Interior Design Vocab

Accent lighting

Illumination designed to highlight a feature in a room

Acoustic dampening

A material, such as tile, that works to absorb some of the sound in the room instead of reflecting it.

aesthetics

How nice something looks.

Aggressive communication

A form of communication that generally includes a judgment or accusation.

Ambient lighting

Illumination designed to achieve an even level of light throughout the room.

analogous colors

Colors all within the same range

Architects

A career that works to design the places that people live, work, eat, play, and sleep.

architecture firm

A company where a group of architects work together.

assertive communication

A form of communication that is direct and to the point.

background check

A method used by employers to gain information on new employees educational and work experience as well as things like driving record.

Balance

How objects are placed in a space.

barrier-free designs

Designs that are accessible to all people regardless of ability.

budgeting

The process of estimating the total expenses for a project or time period.

career path

The way that an individual progresses through their career.

Cellulose fibers

Fibers that combine natural and manmade elements.

Color scheme guides

Strips that show paint colors joined as a block.

Commercial design

The design of places other than homes such as schools, hospitals, and restaurants.

community planning

The process of creating long-term visions, goals, and policies to ensure the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of the area.

complementary colors

Colors directly across from each other on the color wheel.

Contemporary furniture

Furniture with clean lines and very little decoration.

contingency reserve

An extra percentage of the budget (often recommended at 10 percent) allocated to unexpected expenses.

Corporate designers

Interior designers who specialize in designing buildings other than homes.

Detail and sections views

Plans that display specific information about a construction or design feature.

dimensions

The size of a piece (generally refers to length, width, and height).

earth-sheltered home

A home constructed below ground or with one or more sides covered by earth for insulation purposes.

eco-friendly

A term referring to products and processes that are not harmful to the environment.

emphasis

The strategic use of a contrasting element that draws the eye.

entrepreneurs

People who are self-employed or run their own business.

environmental cost

The quantifiable amount that a product depletes natural resources through its creation.

equity

The amount of money invested in a home.

Ergonomic furniture

Furniture designed to keep a user's body in a safe, upright position.

expenditures

Expenses for a project.

Floor plans

Maps for a building that show all of the important parts of a space.

foundation

The bottom portion of a house that provides stability for the rest of the structure.

grade

To make land flat.

Green design

Design that tries to limit its negative impact on the environment.

hardware

Drawer pulls, hinges, and other metal pieces in the context of furniture.

harmony

The feeling that parts of a design belong together.

Healthcare interior designers

A career that works to plan and design the places that people receive medical care.

housing bubble

The increase of housing prices over time with a sudden, unexpected, decrease due to supply and demand.

human resources professional

A person in charge of hiring personnel.

hygge

A Scandinavian design concept that focuses on natural, timeless pieces and clean, cozy rooms.

industrial style

A minimal style inspired by warehouses and factories with clear, clutter-free surfaces.

innovative fibers

A subset of synthetic fibers that often contain rubber.

Interior designers

A career that plans, researches, manages, and coordinates the look, feel, and functionality of an indoor space.

island

A replacement for the kitchen table that was popular in homes from the 1990s.

Landscape architects

A career that works to design outdoor spaces such as parks, gardens, playgrounds, and college campuses.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

A certification program that rates green buildings.

letters of recommendation

Written documents where the writer assesses the characteristics, qualities, and capabilities of the requesting individual.

Lighting designers

A career that focuses on lighting both inside and outside of buildings.

Linoleum

A popular flooring choice from the 1930s.

manufactured fibers

Fibers that are human-made.

mass production

Large volume production or creation of products.

mid-century modern furniture

Furniture with clean, straight lines and a sleek aesthetic that is designed to be non-specific.

mid-century modern style

A sleek style using a variety of textures, colors, and materials such as Lucite and Plexiglas.

minimalism

A design style that focuses on simple, clean lines and a few well-chosen pieces.

modern style

A style that embraces natural materials, neutral colors, and avoids unnecessary details.

monochromatic

Using all the same color.

mood board

A series of images, sketches, and text that will communicate your design ideas to the client.

natural fibers

Fibers made from anything found in nature.

need

Something essential that you must have.

negative work ethic

Working against the best interests of the company.

Non-assertive communication

A form of communication that is passive and provides little information.

optimum value engineering

A house framing technique that helps save materials and reduces waste.

oriented strand board (OSB)

Construction material similar to plywood made of wood chips lined up in different directions to increase strength.

Passive solar home design

A design process involving aligning a home to collect heat from the sun during the winter to lower heating costs and using construction materials that retain heat to pull heat from the air during the summer and decrease cooling costs.

pattern

A repeated decorative design.

portfolio

A collection of carefully selected images that show your design approach, process, and results.

preliminary information

Information gathered at the very beginning of a project.

Presentation views

Plans that show the house or building as it will be at the end of the project.

primary colors

Red, blue, and yellow, the basis of all other colors.

primary function

The main way that a room will be used.

Proportion

How the size of objects relate to one another.

R-value

A measure of an insulating material's ability to keep artificially heated or cooled air inside a home.

reforestation

The practice of planting new trees to make up for those cut or removed.

Regional furniture

Furniture that reflects the resources, culture, and lifestyle of an area.

residential design

The design of the places that live such as houses and condominiums.

resume

A listing of educational and work experience as well as qualifications for a position.

rhythm

Repeating and contrasting visual patterns that are used to create interest.

Rule of Three

to present three possible design options to a client

rustic style

A style that focuses on natural and organic materials with handmade pieces.

Saturation

The brightness of a color.

scale

The relative size of different pieces of a design or room.

Schedule sheets

Plans that provide specific information about the type of items to be used during a construction or remodel project.

Shag carpet

A floor covering popular in the 1970s that was characterized by long carpet threads and bright colors.

social media presence

How you post and engage with your audience on your social media accounts.

spectrum

The range of color.

square footage

The area of a space.

sustainability

The ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Sustainable materials

Natural materials created without the use of non-renewable resources.

swatches

Fabric samples.

Synthetic fibers

Entirely human-made fibers.

task lighting

Illumination designed to help you see what you are doing.

texture

The feel and consistency of the fabric.

title block

A box located near the top of the page on building plans that generally includes the building owner, architect, builder, and any major subcontractors.

to scale

A phrase that tells you each object in a drawing is assigned the same proportion.

Traditional style

A style that feels comfortable and classic with matching pieces and a consistent feel.

tray ceiling

A ceiling featuring a center section that is several inches to a few feet higher than the pieces around the perimeter of the room.

Trusses

Pre-made wood triangles used to support the roof.

Urban planning

The consideration of how cities function and how public spaces can best serve the needs of the community.