Design 101: Interior Designer Terms
Interior design terminology is tossed around a lot and much of what you see and read is misunderstood. We use interior designer terms on our projects with clients we work with across Canada, and they may not always know what we are referring to. To help you understand the terms and their use, we have created this valuable resource for home and business owners.
If you like what you are reviewing check out our other Top 5 resources:
To find a definition on this page, please type Control⌃ and F at the same time on your keyboard, type in your search term, and use the arrows your operating system provide to find the definition you are looking for.
Industry Definitions
NCIDQ Certified Interior Designer
An NCIDQ qualified professional responsible for the health, safety and welfare of occupants in a physical space. Interior designers are trained in zoning and planning, building systems (electrical, plumbing, lighting, thermal comfort, indoor air quality), material and finishes, furnishings and décor and more. Interior designers work in non-structural, non-load-bearing residential and commercial design.
Certified Kitchen & Bath Designer
An NKBA qualified professional responsible for the same elements as a Certified Interior Designer but focused on cabinet-centric environments like kitchens, baths, closets, laundry rooms, media rooms, home offices and home gyms.
Decorator
There is no pre-qualification for a decorator. Decorators work in furnishings, window treatments, and applied finishes. Interior designers may decorate, but decorators do not design.
Essential Definitions
Accessible
Functional to the broadest variety of users with the widest diversity of need to access and easily use a space, fixture, equipment of furnishing regardless of physical ability. Accessibility is a fundamental human right. The interior designer is responsible to to provide design solutions that consider all routes, passageways, public facilities, and buildings are to be accessible.
Acoustics
The transmission of vibration and sound within an interior space. May be controlled by isolation, room shape, position and planning, density of mass, minimization of vibration, and added flexibility.
Adaptable
A method of integrating more than one function or use into a design element.
Appliance
An equipment or device used to perform a domestic task such as cooking, preservation, and cleaning.
Approval
Means that you have accepted the Proposal, or Contract in your Studio Portal using your own log-in.
Bath Fixtures
A are manufactured sanitary ware and plumbing fixtures that include, but are not limited to, lavatory sink, lavatory faucet, toilet, bidet, shower pan receptor, bathtub (all), shower valves and trim, shower heads and arms, floor- or wall-mounted bath faucets, etc.
Builder, Home
A non-custom whole home builder who may be connected with property development. The focus is reasonable housing that is code-compliant. They often work with draftspersons on standard (stock) plans and decorators who select standard applied finishes.
For more information read: Design 101: What is Design Build
Builder, Custom Home
A bespoke whole home builder working with Registered Architects and qualified interior designers for individual property owners.
For more information read: Design 101: What is Design Build
Building Envelope
The shell of a building, of building elements, fixtures, and equipment consisting of its exterior walls, windows, permanently attached to it.
Building Permit
The document describing the proposed project and approvals for the course of construction work identified in a submitted construction drawing(s) (or “permit plans”) that is attached to the building permit application. Working without a building permit may prevent trade permits (electrical, plumbing, gas) from being issues, such as is required in the City of Vancouver, and result in a Stop Work Order and by-law infraction fine. All work that requires alterations to walls/partitions, building systems, life-safety systems, load-bearing and seismic construction assemblies requires a building permit and required/additional associated engineering fees. Sometimes called a “permit” or “BP”. (See Development Permit for a variation.)
Building Trade Professional
A qualified and Red Seal Certified sub-trade of skills and experience in any of the skill-labours of electrical, plumbing, ventilation, heating, fire-safety, and construction.
Cabinets
Manufactured cabinets and architectural casework for a kitchen, bath, laundry, mudroom or other designed space built-in. No cabinet is ever solid wood and is constructed of cabinet-grade plywood or particle board case materials. Cabinets have cabinet hardware such as hinges and drawer glides with doors, drawers, or boths and may even be and open case.
Clearance
The distance between two or more obstacles in the users path of travel.
Client Purchase Price
The price that we offer to you and that you approve to buy from us. We charge commercially viable markups for all products and any discount that you may receive is at our sole discretion. The price cannot be changed after approving.
Construction Drawings
A set of building and space drawings produced to architectural drafting standards. They are bundled together and prepared to scale. Construction drawings contain plans, elevations, details, sections, and specifications of finishes, fixtures and equipment. Construction drawings are accompanied by a Project Manual.
Contract Documents
Contain both construction drawings and specifications.
For more information read: Design 101 What are Contract Documents
Contractor, General
A general contractor is a qualified professional who possesses a general contractors license, insurance and offers owners warranty on their work. A contractor is responsible to execute our construction drawings and specifications. They may be residential or commercial focused.
For more information read: Design 101: What is Design Build
Contractor, Sub
A qualified professional or skilled building trade professional who is hired by a general contractor.
For more information read: Design 101: What is Design Build
Colour
The hue of something. Without light, we can not see colour.
CRI - Colour Rendering Index
The quality of the light source, or a type of colour accuracy. The minimum requirement is between 80 to 90 CRI for interior spaces while daylight on a bright sunny day is considered 100 CRI. Any CRI lower than 80 is poor quality.
CFL - Compact Fluorescent
A type of illumination light source that uses fluorescent gas that is electrified in a tube. Common in commercial and education settings because of the low-energy use and long duration of light. May cause flickering, which can be uncomfortable to some. Not the Canadian Football League.
Colour Temperature
The appearance of light measured in Kelvins. Warm is a temperature of 2700 K and the minimum interior lighting. Neutral is a temperature of 3000 K to 3700 K and ideal for most interior lighting applications. Cool temperatures exceed 4000 K and are not ideally suited for residential applications but may be used in commercial up to 6500 K.
Cooktop
A cooking surface appliance installed into a counter that is not attached to an oven. It may be fueled by gas or electricity.
Cork
A resilient floor covering material harvested from tree called Quercus suber in Europe or Africa. It has hydrophobic and sound insulating properties.
For more information read: Design 101: Finishes and Materials
Custom
FINAL SALE merchandise that made-to-order with customizations and modifications to size, material, finish, or fit and therefore cannot be warehoused in advance. When we use the word “custom” with you, it means there is no limit on what can be produced and will be a luxury item.
Counters
A work surface that is also food-safe and durable with little maintenance. Counters may be laminate with a plywood substrate, natural stone, solid surfacing, or engineered stone.
For more information read: Design 101: Finishes and Materials
Development Permit
The document describing the development of a civic site with zoning, building massing, parking and other amenities required by the jurisdiction. A development permit, or “DP”, is not a building permit.
Engineered Hardwood
A wood flooring that contains a finished wood wear layer with a stain and coating that is glued to a substrate wood ply material (never MDF). Engineered hardwood is designed to withstand more use and is not waterproof. The top wood layer may be re-finished, depending on the manufacturer, and is maple, oak, American walnut, or other exotic wood species.
For more information read: Design 101: Finishes and Materials
FF&E
Finishes, fixtures and equipment.
Finishes
Finishes are applied to surfaces or sub-straits to achieve a colour, sheen or other enrichment of the material.
For more information read: Design 101: Finishes and Materials
Fixtures
Affixed mechanical, electrical, or plumbing items that conduct a supply of air, power or water and their byproduct removals from a space. This may be bath or kitchen plumbing, lighting or ventilation fixtures.
General Contractor
See Contractor. For more information read: Design 101: What is Design Build
Halogen
A type of brighter illumination light source that is no longer used.
Hardwood
A solid-wood flooring material that is a minimum 3/4” thick and an applied stain and urethane UV protected finish. It is often hard maple or oak. It is never poplar, pine, american walnut or exotic wood species.
For more information read: Design 101: Finishes and Materials
Incandescent
A low-quality and toxic (mercury) type of illumination light source. It is no longer available.
Incidental and Consequential Damages
Defined as any additional expense involved in removing, shipping, installing, and administering any such warranty items and/or products by us to you. These items will be billed to you at an additional charge.
Laminate
A term used to describe a finish material applied to a counter, floor, or wall surface. Laminate is a thin piece of printed paper that is laminated to a flexible substrate. The material is glued to a thicker substrate. Laminates are not waterproof and are often not hard-wearing.
For more information read: Design 101: Finishes and Materials
Lead time
A duration of time from the date a purchase is made to the date it is delivered to the property address. No lead time on any product is constant and when electing to purchase products from us, this is where the majority of our time and workload occurs.
LED - Light Emitting Diode
The type of illumination source that is now standard in interior design.
Linoleum
A flooring covering made primarily from linseed oil (flax oil) and other materials and colourants.
For more information read: Design 101: Finishes and Materials
Maneuvering
The ability to easily utilize moving into a space or zone to complete an activity while having the full-ability to easily shift tasks, zones or activity centres.
Materials
Materials consist of wood, gypsum wallboard (drywall, gyprock) clay body (ceramic, porcelain), concrete, sub strait, glues and bonding agents, setting compounds, fasteners, etc. that are prepared to receive finish that is applied.
For more information read: Design 101: Finishes and Materials
MDF - Microfibre Density Board
A blend of wood fibre and resin to mimic the properties of wood. Some resins may contain toxic urea formaldehyde (a cancer-causing agent). MDF is never used as a cabinet/casework material but it may be used as a painted door-style.
NRC - Noise Reduction Coefficient
Measurement of the absorption of noise with a rating between 0 and 1 at four frequencies of 250, 500, 1000 and 2500 Hz. The higher the rating, the better the noise reduction.
NSF - National Sanitation Foundation
A type of product testing standard for materials that identifies if it is safe for humans and their cooking habits.
Owner
Refers to the home or business owner for the property listed in the Studio Portal. This is you.
Prime Contractor
See Contractor.
Project Manual
A project manual contains instructions, specifications and selections of finishes, fixtures and equipment.
Range
A cooking range has a variety of fuel-type that deliver a range, or variety, of heat levels for the purpose of cooking or baking food. A range is not a stove.
Retail
Refers to you purchasing products from a retailer or showroom of your choosing. We do not recommend retailers and we can not become involved in your purchase from a retailer. When we use the word “retail” with you, it means that it is your purchase and your sole responsibility.
Sustainable Design
A focus of the interior design practice that deeply considers the impact of construction on our planet. It focuses on the balance of economics, environment, and maintenance.
Special Order
FINAL SALE merchandise that is made-to-order and available some modifications (e.g., fabric options) but no customizations to the stipulated size and therefore cannot be warehoused in advance. When we use the words “special order” with you, it means that there are some limited customizations (sometimes called “semi-custom).
Specifications
Identifies a detailed list of finishes, fixtures and equipment to be installed in the project. We use “prescriptive specifications”, meaning our selection resolves and instructs for a particular design solution much like a Physician provides a prescription for a particular ailment after a diagnosis.
STC - Sound Transmission Class
The measurement of sound that transfers through a finish or material measured between 0 and 100 decibels (dB)
Stock
Merchandise that is warehoused by a manufacturer or supplier with inventory of the merchandise in-stock. Stock merchandise may be able to be returned for additional fees. When we use the word “stock” with you, it means products that are pre-made and ready for purchase with no modifications or changes available.
Stop Work Order
Issued to the property owner, employer or individual by the authority having jurisdiction to immediately stop work due to unsafe work conditions, performing construction work without a building permit, or by otherwise violating another by-law. Stop Work Orders are unnecessary risks and poor judgement decisions that result in additional delays while work is paused for months at a time, added costs, incurred fines, and may even result in loss of ownership to the property owner in some extreme cases. To correct a Stop Work Order will require additional professional services and fees that are often more than 20% higher has the property owner obtained the necessary permits.
Stove
A early-20th century room heating equipment that was centrally located in a space. A stove can not cook food.
Universal Design
See Accessible plus: Using the space is not limited to only seated users in a wheelchair, it considers that at any moment in time that the users needs may change. Be it physical, emotional, audible, visual, or cognitive.
UVC - Ultraviolet C
A shortwave invisible light that is germicidal. It, and it’s counterpart UVA, are damaging to humans with long-term exposure because it breaks down our DNA. UVC filtering equipment can be installed in-line with ducting and cleans as the air passes through it.
PVC - Polyvinyl Chloride or “Vinyl”
A synthetic petroleum-based material - plastic - that may be used a flooring covering or other finishing material. This is not a sustainable or economical material to use.
