Not everyone is gifted with great taste in aesthetics. Some have to learn it, but they might never do it. Yet some people are blessed with great skills where they can execute their questionable ideas flawlessly. And although the Internet is ripe with gross and unnecessary things, we are grateful that the subreddit ‘Awful Taste But Great Execution‘ exists. Where else would we find top-tier craftsmanship paired with weird, tasteless ideas?
This time, we’re bringing you the best of all time from this subreddit. Back in 2019, when we first featured this community, we tackled the question “What is good taste?”. Now, five years later, we’ve compiled the very best of the subreddit to show you that bad taste can result in some pretty awesome craftsmanship, too.
We reached out to lifestyle blogger and graphic designer Nikki Lo. She loves all things aesthetic, so it’s only natural we sought her opinion on what’s considered tasteful, whether aesthetics should be important to all people, and what ‘good taste’ means to her. Read her insights below!
More info: Nikki Lo | Hip And Home
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#1 Thought This Might Fit Here
#3 Gingerbread C*ack House
Since this is an article celebrating the best of all-time posts on the Awful Taste But Great Execution subreddit, let’s go back to the story of its inception. In a previous article on We, one of the moderators for the community told us that a person created it after their submission got rejected from the S****y Car Mods subreddit.
“In the beginning, /r/ATBGE focused heavily on automotive-related posts, but we knew doing this would potentially limit our user base,” the moderator told We back then. “To make /r/ATBGE more appealing to the masses, we opened up the subreddit to include things beyond autos (tattoos, fashion, décor, etc.).”
#4 Tree-Rex
#5 Tiny T. Rex Arms For Your Chicken
#6 Asked My Mum For A Bedside Table Lamp For Christmas And Received This Sassy Young Lady
Once they decided to include all kinds of aesthetic fails, the community grew magnificently. “As we grew, moderators were added and subreddit rules were further refined,” the moderator told We in 2020. “Now, we are here, and things are still looking good. We continue to add new subscribers each day, which is a good thing (considering we all do this for free).”
The moderator team has its own way of describing the kind of content that’s featured on the subreddit: things that “display quality craftsmanship in the least elegant way possible.” Even if the objects featured in the pics are tasteless, over-the-top, or just plain weird, the representative for the subreddit told We that “you won’t know whether to love it or hate it.”
#7 Dog Slippers Made To Look Exactly Like Your Dog
#8 Sandwich-Style Wrapping Paper!
#9 Was Told To Post My Tramp Stamp For Tuesday
So, who decides what is tacky and what’s done in good taste? Is there an arbiter who can tell us whether a person’s style or interior design choices are tasteless? Or should we just go with our gut and trust our own opinion because, ultimately, beauty is in the eye of the beholder?
We decided to consult a professional in this field: lifestyle blogger and graphic designer Nikki Lo. She knows all about style, fashion, decor, and the aesthetic lifestyle, and she kindly agreed to weigh in on the topic.
#10 This Day Of The Dead Costume
#11 Bath/Toilet Design
#12 Embroidery Toast
We asked Nikki whether aesthetically pleasing things are an important part of her daily life. “For me, personally, aesthetics are very important!” she tells We. “I’m definitely one of those annoying people [who] loves to have everything look pretty, from my outfit down to little things like my shampoo bottles or the band on my keychain.”
#13 Michelin Buddha
#14 Butt Napkins
#15 Impressed By The Skill, Horrified By The Look
We also asked Nikki whether aesthetics should be important to the average person. “I don’t think the average person has to care about aesthetics at all if they don’t want to,” she says. “As an example, my boyfriend doesn’t put much effort into decorating his living space. As long as it’s clean, safe, and comfortable, he’s good – and I think that’s more than fine. But I know better than most that pretty things can make a person happy and add little bits of joy to your day, and that’s totally okay, too!”
#16 This Garage-Door-Style Kitchen Window
#17 This Handbag
#18 A Handheld Side-View Mirror
Let’s get to the hard part: what does ‘good taste’ even mean? Nikki starts out by saying that good taste is very subjective, just like all things related to aesthetics are. Yet she asks people to consider four main things when thinking about whether something is aesthetic or not: “I think good taste is a combination of visuals, timing (what’s trending), quality, and background (for example, if there’s a story or special meaning attached to an item).”
#19 Beaded Hair Portrait
#20 This “Pump-Kin” At My Ob/Gyn’s Office
#21 “I Need People To Think I’m A Bond Villain”
To explain this better, Nikki uses a standard storage basket as an example. “This storage basket has an intricate woven pattern, soft round shape, and warm neutral color. These aesthetics are something that many people, though not everyone, of course, would find visually appealing. That’s the visuals part.” Nikki explains.
#22 This Beard, Oh My God That Beard
#23 Did A Double Take When I Saw This Rock In My Friend’s Yard. She Said It Came From The Tenants Before Her, But I Think It Is The Tenant
#24 This Rug Pattern Carved Into A Hardwood Floor
“For timing, this basket matches a very earthy, organic modern style that’s popular in interior design right now. For quality, it’s made of sturdy, durable fiber that will last a long time and whose color won’t fade over time. It’s also functional and helps satisfy the organizational purpose for which it was bought.”
“And for background, this basket is made from eco-friendly materials and was ethically produced. It was handmade and showcases incredible craftsmanship, celebrating the culture of the artist,” Nikki explains.
#25 This “Up Cycled” Bathtub
#26 This Golf Cart A Local Dealership Is Trying To Sell…
#27 “They See Me Roman…they Hatin'”
We were curious to know what aesthetic trends Nikki dislikes, if any. “There are definitely some visual trends that I’m not personally a fan of!” she admits. She lists some of her dislikes in fashion and home decor.
“Low-rise pants, anything neon, bodysuits for working out, wood with orange undertones (like gunstock oak), and maximalism, to name a few. However, I wouldn’t consider any of these tasteless or tacky at all; they just don’t appeal to my personal taste.” She also adds after a beat: “Although, personally, I think orange-toned wood is a little bit outdated.”
#28 What’s The Matter Babe, You Haven’t Touched Your Shrekfast
#29 These Gloves
#30 Orange County Museum Of Art
So, what did you think about all these entries, Pandas? Did you view them as displays of excellent craftsmanship or just something done by people with questionable taste? As this is our best-of-all-time post about the r/ATBGE subreddit, be sure to check our previous posts with pics where awful taste meets perfect execution.
#31 Barbie Foosball Table
#32 I Have To Hand It To Them
#33 Razor Blade Advertisement
#34 Bleeding Necklace
#35 Scorpion Hair
#36 Snow Devil
#37 This Actually Took A Lot Of Talent To Sew
#38 Batstache
#39 Sigh… *unzips*
#40 Slowly Bleeding Candle Hand
#41 Long Time Lurker, Then I Saw This And Just Had To Share
#42 That Stool
#43 Saw This Car Filling Up At A Gas Station In Illinois And Did A Double-Take. The Top Tires Spin Too!
#44 One Of The Coolest And Also Worst Things I’ve Ever Seen
#45 I Think Thats Cool?
#46 Actually Very Well Made, But Still
#47 This Baby Yoday Toothpaste Dispenser
#48 This Family Photo. Sure It’s The Kid’s Gonna Be Posting It R/Blunderyears In A Couple Years
#49 Bauble Head?
#50 Iridiscent Kitchen Unit
#51 Iguana Cut