By Amy Schellenbaum  | Source Curbed.com

Home-decorating shows are really only great when they’re terrible; let’s face it, sometimes a truly hideous “after” shot is the only thing that makes the scripted lines and contrived subplots worth following. Take this ill-advised cabana debacle from TLC’s Trading Spaces, below. Designer Hildi Santo-Tomas created this circus-style “oasis,” which is made all the more appalling by the fact that actual sand was brought in for the job. What’s more: this sort of stuff isn’t an unusual occurrence. The gallery above has more Trading Spaces creations—including a living room in which Santo-Tomas, no joke, affixed all the furniture to the ceiling—as well as many other hilariously bad, made-just-for-TV vignettes. Have a look below and see all 12 disastrous afters here.