Trade Glossary for Interior Designers

The working vocabulary of specifying and buying for interior projects: 50 terms from procurement, textiles, standards and installation.

A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · L · M · N · O · P · R · S · T · U · V · W

A

ACT

Association for Contract Textiles. Publishes the voluntary performance guidelines most contract fabric spec sheets report against: abrasion, lightfastness, pilling and flammability.

Attic stock

Extra material ordered and left with the client for future repairs, such as spare carpet tiles, fabric or finish.

AWI

Architectural Woodwork Institute. Since 2019 it has published its own ANSI/AWI standards, which set Economy, Custom and Premium grades for millwork. AWMAC and the Woodwork Institute publish the related North American Architectural Woodwork Standards (NAAWS).

B

Basis of design

The specific product a specification is written around. Other products may be accepted if they match its performance and appearance.

BIFMA

The commercial furniture industry’s standards body. Its ANSI/BIFMA standards test office chairs, desks, tables, storage and lounge seating for strength and durability.

C

Casegoods

Furniture built as boxes: desks, credenzas, dressers, nightstands and storage. In hospitality, the guest-room wood furniture package.

CFA (cutting for approval)

A small cutting from the actual dye lot of a fabric, sent for approval before the full order is cut, because colour varies from lot to lot.

COL (customer’s own leather)

The same arrangement as COM, for leather. Quantities are given in square feet.

COM (customer’s own material)

Upholstery made with fabric the designer or client supplies. The manufacturer specifies how many yards are needed, and the fabric ships to them.

Contract grade

Furniture or textiles designed and tested for commercial use, usually to BIFMA or ACT guidelines, and backed by a commercial warranty.

D

Diagonal depth

The smallest depth a sofa or chair has when tipped back, measured from the bottom back corner to a straight edge laid from the top of the back to the front of the arm. Compare it with the door’s clear width to check delivery.

Double roll

The usual North American wallpaper package: two single rolls in one piece, about 20.5" × 33 ft (56 sq ft). Papers are often priced per single roll but sold in double rolls.

Double rubs

The abrasion rating from the Wyzenbeek test: how many back-and-forth rubs a fabric survives. ACT’s guideline is 15,000 for low traffic and 30,000 for high traffic.

Drop ship

Shipping straight from the manufacturer to the client or site, rather than through the designer’s receiver.

Dye lot

A batch of fabric, yarn or finish dyed together. Order everything for one project from a single lot to avoid colour differences.

E

Expediting

Following up on orders to confirm production and ship dates, and catching delays before they affect installation.

F

FF&E

Furniture, fixtures and equipment: the movable items in a project, as opposed to the building and its built-in finishes.

FOB (free on board)

The point where ownership and freight risk pass to the buyer. “FOB factory” means the buyer pays freight and carries the risk from the factory; “FOB destination” means the seller does until delivery. In international trade, the Incoterms rule FOB is narrower: sea freight only, with risk passing once goods are loaded on the ship.

FSC

Forest Stewardship Council. Certifies wood from responsibly managed forests and tracks it through a chain of custody.

G

Gloss units (GU)

How shiny a finish is, measured by a gloss meter at 60°. Flat paint is under 5 GU and gloss over 70; specify a GU range rather than a sheen name, which varies by brand.

Grade (fabric)

A manufacturer’s price group for fabrics on a piece of upholstery, such as Grade 1 to Grade 5. It reflects price, not quality or durability.

H

Half-drop match

A pattern repeat where each width is shifted down by half a repeat from the one beside it. It usually needs more yardage than a straight match.

L

Landed cost

The full cost of a piece delivered to the site: price plus freight, duties, brokerage, receiving and installation.

Lead time

The time from order (or approval of drawings and samples) to shipping. Confirm whether a quoted lead time includes transit.

LEVEL

BIFMA’s third-party sustainability certification for furniture, awarded at LEVEL 1, 2 or 3.

LRV (light reflectance value)

How much light a colour reflects, from 0 for black to 100 for white. Printed on most paint chips; a 30-point difference between adjacent surfaces helps people with low vision.

M

Martindale

A European abrasion test that rubs fabric in a figure-eight pattern and counts cycles. ACT’s guideline is 20,000 cycles for low traffic and 40,000 for high traffic. It doesn’t convert to double rubs.

Memo sample

A small sample of fabric or finish sent for review, usually free and sometimes on loan.

Millwork

Custom woodwork built into a space: cabinetry, panelling, reception desks and built-ins. It’s usually part of construction rather than FF&E.

Mock-up

A full-size sample of a piece, finish or whole room (a model room in hotels), built for approval before production.

N

Net price

The price to the trade before any markup to the client. Also called trade price.

O

Or equal

Specification wording that allows a substitute for the named product if it meets the same requirements, subject to the designer’s approval.

OS&E

Operating supplies and equipment: in hospitality, the smaller items that aren’t FF&E, such as linens, tableware and minibar stock.

P

Pattern repeat

The distance before a pattern starts again, given vertically and horizontally. Cut lengths are rounded up to whole repeats, which adds yardage.

Performance fabric

Fabric marketed for easy cleaning and durability. There is no standard definition, so check the cleaning code, abrasion rating and whether the performance comes from the fibre or a topical finish.

Pro forma invoice

An invoice issued before shipping, often to collect a deposit or the balance before an order is released.

Punch list

The list of items still to fix or finish after installation, worked through before the project is signed off.

R

Railroaded

Fabric run sideways, with the pattern turned 90°, so a long sofa back or drapery can be cut in one piece without seams. Wide-width sheers are often railroaded.

Receiver

A warehouse that receives, inspects and stores furniture for a project, then delivers and installs it. Also called receiving and installation (R&I).

Rough order of magnitude (ROM)

An early, approximate cost estimate used to set budgets before products are specified.

S

Shop drawings

Detailed drawings prepared by the maker of a custom piece, showing dimensions, materials and construction, for the designer to review and approve before production.

Spec sheet

A product’s specification document: dimensions, materials, finishes, test results and options. Also called a tearsheet.

Specification (spec)

The written description of exactly what is to be supplied: product, size, materials, finish, quantity and requirements.

Strike-off

A trial print or weave of a custom fabric or wallcovering in the chosen colours, made for approval before full production.

Submittal

Documents and samples a supplier sends for approval before ordering or fabrication: shop drawings, finish samples and spec sheets.

T

TB 117-2013

A smoulder test for upholstered furniture using a lit cigarette. It began in California and has been the US federal standard (16 CFR 1640) since June 25, 2021.

U

Up the roll

Fabric used in its normal direction, with the pattern running along the length of the roll. Wide pieces need seams.

V

Value engineering

Changing materials, finishes or construction to reduce cost while keeping the design intent.

W

White glove delivery

Delivery that includes carrying the piece into the room, unpacking, assembling, placing it and removing packaging.

Wyzenbeek

The North American abrasion test that rubs fabric back and forth with cotton duck and counts double rubs (ASTM D4157).