Hilarious Interior Design DIY Disasters You’ll Want to Avoid

A toppled plant pot with soil scattered over a grey couch, beneath a collapsing shelf holding a potted plant and framed art.

We’ve all been there.

You watch a 2-minute DIY video, grab a paintbrush, and think, “How hard can it be?”

Fast forward to paint-splattered cats, uneven shelves, and the creeping realization that maybe… just maybe… this was a terrible idea.

DIY interior design is a rollercoaster of ambition, creativity, and sometimes (let’s be honest) pure chaos.

Today, we’re diving into the laugh-out-loud world of Interior Design DIY disasters to avoid—because if you can’t laugh at your own crooked gallery wall, what can you do?

The Great Paint - Interior Design DIY disasters to avoid

Let’s start with a classic.

You’ve chosen the perfect “greige” (that mysteriously chic blend of grey and beige), you've taped up your trim like a pro, and you've prepared your favourite playlist.

But halfway through the first wall, you realize you actually hate the colour. It looks like wet cement… or a sad mushroom.

So, you set off to the hardware store for a second (or third) can of paint.

By the end, your walls are ten coats thick, and you’ve developed a mild hatred for anything resembling a neutral tone.

Lesson learned? Always test paint on your walls.

And remember: what looks dreamy on Pinterest might look like soup in real life.

The Shelf That Gave Up

Shelves are deceptively simple in theory: modern, minimal.

But hang them just slightly off, and suddenly your books are doing a slow-motion slide toward disaster.

Or imagine that shelf giving up at the worst possible moment—right as your Zoom meeting kicks off, the shelf collapses, taking a ceramic llama and a gorgeous trailing pothos plant with it. (Embarrassing!)

DIY tip: Invest in a level, find your studs, and if all else fails—embrace asymmetry.

Wallpaper Woes

Peel-and-stick wallpaper was hailed as the dream solution for commitment-phobes—no glue, no mess, no problem… right?

Not quite.

Anyone who’s ever tried applying it solo knows it quickly becomes a full-body workout that tests your patience, precision, and upper-arm strength.

It’s less “weekend project” and more “tango with a giant adhesive snake.”

Aligning patterns, avoiding bubbles, and getting it straight on the first try is a true art form—one that requires a surgeon’s steady hand and a saint’s level of calm.

One wrong move, and you’re peeling it off and starting again… and again.

And then there’s traditional wallpaper—the kind that requires paste, patience, and nerves of steel.

Hanging it is a delicate dance of measuring, brushing, smoothing, and praying it doesn't tear, bubble, or slip out of alignment.

It’s a skill mastered by pros for a reason—getting the seams to line up perfectly and avoiding gluey chaos isn’t something most of us nail on the first try (or the third).

The Open-Plan Panic

There’s something intoxicating about knocking down a wall.

It’s like unlocking your home’s inner potential… until you realize you’ve opened your kitchen up to a previously cozy bedroom—and with it, the aroma of every garlic-heavy dinner.

One couple took down a wall “to improve flow,” only to realize they’d accidentally removed sound privacy for the bathroom. Let that one sink in.

And while losing your privacy or flooding your spare room with kitchen odours is one kind of disaster, the real danger lies in what you can’t see.

Walls aren’t just big boring barriers—they’re often structural supports.

In other words, they’re literally holding your house up. Remove the wrong one without proper planning, and you might start a chain reaction that compromises the safety of your home.

Close-up view of a vertical crack in a beige concrete wall, suggesting structural issues

At best, you end up with cracks in the ceiling. At worst, you’ll need to explain to your insurance company why your second floor now is the first floor.

Also hiding behind walls?

Electrical wiring, water pipes, gas lines, HVAC ducts—aka all the things you really don’t want to mess with unless you know what you’re doing.

Accidentally slicing through a live wire or flooding your living room isn’t just inconvenient; it’s expensive, and in some cases, genuinely dangerous.

Before swinging a hammer: take a breath—and pause. Know what’s structural, know what’s behind that plaster, and for the love of your foundation, consult a professional.

Structural engineers and licensed contractors aren’t just there to slow you down—they’re there to stop your house from becoming a very expensive pile of bricks.

Because sometimes, the best “open plan” is a well-planned plan.

The Tile Trial

Tiling looks oddly therapeutic on YouTube. A little adhesive here, a gentle nudge there.

Tile installation tools and materials are neatly arranged on a wooden surface.

What you don’t see is the moment you realize your measurements are off and you now have half a tile missing in a very visible spot.

Bonus points to the person who tiled their entire bathroom—backwards. Yes, the pattern went in reverse. And yes, they left it. “It’s quirky,” they claimed.

DIY wisdom: Always lay out your tiles before sticking them down. Your future self will thank you.

Laugh, Learn, and Call a Pro

DIY interior design can be a fantastic way to personalize your space, save some cash, and flex your creative muscles.

But it also has the potential to unleash chaos, cracked tiles, and broken dreams.

The key is knowing when to roll up your sleeves—and when to pick up the phone. Because sometimes, the best DIY you can do is Delegate It Yourself.

And hey, even if your accent wall ended up more “abstract chaos” than “contemporary cool,” at least you’ve got a great story—and maybe even a viral TikTok to show for it.

Got a DIY disaster of your own? Share it in the comments below—we promise not to laugh (too hard).

Need a hand? Or the whole toolbox?

Now, on a serious note, when the thought of Interior Design and wallpaper gives you hives and your Pinterest board feels more like a pressure cooker, it might be time to bring in a professional.

Hiring an experienced interior designer like Katie Lane could be the best decision you make for your Basel home—and your sanity.

From concept to completion, Katie takes the stress (and the guesswork) out of the process, turning “what ifs” into wow moments.

Take a peek at our Projects page to see how we've transformed spaces in Basel just like yours.

Let us 'wow' you, book a design consultation with Katie Lane Interiors in Basel, today!