime, check out our previous posts about interior design fails here and here!
#31 The Washer And Dryer In My Apartment. Doing Laundry Is Even More Infuriating Than It Looks
Image credits: Thunderplant
#32 Modern Living Condo For Sale. 2 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms 1/4 Kitchen
Image credits: SlaughterheartMagus
#33 Found This Gem In My Mate's New Rental
Image credits: shiv_p24
#34 Hotel’s Mirror
Image credits: nobodyepic
#35 I Can Feel That Carpet Under My Wet Toes Already
Image credits: reddit.com
#36 Again With Carpeted Bathrooms
Image credits: your_neighbor420
#37 A Room I Booked In Belgium
Image credits: bigb123b
#38 Toilet In The Bedroom
Image credits: ola0513
#39 I Think My Stairs Fit Here
Image credits: IsItKandar
#40 New York Hates Ovens
Image credits: FaithMDAmato
#41 Just Look At This Kitchen
Image credits: JucheMane
#42 Hotel I'm Staying In With My Mum Has The Shower Open To The Entire Room
Image credits: Makewayfornoddynoddy
#43 Oh Yeaah, Bed Sheets Smelling Like Food
Image credits: ri2que
#44 This Hotel Room Has A Window Into The Bathroom
Image credits: DonkeyTron42
#45 Guess I’m Paying For The Upstairs Neighbors Heating
Image credits: Vegetable_Mess5849
#46 I Give You The Tale Of The Crooked Banister
Image credits: pronoialover
#47 Nicely Done
Image credits: jcodum
#48 Please Step On Your Kitchen Counter To Go Up
Image credits: Bosmonster
#49 Tripping In Every Direction
Image credits: proudly_disengaged
#50 The Place I Just Moved Into Has This Infuriating Drawer In The Kitchen
Image credits: a_burning_nebula
#51 Today We Moved Into A Rented Apartment. Everything Is Fine, But The Mixer Tap In The Bathroom Is A Bit Strange
Image credits: Servikt
#52 I Give You The “Can’t Pee Standing Up Toilet”
Image credits: Sicksoul_healthymind
#53 This Two Bed Hotel Room Has A Window Looking Directly Into The Shower
Image credits: MattapoisettPatton27
#54 Sofa Built Into The Floor
Image credits: VooseLagina
#55 Just Moved Into My New Apartment And This Is In The Kitchen For “Some Units” Of Course We Got It Despite Specifically Requesting Our Unit Not Have This Waste Of Space
Image credits: chaffudollasign
#56 How Do You Feel About Wall Ceiling Fans?
Image credits: Sound_Junkiez
#57 It Looks Great... But Why In The Living Room? Will The Furniture Just Float On Top?!
Image credits: LatteMeowCatto
#58 Interior Designers Hate This One Simple Trick
Image credits: seizuriffic
#59 Thanks, I Hate The Ceiling Of My New Dorm Room
I am less than 3 feet away from this in my face because of my lofted bed.
Image credits: seasol452
#60 This Hotel Bathroom When You Turn The Bathroom Light On At Night
Image credits: LMGooglyTFY
#61 This Crossbeam In A Bedroom
Image credits: drewkk
#62 The Traditional NYC Apartment Living Room Pole
Image credits: gabejamckinley
#63 Bathroom Inside The Closet
Image credits: SIMOOU
#64 This Countertop Redone With Paper Bags To Resemble Leather
Image credits: Zuzilla121
#65 Tred Or Bruck, Choose Your Warrior
Image credits: tanukidecorsa
#66 Scooter/Table
Image credits: roidweiser
#67 NYC Apartment Living
Image credits: Stefmara
#68 Apartment For 8K Per Month (How Is It)
I decided to rent an apartment to live with my girlfriend. And in the end, I rented a one-room apartment near Pushkino without finishing for a short period for 8k. This is the main thing, I don’t like renting apartments for more than 4 months, I have my own apartment and the emotions from the new home pass. I have to look for something new. So, we are doing minimal repairs). Toilet for 1300 in Leroy, plumbing fixtures were mostly used. Except for hoses. Mattress and carpet from home + cables around the perimeter, like curtain rods. In general it is warm and cozy, new building. But there is no hot water and shower)) We go home.
Image credits: Protezhe13
