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Good design is harder to get right than you think. Especially if common sense decides to take a long vacation. Meanwhile, truly bad design can have some devastating consequences. And we’re not just talking about how bad aesthetics can hurt your awesome sense of taste. Bad design can actually end in someone getting hurt.

To show you exactly what we mean, the team at Bored Panda has gone all around the internet to compile this list of the most horrendously designed staircases. Ever. They’re the types of (sometimes beautiful) designs that don’t give a damn about health and safety. They’re accidents waiting to happen that we wouldn’t wish on our worst enemies. Scroll down to check out the worst stairs from hell.

Just be careful not to trip!

#1 Ayo, The Pizza’s Here! Image Description: A Flight Of Stairs That Goes Straightforward For 13 Stories Without Turning

Image credits: Richard Vautrin-Hickam

#2 Tom Dixon’s Mykonos Villa Is On The Market

Image credits: Livingetc

#3 Ruined External Stairs Leading From One Roof To The Other. Venice

Image credits: Asia Głowacka-Sączek

Quality design gets two fundamental things right. On the one hand, you’ve got to get the form of whatever you’re designing right. Essentially, this focuses on what the thing looks like.

On the other hand, you also have to worry about the thing’s function. If either or both of these aspects are missing, you end up with a disaster, whether aesthetically or functionally.

#4 Stayed In London Last Fall. Bathroom Was Upstairs

Image credits: Marinus de Graaf

#5 Francesco Librizzi Studio Designed This Staircase For A House In Milan That Was Built In 1900

Image credits: Constantine Goh

#6 This One Takes The Cake. It’s Like Climbing Stairs, But With Your Legs Apart. A Fall From Here Would Be So Bad

Image credits: Natasha Irene Nduta

So, you’ve got to aim for a balanced approach. First, you want the thing that you’re designing to properly do the function that it’s actually meant to do.

For instance, if you’re working on a flight of stairs, then its purpose is to allow people to move upwards. In a safe, comfortable, and natural way. Without straining themselves, no less.

#7 Stairs Hanging From The Ceiling Of A Gas Holder I Didnt Go All The Way Up Far Too Bouncy For My Liking LOL

Image credits: Peter Franck

#8 I Think This Fits In This Group.. I Made 8 Of These 25’ Long Snakes For Private Suites At A Hotel In San Diego Called The Lafayette

Image credits: Jordan Mcgarry

#9 Found In An Airbnb Listing. Imagine Being Drunk, Trying To Walk Down These, Stepping On The Wrong Side, And Breaking Your Legs

Image credits: Chris Bokros

Once you’ve got the function all sorted out, then it’s time to think about the aesthetics of the thing you’re making or building.

To put it bluntly, people like looking at beautiful things. It’s therapeutic. Good aesthetics form an important part of a city’s atmosphere. Being surrounded by beauty can affect how you feel, too. It can encourage and motivate you, and make you feel proud to be a part of the local community.

#10 I Came Across These On Twitter. Nice Stairs To Die In

Image credits: Andrés Borchácalas

#11 A Set Of Stairs Going Down With A Metal Handrail

Image credits: Chris Coman

#12 I Can’t Understand Why

Image credits: Sandra Hebner

In short, you want your building, product, poster, or whatever else you’re designing to look good. If it looks good, it appeals to more people. And that’s good for business, whatever line of work you’re in.

However, aside from following building codes and safety regulations, there are two things that you want to make sure of when you start honing in on the aesthetics of your staircase.

#13 Steps Are Complete!!!

Image credits: Michael Duty

#14 Okay, But, What Are The Stairs For?!

Image credits: Rob Sweet

#15 A Wood Staircase Is Covered With Decorative Stones Leaving Only A Narrow And Snaking Path For The User

Image credits: Katherine Gales

For one, you want to ensure that the form of your stairs doesn’t actually impede their function.

Sure, adding a bunch of gorgeous details in many different colors and materials everywhere might sound cool to you, but there are limits.

If those extra details make people more likely to trip and fall, if they can’t hold the banister properly, if they get woozy just looking at the flight of stairs… well, clearly, you’ve gone overboard.

#16 In Brussels, The Vast Majority Of Bars, Cafes And Restaurants Have Their Toilets Down Horrifying Stairs

Image credits: Alice Gillam

#17 Stairs For People Who Aren’t Afraid To Die And Who Enjoy The Nauseating Feeling Of Vertigo

Image credits: Devin McLachlan

#18 Looking Down A Window Lit Rail-Less Stairwell. Dark Planks Across A Central Point With No Added Support

Image credits: Tabby Jackson

In a similar vein, if the stairs are too low, too narrow, or too high for the average person to comfortably climb, you’re needlessly increasing the risk of accidents.

Naturally, not everyone’s going to be happy with the staircases you design because they might be far shorter or way taller than other people…

…And accidents can and do happen even when you’ve accounted for everything you could. But you still have a responsibility to do the best work that you can.

#19 Taken From Home Junkie And Maximalist Group

Image credits: JellyBean Smith

#20 Concrete Steps Stained In Brown And Beige Stripes, Made To Look Like Wood. Stripes Are Parallell With Steps. Unable Identify Number Of Steps

Image credits: Magnús Georg Rødtang

#21 A Fire Escape Of The 38-Story Copan Residential Building In São Paulo, Brazil

Image credits: Interesting Chit

Secondly, you should not sacrifice your target audience’s comfort for the sake of your artistic vision. To be clear, we’re huge fans of aesthetic designs, art, and creativity. And some works are meant to be purely artistic, to be admired and not used.

However, designing private or public staircases means that you’ve got customers and their wants and needs to consider. You cannot and should not put their safety in last place.

#22 I Just Found In An Unrelated Group Saying “New Design”

Image credits: Ayu Anindithya

#23 Finally Found Something To Add To The Group. 7 Foot Tall Winding Green Stair Case On A Children’s Playground. Each Step Is About An Inch Long With Large Drops Between Each Step

Image credits: Adam Rasmussen

#24 This Stair Is At “Pico Da Tijuca”, Rio De Janeiro, Brasil

Image credits: Felipe Muniz

You’ve also got to consider what materials you use. Try to think about the building’s purpose itself, as well as the future wear and tear the stairs are going to experience.

Some materials might be extra slippery, so you want to avoid those. Others might make people’s footsteps echo incredibly loudly, which would be annoying in, say, a hospital or office setting. And you don’t want to use materials that will get scuffed and break apart very quickly. You want resilience.

#25 Fire Stairs On A Building In Vietnam Where Handrails Are Only On The Top Floor

Image credits: Neverovali ILI DA

#26 Double Spiral Staircase

Image credits: Yanie Michael

#27 I’m On Holiday In Cardiff And Let’s Just Say That Medieval Architecture Does Not Meet Modern Safety Standards

Image credits: Tricia Anderson

There needs to be proper communication between the people on the design side of things and the contractors who actually turn their drawings into reality. According to This is Carpentry, builders ought to review their architects’ blueprints very carefully. “Don’t assume that they know the code requirements in your area or have accurately measured the site conditions.”

#28 In My Short Term Rental This Weekend. A Set Of Wooden Stairs At About A 70 Degree Pitch And Treads That Are About 5 Inches Deep

Image credits: Ben Hawkins

#29 Now Imagine It Filled With Water, Because It’s A Bath Tub

Image credits: Ryan Hamshire

#30 There Seems To Be No Good Reason At All To Make These Steps So Wonky. I Almost Broke My Neck

Image credits: Ishara Hunter

Which of these staircases from hell would you be most scared to go up or down, dear Pandas? Though, putting safety concerns aside for a moment, which flights of stairs impressed you the most with its aesthetics?

Are there any horrendously designed stairs in your local area? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Share yours in the comments below.

#31 I Am Amazed By These Stairs… Are They Carved In Marble? Won’t It Be Slippery?

Image credits: Farhana Ahsan

#32 The Stairs In My Moms House. Each Run Hangs Over The Next By About 4 Inches. Its Madness

Image credits: Galen Dee

#33 Someone Commented The Man Built This To Connect With A Daughter Who Passed Away, But I Really Have No Idea Of The True Story

Image credits: Gabriel Moreira

#34 Oh Yes, Good Old Huayna Picchu, Legend Says A Couple Of Tourists Die Each Year (Pic Is From Google, But Ive Been There, Its Scarier In Real Life, And Its Always Wet)

Image credits: José Tomás Yáñez

#35 Everything Abt This Is A Nightmare

Image credits: Karen Klein Alajko

#36 A Steep 90 Degree Curved Staircase Precariously Held Together With No Less Than 100 F-Clamps. I Don’t Know The Story Behind These And Quite Frankly The Less I Know The Better

Image credits: Tom Towell

#37 (Photo Taken At Fort Knox Me) Stairs Leading Down Into The Murky Water Almost Completely Covered With Slippery Seaweed

Image credits: Corey Driscoll

#38 A Flight Of Steps In The Shape Of A Number 2, Around A Very Steep Wheelchair Ramp That Turns At A Right Angle

Image credits: Anna Ouram

#39 I Mean… They’re Not Terrible. They’re Just Don’t Appear To Be All There At First Glance

Image credits: Kayt Lucas

#40 Spiral Concrete Steps

Image credits: Luke Brower

#41 A Rusty Metal Spiral Staircase Leading To The Top Of A Rocky Ridge In The Middle Of A Woodland

Image credits: Anna Ouram

#42 Stone Stairs So Steep And Narrow They’re Like Climbing A Ladder Almost Straight Up

Image credits: Ryan Hamshire

#43 More Lighthouse Stairs

Image credits: Ashton McGill

#44 Slightly Slippery Stairs Covered In Algae And Moss On Laguna Beach

Image credits: Dana Nguyen

#45 I’m Currently On A Trip Out In The Wild Scottish Moors, But Still Thinking Of My Fellow Stair Design Enthusiasts. Behold!

Image credits: Liz Russian

#46 Image: Staircase Comprised Of Stacked Shipping Pallets Seemingly Supported By Metal Pipes Which Serve As A Handrail

Image credits: Jeanette Marie Coppinger

#47 Trippy Stairs

Image credits: Sarah Jane Walker

#48 Very Narrow, Very Rounded Concrete Stairs Cut Into A Steep Sloping Wall. Stairs Lead To What I Can Only Assume Is The Abyss

Image credits: Claire Butcher

#49 So These Are My Stairs That Came With My Townhome

Image credits: Alison Kerr

#50 Haha… I Finally Found One In The Wild. Not Context So I Have No Idea

Image credits: anonymous

#51 Checking Out A New Build In Our Response Area – Never Mind The Walls Being Out Of Pitch With Each Other And The Stairs, Could A Guy Get A Little Handrail As A Treat?

Image credits: Staas Guujaaw

#52 Not One, But Two Amazing Orange Shag Carpeted Spiral Staircases Adorn This 70s Masterpiece Home In Boulder Colorado

Image credits: Maggie Nichols

#53 I Love This House, But LOL At These Stairs

Image credits: Neil Griffiths

#54 There’s Too Many…. 90° Angles

Image credits: Daizy October Latifah

#55 I Present To You, My Basement Steps

Image credits: Augusta Ramsey

#56 The Problem Here Is Not The Stairs Themselves. Do You See The Issue Yet?

Image credits: Heather Snitch

#57 Carpeted Upper Stairway Door Opens To Bathroom Counter

Image credits: Shannon Heskett

#58 Humble Offering From The Wild

Image credits: Ryan Hamshire

#59 The Original Poster Is Considering Buying The House And Wanted Advice On “Bringing This Up To Code”

Image credits: Dan Broyles

#60 Spiral Stairs At A 13th Century Bishops Palace Ruins In Wales… I Did Nearly Die

Image credits: Charlie Chrisp

#61 A Stairway Has Been Walled Off Down To And Across The Second Step

Image credits: Callum Tait

#62 Very Narrow Stairs Covered In Dark Plain Carpet, Every Step Seems To Be Different Length And Maybe Even Height.

Image credits: Martin Števko

#63 Finland. The House Was Built In 1930. Fire Escape Ladder, “Routed” To Each Apartment

Image credits: Thor Fogh Rasmussen

#64 Hovering Demon Stairs

Image credits: Crystal Symes

#65 A Set Of Granite-Effect Stairs That Resemble Those Right-Left Space-Savi G Stairs, But Each Step Has A Little Half Step After It

Image credits: Anna Ouram

#66 In A Church Belfry A Set Of Wooden Steps Is Fixed To A Flimsy Wooden Floor

Image credits: Peter Scowcroft

#67 Found In Another Group. Very Narrow Outer Stairs Of The Building (Maybe Even Fire Escape?), And Redhead Woman Who Isnt Afraid Of Dying

Image credits: Helena Sajdl

#68 Black And Silver Metal Stairs, As A Variation On Red, Edge-Lit, Angled Plexiglass

Image credits: Chris Hayes

#69 These Stairs Consist Of Tempered Glass Panels Attached At One Side Only. The Other Side Is Without Any Connection To The Ground And Does Not Have A Hand Rail

Image credits: James Jansson

#70 Zig Zag Stairs

Image credits: March Carrillo

#71 I Don’t Even Know Where To Begin?

Image credits: Melinda Owen Ramsey

#72 Just Why

Image credits: Emil Karlebjerg

#73 A View Down A Flight Of Stairs Made Of Some Sort Of Wooden Parquet

Image credits: Marek Wói

#74 Left, Picture Of Stairs From Top-The Wood Planks Run Parallel To Stair Edges Seemingly Forming A Flat Surface. Right, Steps Viewed From Bottom After Fall

Image credits: Stanna Sims Edwards

#75 Concrete Stairs That Narrow In A Triangular Fashion To A Foot-Wide Step As They Reach The Floor

Image credits: Giovanna Truong

#76 Mans Said The Ladder Was Too Unsafe For His Kids And Commissioned This Monstrosity

Image credits: Paz Parry

#77 Came Across This On Marketplace Just Now

Image credits: Daisy Crook

#78 Window Shopping For A New House To Move Into And Saw This Monstrosity

Image credits: Lina Butler

#79 Here You Go…

Image credits: Rebekah Reuser

#80 Very Steep, Black Half-Step Stairs Leading To The Second Floor

Image credits: Erkka Korolainen

#81 I Found One In The Wild!

Image credits: Lauren Plavisch

#82 Found In The Wild! Palma De Mallorca

Image credits: Oskar Förberg

#83 Found On Zoopla

Image credits: Helen Betham

#84 8 Helical Stone Stairways Going Down Into A Deep Circular Hole In The Ground

Image credits: Laurie Lingel

#85 This Is An Ancient Temple Designed 100+ Yrs Ago

Image credits: Victoria Agocoy Kalivarapu

#86 An Absolute Beach Frontage Concrete Wall With A Closed Wooden Gate Set Into It

Image credits: Laura Carroll

#87 A Rickety, Homemade Spiral Staircase In Someone’s Garage

Image credits: Ted Junior

#88 Seen Today At A Construction Site 👀 Square Support Installed In The Middle Of A Staircase, Definitely Something You Could Crash Into 🫥

Image credits: Erikc Gutiérrez

#89 Extremely Steep, Sloped Mountain Located In Saint Helena, With A Woman Sitting On The Upper Most Part Of The Steps, Facing Down Towards An Ocean

Image credits: Damian Yates

#90 Renting A Cheap Room In Bangkok And Get To Go Up These Lovely Things Every Day For A While

Image credits: Chad Countiss

#91 You’d Never Get To Your Room After Drinking

Image credits: Natasha Irene Nduta

#92 A Stairway To Nowhere

Image credits: Ika Chipman

#93 These Are Called Witches’ Stairs

Image credits: Corey DeCola

#94 Multi Level, Narrow, Triangular Landings Forming The Top Of Carpeted Stairs

Image credits: Diedre Strange Moore

#95 A Staircase Passing Through A Counter… And Using The Top Of The Counter As A Step

Image credits: Matheus Martins de Moura

#96 A Bit Of An Oddity

These stairs are located in an area adjacent to Stavanger bus and railway station. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that Stavanger is in Norway. Please note, there is an adjacent lift out of shot to the left which I believe was built around 20 years ago. You can see the issue.

The lower staircase in stone has steps for pushing a stroller or buggy. But the upper staircase does not have such steps. Please also note, I am aware that there are bolt holes in the upper stairway. So did the original stone staircase extend all the way to the top without a break? Whatever, why does the upper staircase in metal not have steps for pushing a stroller or buggy? This is really bugging me – no pun intended.

I have one working theory: they decided to replace the upper staircase with a metal staircase around the time they installed the lift. Someone said “bugger that” – we’re not going to install steps on this new section because people can now use the lift. But what if the lift breaks down? I believe this is the first and last time I will ever use buggy, bugging and bugger in the same post.