Interior Design Glossary

 “ON CENTER” MEASUREMENT: Usually used for lighting or electrical components, this dimension is taken from center to center of the electrical box or outlet.  

 “TO FINISHED FLOOR” : The phrase “to finished floor” is often used in the beginning stages of construction before the final surface is placed as the flooring. This is to insure that the measurements taken for other items in the space will be the correct dimensions when the final flooring is installed.  

 BACKSPLASH: A backsplash is a durable material, often tile, that is placed on the wall behind a kitchen or bathroom counter in order to deflect the water or other liquids from staining the wall.  

 BASE MOLDING : A molding used to cover the angle where wall and floor meet. It is the lower most molding on cabinetry and furniture.  

 BEAM : A beam is a structural support that can be wood, concrete or other sturdy material.  

 CERUSE : a ceruse finish usually pertains to wood. It is when a white pigment is rubbed into a wood to create a streaking of white in the grains.  

 CHAIR RAIL : A chair rail is a molding, usually wood or resin, that is applied horizontally on a wall about 3'0 high off the floor. A chair rail is placed on top of a wainscot or used alone.  

 CROWN MOLDING : A molding used to cover the angle where wall and ceiling meet. It is the uppermost molding on cabinetry or furniture.  

 CUT PILE : A cut pile is when the ends of the rug pile is cut.  

 DECORATIVE HARDWARE: Decorative hardware is hardware that is seen or displayed in certain areas like knobs or pulls on kitchen cabinetry.  

 FLAT WEAVE RUG : These rugs are not woven with knots and have not pile. They are usually wool or cotton. It is a good idea to use them with a rug pad so they do not slip and they are more comfortable to walk on. Kilims and Dhurrie rugs are types of flat weave rugs.  

 FOOTBOARD : A foot board is a vertical board or frame, not as high as a headboard. It is usually upholstered or finished wood.  

 FRIEZE : a frieze has classical reference to it, but simply, it is a decorative band or pattern placed horizontally on the upper part of a wall, door or window. It is also used a lot in cabinetry.  

 GROUT: Grout is a thin mortar that is used to fill in space between tiles, masonry, bricks and other stones and ceramics  

 HAND-BLOCKED : Block printed wallpapers have prints that are applied by someone using a wooden block. These blocks were traditionally made of pear wood. Some companies today still implement this way of making wallpaper since the look and quality of the papers are distinctive and luxurious.  

 HEADBOARD : A headboard is a vertical board or frame that is usually finished wood or upholstered, and placed at the head of the bead.  

 HUE: Hue is color we perceive through pure spectrum wavelengths.  

 KNOTS : The knot of the rug is the underside of the pile. The more knots per rug, the tighter and lower the pile will be.  

 LED : LED stands for Light Emitting Diodes. LED lighting is an energy efficient type of lighting that lasts longer then other types of lighting. They have a low light output so it may not work for all applications.  

 LOOP PILE : A loop pile is when the ends of the pile are finished loops  

 LOVESEAT : a loveseat is a small version of a sofa made for two people.  

 MATTE : Matte is a type of finish that has little to no shine or gloss to it. It is commonly used in paints and wood finishes. It is a popular paint finish for ceilings because it has little reflection, and since a matte finish is easily stained, it is good to use in an inaccessible place like a ceiling.  

 MILLWORK: Millwork is essentially anything created in a mill. Decorative wood panels, moldings, cabinet doors, wainscots, stair banisters and many other wood items and details are considered millwork. Because so many new building materials are being used for these items besides wood, the category of millwork has come to include these items as well.  

 MOLDING : A long decorative strip made of wood or other material that is used in various areas of a room, like windows or doors.  

 MOTIF: A motif is the subject or design pattern on a decorative object like fabrics, paintings or accessories. For example, if your child likes cowboys, you may look for a fabric with a cowboy or western motif.  

 ON THE BIAS : A line that is cut or placed diagonally to the pattern of a fabric or other material.  

 PICKLED : Pickling is a method of finishing wood which involves a white or off white stain that is applied to a porous wood in order to lighten the overall color, as well as show a contrast in the grain.  

 PILASTER : A vertical material, usually wood or resin, that projects slightly from the wall and has a capital and base, similar to a column.  

 PILE: The pile of a rug is the surface of the rugs material, ie: wool or silk. There are different types of ways to treat the pile in order to achieve various looks and feels to the rugs surface. (see cut pile, loop pile)  

 PILE : The pile is the exposed surface of a rug, also called nap or face. There are different ways to treat pile like a cut pile or loop pile, which give a different look and feel to the rug.  

 RAILROADING : Railroading usually applies to wallpaper or fabric and specifies it to be installed horizontally rather then vertically. This comes in handy at times in order to use less fabric or have less seams in the installation.  

 REPEAT : The repeat of a fabric or wallpaper tells you the size of the pattern and how often it is reproduced on the item.  

 SEMI GLOSS : Semi gloss is a type of finish that has a partial to heavy gloss. This usually applies to a paint finish or a clear finish on a piece of wood. Semi-gloss paints are popular on base moldings because they don't scratch as easily as a less glossy finish, and they are easier to clean.  

 SHADE: When talking about color, shade refers to the darker or lighter version of a color. A hue of red mixed with black will bring out a darker shade of red like a burgundy color. A hue of green mixed with white will bring out a lighter shade of green like a light green or mint color.  

 SLIPPER CHAIR : A slipper chair is an armless small chair that is usually fully upholstered with a low seat. It can have wood legs or a skirt.  

 TOE KICK : A toe kick is a 3-4” space or recessed panel on the front of a piece of furniture that allows room to stand as well as protect the furniture from being scratched or marked.  

 VALANCE : Regarding drapery, a valence is a decorative covering that is placed above a window. Usually a short piece of fabric or upholstered wood box  

 VENEER : A veneer is a thin facing of a finishing material like wood, or stone that is attached to an item to appear like the solid material itself.  

 WAINSCOT : A wainscot, usually wood panels, are applied on the lower portion of a wall below the chair rail, and above the base molding. It is a different material then the rest of the wall.  

 WHITEWASH : White wash is a mixture with lime that is used to lighten or whiten walls.  

 WINDOW TREATMENT : A window treatment is a covering or decorative accessory for your windows. They are usually blinds, fabric or shades.