If you’ve seen the viral series where Belgian architect Hannes Coudenys documents hilariously “ugly houses” on Instagram and in his book Ugly Belgian Houses, you already know: bad design ages badly. Those pictures are trending again across social media, and they’re a brutal reminder that most of us are living with at least one “why did they do that?” eyesore at home.
The good news: you don’t need a full renovation (or an architect) to fix a lot of small but embarrassing design problems. With a free weekend, basic tools, and a bit of planning, you can turn “please don’t look at that” into “wait, you did this yourself?”
Below are five common “ugly house” issues you can repair or dramatically improve on your own—step by step.
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1. Taming Weird Exterior Colors With A DIY Curb-Rescue
Those viral “ugly house” photos often start with one culprit: bizarre color choices. Maybe your trim is neon, your front door is a faded 90s shade, or the previous owner loved mustard yellow a little too much. You can’t repaint the whole house this weekend, but you can strategically fix the worst offenders and massively improve curb appeal.
What you’ll need
- Exterior paint (satin or semi-gloss for doors/trim)
- Exterior primer (stain-blocking if colors are very dark/bright)
- Painter’s tape
- Medium-grit sanding sponge
- Exterior caulk (paintable)
- Small roller, angled brush, paint tray
- Drop cloths or cardboard
Step-by-step
**Identify the “loudest” problem areas**
Focus on what people see first from the street: front door, trim around the door, garage door accents, shutters, and porch railings. Start with the *one* element that clashes the most.
**Choose a neutral, modern color**
Look at current exterior trends: muted greens, charcoal, black, soft white, and deep blue are everywhere in 2025 new-builds and make older homes feel intentional. Use paint brand visualizers or grab sample cards and view them outside in daylight.
**Prep the surface properly**
Lightly sand glossy or peeling areas until dull. Clean dirt, cobwebs, and mildew with mild soap and water. Let dry completely. Fill gaps or cracks with paintable exterior caulk and smooth with a damp finger. Let it cure as directed.
**Tape and protect**
Use painter’s tape along glass, brick, hardware, or siding you don’t want painted. Lay drop cloths to catch drips, especially near steps and walkways.
**Prime the weird color**
Apply a stain-blocking primer over bright or dark paint so it doesn’t bleed through. One solid coat is usually enough. Let it dry fully.
**Paint in thin, patient coats**
Use an angled brush for edges and details, a small roller for flat areas. Two thin coats are better than one thick one. Lightly sand with a fine sanding sponge between coats if it feels rough.
**De-tape for a clean finish**
Remove painter’s tape while the final coat is still slightly tacky. Score along the edge with a sharp utility knife if the paint has fully dried to avoid peeling.
Result: Instead of a major exterior overhaul, you’ve neutralized the loudest design mistake and pulled your house closer to “intentionally quirky” instead of “Instagram-famous for the wrong reason.”
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2. Fixing Awkward Windows With DIY Framing And Faux Symmetry
Many of the houses going viral now have one thing in common: windows that look randomly tossed onto the wall. You can’t move or resize windows without major work—but you can visually fix imbalance from the inside using smart framing and simple carpentry.
What you’ll need
- 1x3 or 1x4 pine boards (for simple interior trim)
- Measuring tape, pencil, level
- Miter saw or hand saw with miter box
- Wood filler, sandpaper
- Construction adhesive or finish nails + hammer/nail set
- Caulk (paintable)
- Primer and paint
- Curtain rod and curtains (optional but powerful)
Step-by-step
**Decide on your “visual frame”**
The trend in newer homes: clean, squared-off trim that visually unifies mismatched windows. Measure the windows in the room where misalignment bothers you most.
**Plan consistent casing widths**
Choose a trim width (e.g., 3" all around) that you’ll use on *every* window in that room. This repetition tricks the eye into seeing a deliberate design even if window placement is odd.
**Cut and test-fit your boards**
Measure top, bottom, and side pieces. Cut with 45° miters at corners (for a traditional look) or straight cuts (for a modern, boxy frame). Dry-fit around the window before attaching.
**Attach the trim**
Use a thin bead of construction adhesive on the back of each board, press in place, and secure with finish nails if possible. Make sure everything is level, even if the window opening itself is slightly crooked—your trim is what the eye will follow.
**Fill, sand, and caulk**
Fill nail holes and joints with wood filler. When dry, sand smooth. Run a bead of paintable caulk along the inside and outside edges of the trim to close gaps. Smooth with a damp finger.
**Prime and paint**
Prime bare wood, then paint in a satin or semi-gloss finish. White or off-white is classic and currently trending, but matching wall color can create a sleek, modern look.
**Add a unifying curtain strategy**
To fake symmetry, mount a wider curtain rod that extends beyond off-center windows. Hang panels so fabric visually balances the wall (for example, more fabric on the side with less visible wall). This trick is used constantly in professional staging.
Result: Instead of “random window holes in a wall,” you get a composed, intentional look that echoes what’s popular in current design feeds—without moving a single window.
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3. Updating Dated, Busy Tile With Paint (Yes, Really)
The “ugly house” posts are full of shocking tile choices: checkerboard bathrooms, orange-brown kitchen backsplashes, swirl-patterned floors from the 70s. Re-tiling is expensive and disruptive, but tile paint systems have gotten good enough in the last few years that they’re now a realistic DIY fix when done correctly.
What you’ll need
- Tile cleaner/degreaser (or TSP substitute)
- Scrubbing pads and microfiber cloths
- Painter’s tape and plastic sheeting
- 220-grit sandpaper or sanding sponge
- Tile and tub epoxy paint kit *or* high-adhesion bonding primer + enamel/epoxy paint designed for tile
- Small foam roller and angled brush
- Respirator mask and good ventilation
Step-by-step
**Confirm your tile is a good candidate**
Best: wall tile, backsplashes, shower walls in good condition. Floor tile can be painted too, but expect more wear and maintenance. Avoid painting cracked or loose tile; those need repair first.
**Deep-clean like a pro**
Soap residue and grease are what make tile paint fail. Scrub with a degreasing cleaner, rinse, and repeat if the water still beads up strongly. Tile must feel squeaky clean, not slippery.
**Lightly sand the surface**
Use 220-grit sandpaper to scuff the gloss so primer can grab. You’re not trying to remove glaze—just dull the shine. Vacuum dust and wipe with a damp cloth. Let dry.
**Mask aggressively**
Tape off counters, fixtures, edges, and any tile you don’t want painted (like a decorative strip you actually like). Use plastic sheeting to protect floors, tubs, and toilets.
**Prime with the right product**
Use a bonding primer specifically labeled for tile or glossy surfaces. Apply a thin, even coat with foam roller and brush for corners. Let it cure exactly as the can instructs—this is where rushing ruins the job.
**Apply tile paint in planned coats**
Stir paint thoroughly. Start with brush in the grout lines, then roll the tile surface. Work in small sections to maintain a wet edge. Multiple thin coats are crucial—follow recoat times carefully.
**Respect cure time**
Newer epoxy tile paints often need several days to fully harden. Even if they feel dry to the touch, don’t scrub or heavily use the area until the cure window has passed.
Result: That chaotic pattern becomes a calm, neutral surface that looks far closer to current minimalist tile trends—buying you years of visual relief until a real remodel is in the budget.
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4. Calming “Too Many Materials” With Smart Color And Texture
A lot of the houses getting roasted online suffer from “material overload”: brick next to stone next to three paint colors next to four flooring types. Inside, the same thing happens with competing finishes—shiny brass, dark wood, orange tile, red brick, and speckled granite all in one room. You can’t rip everything out, but you can make it feel more cohesive.
What you’ll need
- Neutral interior paint (matte/eggshell for walls)
- Primer (if covering dark or intense colors)
- Painter’s tape, roller, tray, extension pole
- Sandpaper and spackle (for minor wall repairs)
- Furniture sliders (optional)
- Simple, neutral textiles (rugs, curtains, throws)
- Matte black or brushed nickel spray paint for hardware (optional)
Step-by-step
**Pick your “dominating neutral”**
Look at new-build listings and popular home tours right now: warm whites, greige, and soft beiges still dominate because they calm visual chaos. Choose one neutral that works with your *least changeable* finish (e.g., the floor you can’t replace yet).
**Tone down strong wall colors first**
Bright red dining room, yellow kitchen, or lime green hallway? Those are making every other material louder. Patch holes, sand bumps, and spot-prime patched areas. Then prime bold colors so you’re not fighting bleed-through.
**Paint walls to let finishes “back off”**
Apply your neutral in two coats, cutting in edges with a brush and rolling the main areas. A uniform wall color instantly makes mixed materials feel less chaotic, because your eye has a calm surface to rest on.
**Use textiles to “bridge” clashing finishes**
Add a rug that includes *both* your floor color and your main wall/furniture color to visually connect them. Current trends favor low-pattern, textured rugs in natural tones—perfect for this job. Neutral curtains can also visually soften busy window trim or strange exterior views.
**Standardize hardware where it’s worst**
If you have shiny brass in one place, chrome in another, and black in a third, pick one finish that feels the most current for your space (matte black and brushed nickel are safe bets right now). Spray paint a test batch of hardware (knobs, pulls, basic light fixtures) to see the effect before committing to everything.
**Edit visible clutter harshly**
The busier your finishes, the more minimalist you should be with visible decor. Remove extra wall art and tchotchkes, leaving just a few large, simple pieces that suit your new color scheme.
Result: Nobody will know you still have three types of flooring and a funky brick color—they’ll notice the calm, updated envelope you created around them, which mimics the cleaner look seen in current home tours and listings.
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5. Hiding Awkward Layouts With Smart Furniture “Construction”
Many of the houses going viral are structurally odd: doors opening into walls, stairs cutting through rooms, random nooks. You might not be able to move walls, but you can stage and “build” with furniture in ways that make the layout feel more logical and less like an accident.
What you’ll need
- Measuring tape, painter’s tape
- Low-profile shelving units or cube storage
- Area rugs sized correctly for your rooms
- Wall-mounted shelves or floating desks
- Command strips/hooks or similar damage-minimizing hardware
- Basic hand tools (drill, level, stud finder)
Step-by-step
**Map traffic paths with tape**
Use painter’s tape on the floor to mark how people actually move through the room. You want clear 30–36" pathways that don’t cut through your main seating or work zones.
**Use rugs as “room builders”**
Place a correctly sized rug (big enough that at least the front legs of sofas/chairs sit on it) in your main seating area. This tells the eye, “This is the living space,” even if the room shape is awkward or open.
**Create “walls” with low furniture**
Back a sofa with a narrow console table or low bookcase to visually separate areas in an open or weirdly shaped room. This is a staple trick in professional staging for open-plan homes.
**Turn random nooks into purposeful zones**
Under-stair alcove? Add a floating desk or wall-mounted shelf with a chair: instant small office. Weird corner near the entry? Add a narrow bench and hooks: instant mudroom zone. The trend toward micro-home offices means this kind of purposeful nook is very on-brand for 2025 living.
**Redirect attention with a focal wall**
If you have an awkwardly placed door or off-center window, choose a *different* wall to be the star: mount the TV there, add a large art piece, or build simple wall shelves. Once there’s a clear focal point, most people stop noticing layout quirks.
**Respect real-life usage, not the blueprint**
If everyone ends up dropping bags near the back door instead of the front, build your “real” entry there with hooks, a mat, and a small table. You’re solving for how the house is actually used, not how it was theoretically drawn.
Result: The bones of the building may still be odd, but the experience of living there becomes smoother, more intentional, and far less “what were they thinking?”
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Conclusion
The current wave of “ugly house” accounts and viral posts is entertaining, but it also highlights a reality: most homes collect questionable design choices over time. You don’t need a TV crew or a five-figure budget to fix the worst of them.
By:
- Neutralizing loud exterior colors
- Framing and balancing awkward windows
- Painting over chaotic tile patterns
- Simplifying clashing materials
- And using furniture to “rebuild” bad layouts
you can shift your home from “please don’t post this online” to something you’re happy to share.
If you try any of these fixes, snap a before-and-after and tag it with something like `#RepairNowFix` alongside the latest “ugly house” posts — but this time, you’ll be on the glow-up side of the algorithm, not the roast.
Key Takeaway
The most important thing to remember from this article is that following these steps can lead to great results.
