The Glossary: Interior Design Industry Terminology That You Need to Know

Above Finished Floor (AFF)

An important term and abbreviation used in interior design specifications to describe “above finished floor” so designers and installers know precisely where to install light switches and sockets and the height of lighting pendants and chandeliers.

Alcove

A recessed part of the room. 

Art Deco

A style of architecture and decoration that is geometric, streamlined, and minimalist. First popularized during the 20s and 30s, the art deco style can be seen in the shape of notable buildings like the Chrysler building in New York City and can also be found in furnishings and household appliances. Other distinguishing characteristics include wood furniture with chrome decoration, glass tops, rounded fronts, with simple and unadorned lines.

Arts and Crafts

Also known as the “Mission Style,” it is a style of the late 19th century and early 20th century that is the root of the modern style and a direct reaction to the reigning Victorian style of the era as well as the rise of the industrial revolution. This wide-ranging style highlights hand-crafted materials and started in the U.K. and soon spread to Europe and North America. Notable artists and designers in this style are William Morris, architects Greene & Greene, and Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

Bauhaus

In pre-World War II Germany (1919-1933), the Bauhaus German art school was founded by architect Walter Gropius. It is thought to spark the beginning of the modern movement in architecture design and applied arts. Bauhaus describes a minimalist and simplistic aesthetic with the idea that form follows function. The most famous Bauhaus designs include the Barcelona Chair by Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich or the Wassily chair by Marcel Breuer.

Bureau

A dresser used to store clothing that also can be used as a desk.

Calico

Cotton or cotton-blend fabric printed with small, colorful patterns. 

Case Goods

Furniture and cabinetry designed for storage space often made out of wood and similar materials.

Chintz

A style of decorating that incorporates liberal use of the chintz fabric—a cotton fabric printed with vivid patterns of leaves and flowers with a glazed finish. The fabric has its origins in 15th-century India and the style exploded during the 1980s, and went away for a few decades. It has since enjoyed a resurgence, especially with a renewed interest in the characteristic Chintz style of the late designer Mario Buatta.

Color washing

A decorative painting technique where a thin glaze is applied over the base coat of paint to create an effect of subtle layers of color.

Customer’s Own Material (COM), Customer’s Own Leather (COL), and Customer’s Own Trim (COT)

Widely used terms in the trade for a special client request to use fabric, leather, or trim not available from a manufacturer or for a fully custom order. Designers must ensure that the fabric, leather, or trim is shipped directly to the manufacturer.

Cutting for Approval (CFA)

A common request designers make to fabric manufacturers and brands for fabric samples to check the quality and color of the material before a large order is made. While it can be time-consuming, it can save costs in the long run in order to ensure no unnecessary fabric is purchased.

Double-Entry Accounting

An accounting method that ensures that a business’s books are balanced and easier to analyze. Not only does it present a more accurate financial record of a business, but it operates from a relatively simple equation Assets = Liabilities and Equity. When you record an entry to one account, you need to record an opposite entry in another account.

Eclectic

A style of decorating combining furniture and accessories from a variety of styles and periods.

Expediting

A critical stage in the interior design project management process when efforts are made to ensure that items and all necessary material are delivered correctly, in time, and at the right location. Whether done in-house or through a third-party, expediters work with all vendors and tradespeople to supervise progress on manufacturing quality, manage payments for services rendered, and minimize costs by managing deadlines and deliveries.

Freight On Board (FOB)

This indicates where a designer pays shipping from. For example, if an item is made in London but is indicated as FOB New York, that means that the designer only has to pay for shipping from New York to the Ship To address.

General Ledger

The general ledger is an important record-keeping method in accounting that offers the total record of every financial transaction for the entire life of the business. Transactions are organized by different account types including assets, liabilities, owners’ equity, revenue, and expenses. Journal entries record the transactions which are later entered into the ledger.

Financial statements, balance sheets, and other vital reports are generated from the general ledger. It is the basis of a double-entry accounting system to ensure your accounts are balanced.

Hygge

Pronounced “hoo-gah”, this term refers to a popular Danish decoration style that is all about creating a cozy, natural, and calming environment. Elements of Hygge include soft textiles, neutral color palettes, gentle and charming lighting fixtures, and a space to read and relax.

Journal Entries

A record of a financial transaction that details a debit and credit (in a double-accounting system) before it is officially added to a business’s general ledger. It is usually recorded on a daily basis and four common journal entry types of the Sales Journal for credit sales, the Purchase Journal for credit purchases, the Cash Receipts Journal, and Cash Payments Journal.

Layered

A common term used to describe how designers layer design elements in a given space to create a cohesive and dynamic room design. Layers are the levels of the design including the floor, window treatments, lighting, accessories, and furniture. Layers add depth, beauty, and visual interest to a room.

Procurement and Sourcing

The most time-consuming and crucial stage of an interior design project when the designs and items are approved and now designers and their team must take action to obtain them in a timely manner. Designers use their specification lists to ensure that the items they want for a project are produced and delivered correctly and expediting also happens during this phase.

Scale

An understanding of how the size of one object in a space relates to the size of the other objects in the space.

Ship Via

This indicates the preferred shipping method for an item.

Ship Via Best Way

A way for a designer to indicate that the shipping method will be determined later or signals to the vendor to suggest a shipping method/price.

Sidemark

For interior designers, this is an important tracking label that you can apply to orders and items made to vendors. Generally, sidemarks have four parts: Your company name / client / room / item. When you are expediting an order or item, sidemarks help you coordinate with the vendor to get accurate information.

Tear Sheet

A one-page documentation of a given item that provides the precise details of a given item including images, materials, fabrics, finishes, measurements, cost, and other important information. Used in specification and for designers and clients to review potential items for a project.

Time Billing

This is used service industries—especially interior design—as professionals must be able to keep accurate track of the time spent working to calculate how much to charge their clients for billable hours. Time Billing keeps track of how much time and for what activity is spent on which client and are accordingly detailed in time billing invoices.

Veneer

Thin sheets of wood that are applied to a furniture surface to create decorative inlay patterns of wood grain.