Bathrooms That Deserve The “Worst Design Of The Year” Award

What’s Wrong: Urinals dangerously close 
Est. Cost to Fix: $500* 

Busy nightclubs and bars with one toilet always draw complaints from patrons, especially on a Saturday night. No one wants to queue for 30 minutes just to use the potty, but what happens if there’s just no room for another bathroom? Some owners might admit defeat. 

His and His @hamsimp / Pinterest.com

Others might try to squeeze in a spare one anyway. This is a prime example of what shouldn’t be done. Does anyone want to be that close to a stranger while taking a pee? There’s making small talk over the urinals and then there’s being in dangerously close physical proximity. Let’s hope this one didn’t last long. 

What’s Wrong: The shower is too close to the toilet
Est. Cost to Fix: Thousands

On the surface, this bathroom isn’t actually all that hideous to look at. The tiling is nice, there’s the fancy mirror, and there are even free toiletries. Wet rooms are good ways for hotels to save money, but the toilet isn’t usually within shooting distance of the shower. 

Very Wet Room @keblogIT / Pinterest.com

Was there a reason for this? Is there anyone out there that would really love to take a shower and a seat on the toilet at the exact same time? Perhaps it’s a hotel catering to the busy millennial market. The entrepreneurs of the world are too busy trying to overtake Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. They don’t have time to shower and pee separately. 

What’s Wrong: The marble looks like blood 
Est. Cost to Fix: $1,000* 

When we get a brand-new bathroom suite there are multiple choices. Plain white, wonderful shades of blue – you could even throw it all the way back to the ‘80s and go for avocado. All are valid lifestyle choices…but most people would agree that going for something like this isn’t an option. 

Marble Massacre @rincevent / Pinterest.com

The pattern of the marble makes it look like a badly cleaned crime scene. It’s not the scene of a grisly crime on a Netflix documentary, but it is a crime against bathroom design. Fixing this won’t be easy and will probably require a whole new suite to be fitted. 

What’s Wrong: Toilets that face each other 
Est. Cost to Fix: $500* 

If we’re totally honest, a large portion of us will sit and text our friends while we’re doing our business on the toilet. It’s not the most hygienic thing to do, but at least it entertains us for a few minutes. However, being sat directly in front of them and having a chat while going to the toilet is a step too far. 

Besties That Poop Together...@saraatia13 / Pinterest.com

Whoever built these toilets wasn’t that concerned with social norms, but just wanted to see another friendly face. There’s something very disconcerting about this, but who are we to judge someone else’s bathroom habits? What does it for one person may not do it for the other, and that’s A-okay. 

What’s Wrong: Soap machine can’t be used 
Est. Cost to Fix: $50*

If 2020 taught us all anything, it’s that washing your hands a lot is really important. A normal bar of soap isn’t usually seen in public bathrooms. That’s where the handy dispensers come in, but there’s nothing useful about the way this pump is fitted. 

Anti-Soap Machine @buzzfeed / Pinterest.com

The only person getting their hands in that space is Disney’s Tinkerbell. Even then, she would have to lie flat and pray. Luckily, the owners won’t have to spend too much money to fix this, but it’s still a beggar’s belief that it even needs to be addressed in the first place.

What’s Wrong: The floor acts as a mirror 
Est. Cost to Fix: Thousands 

Picking the right tile for a bathroom can be tricky. You want one that’s easy to clean but that still looks nice. Shiny, highly-polished floors have their place, but it’s usually in the foyer at a fancy high-rise office, or in the hallway at a posh apartment block. 

Mirror, Mirror on the Floor @didiergusset / Pinterest.com

You have to admire whoever shelled out the cash to have this floor inputted in the bathroom, it certainly wouldn’t have been the cheapest option. However, there’s a catch – people outside the stalls can see exactly what’s going on inside the stalls. If you’re looking for a few minutes of privacy, forget about it. 

What’s Wrong: Everything
Est. Cost to Fix: $1,000*

Some things just can’t be explained. No matter how long you look at this photo, it’s almost unfathomable to think about how this set-up came to be. We’ve all heard of going to sit on the throne for a few minutes, but this pushes the envelope a little far. 

The Throne @helgaqwert / Pinterest.com

Can you imagine trying to navigate this after a few brewskis? Forget being sick, too. There’s no way this thing is fit for use. Plus, toilet training a little one on this contraption would be a dangerous task that could very well end up in disaster. It’s an F- for this one, with no chance of retakes.

What’s Wrong: Impossibly tiny gap 
Est. Cost to Fix: $1,000+* 

Hotels and other accommodation are often limited for space, but does that mean that what we end up getting has to be sub-par? Whoever designed this show cubicle certainly wasn’t thinking that anyone with a human-sized form would actually be able to get inside it. 

Breathe In @rincevent / Pinterest.com

If you’re a supermodel then you’ll have no problem, but what if you’re the average American or someone with a little more junk in the trunk? Size inclusivity is real, folks – but not in this place. Here, if you’re any more than a foot wide you’ll have to rely on deodorant to mask your natural odor. 

What’s Wrong: Taps, taps everywhere
Est. Cost to Fix: $100* 

Is it a tap, or is it a complex coded device that actually opens up the portal to another world, or some kind of hidden room behind the tub? Fancy taps are great to look at, but there has to be some practicality involved, otherwise, you end up with something like this. 

Tap Trial @rincevent / Pinterest.com

No one knows what the taps are for if they should be twisted, tugged, or bopped, or whether it’s best left alone. To look at this tap is to question one’s own existence – which, quite frankly, isn’t exactly the vibe most of us go for when we want to take a hot bubble bath.

What’s Wrong: The shower goes through the ceiling 
Est. Cost to Fix: $100+*

Someone must have got the measurements wrong for this one, but that still doesn’t really explain the logic. Surely, once you realize the mistake has been made, you take the original fitting back to the store and buy one that actually fits? 

Why Stop There @rincevent / Pinterest.com

This looks like a case of sheer determination. It takes a special kind of bathroom designer to refuse to be beaten and instead carve a hole in the ceiling to accommodate a showerhead. Need we even mention that the showerhead itself looks a bit wonky? Probably best to nod and smile.

What’s Wrong: Carpeted around the shower
Est. Cost to Fix: $400+* 

Believe it or not, but there was a time many decades ago when carpeted bathrooms were actually quite in fashion. There’s no doubt that feeling fluffy wool under your feet after a shower is probably better than standing on a soggy bath mat, but tile exists for a reason. 

Eau du Mold @boredpanda / Pinterest.com

The wetter the carpet gets, the more likely it is to start to stink and breed mold. Whoever designed this bathroom was obviously a risk taker that didn’t care about little things like hygiene or clean air. It’s not cheap to replace a whole floor, but it’s better than being hospitalized after breathing in mold spores for years. 

What’s Wrong: Elevator door opens right onto the bathroom
Est. Cost to Fix: Thousands

Elevators opening directly onto a living space can be common in swanky penthouse apartments, but it’s very rare that you press a button, only to be taken directly to the bathroom. It looks like something out of a horror movie instead of an inviting pit-stop. 

Bad on so Many Levels @buzzfeed / Pinterest.com

Perhaps there was limited space, but there’s always the worry that the door isn’t lockable, or even worse, the elevator stops working and you’re trapped down there for all eternity in your very own Sony horror flick that never ends. Never mind holding the door. We’ll hold it, thanks. 

What’s Wrong: The sign is supposed to warn against slipping
Est. Cost to Fix: $30* 

There are so many signs in places like Japan that it’s almost part of the culture. Most of them are incredibly useful, but every now and then something like this pops up that has been totally lost in translation. What was supposed to be a warning sign now seems more like a bold instruction. 

Slip Carefully @boredpanda / Pinterest.com

Don’t slip, but if you do, be sure to slip carefully! With so many international travelers going through the country, it’s hardly surprising that this snap made its way to the internet and has been doing the rounds ever since. Points for effort, Japan!

What’s Wrong: The floor looks like urine 
Est. Cost to Fix: $500+* 

Whoever decided on this design was probably playing a very expensive practical joke. There’s no way that this was decided upon in someone’s right mind. The yellow wash on the tile doesn’t look elegant or sophisticated. It looks like the bathroom floor that’s been subjected to a band of raucous frat boys. 

Yellow Heaven @buzzfeed / Pinterest.com

If looking at it digitally is enough to make you heave, imagine walking in and seeing this monstrosity in real life. There’s nothing for it – it has to be ripped up and replaced as a matter of urgency. Pray for all those that pee here. At least no one would ever be able to tell if someone’s aim was off.