Interior Design Terms 101

You may have a clear vision of your dream home but articulating your style and communicating your interior design wish list to your builder, designer, decorator or even your spouse or partner can be challenging if you don’t have the right vocabulary. 

Here is a list of some of the most used terms in interior design to help you describe what you love more accurately. 

General Interior Design Terms 

Custom Home 

When a home has been completely designed from the ground up, following customer specifications, usually after working with an architect, builder or both. 

Elements of Design 

There are seven elements of design: line, shape, form, value, color, texture, and space. These elements are the building blocks of interior design. 

Fenestration 

The placement of windows and doors (or similar openings) in a home design. 

Feng Shui 

The practice of designing a home and arranging furniture to create positive energy and flow within a space. 

Interior Designer 

An interior designer has completed specific education and training, and is accredited with a national or state-wide organization, having passed accreditation exams. Designers focus on spatial planning and functionality, as well as aesthetic choices. Within their scope is new construction and extensive renovation, where walls may need to be removed or structural work done, in addition to smaller jobs. 

Interior Decorator 

An interior decorator focuses on enhancing the aesthetic qualities in a home and may or may not have formal education. They become involved in the process after structures are completed to look at surface decoration, finishes and furnishings. They can also offer guidance regarding color and material choices.   

Mood Board 

A collection of materials, pictures, samples and other inspiration collected and presented on a board, either physically or digitally to contextualize and communicate inspiration. 

Negative Space 

Empty physical space in interior design, usually placed between design elements, that gives the eye a place to rest without visual stimulation. 

Positive Space 

In interior design, the space that is occupied with objects physically, such as furniture, architectural elements, accents, or textiles.  

Principles of Design 

There are five principles of design: balance, rhythm, proportion, emphasis, scale, harmony and contrast. Designers build on the elements of design to create appealing aesthetics by applying these principles. 

Production Home 

Also known as a tract home, is a home built from set plans, usually in large numbers, as a part of a development. Homebuyers typically choose from specific pre-designed floor plans that are suitable for specific lots and can choose from a variety of finishes from their builder’s design studio. The options for customization are typically few, but homeowners can usually upgrade features and finishes from the design center offerings for an additional cost. 

Punch List 

A checklist used in home building or renovation of items that need to be completed before the project is considered completed. The list is usually generated after any inspections have been done, and often focuses on small-scale tasks, such as missing hardware, paint touch ups, cleaning, etc. It’s a helpful tool for homeowners, builders and designers to communicate and understand status and progress on tasks that need yet to be completed.  

Semi-Custom Home 

A homeowner has some input into a home’s structural design and finishes, but not as much as with a custom home. A homeowner may choose from a library of predetermined floor plans, and some floor plan and architectural features may be able to be modified, along with finishes. 

Common Housing Styles 

Art Deco 

Popularized in the 1920s and 1930s, the Art Deco-style house features metallics, geometrical patterns, such as zig zags, sunbursts and chevrons and bright colors. Symmetrical facades are common, with flat roofs. 

Barndominium 

A work-live space that combines the rustic quality of a barn with the functional layouts of a condominium. These homes are often re-purposed from existing barn structures or can be built brand new with these design elements as a guide. 

Craftsman-Style House 

The Craftsman focuses on handcrafted details and design, with liberal use of wood and other natural elements that combine for an earthy, comfortable aesthetic. Notable features include wide front porches, gabled roofs and intricate millwork. 

Cottage-Style House 

A Cottage-Style house has a small, boxy floor plan, inspired by countryside cottages that dotted the English countryside in the 19th century. Facades are typically asymmetrical, with offset doors and windows, along with a chimney. The Cape Cod-style home is a cottage substyle.  

Colonial-Style House 

This housing style was first introduced to the United States by European settlers in the 17th-19th centuries but reflect much of the housing stock built during the 1980s and 1990s. It’s a formal housing style, with pillars, symmetrical windows, often with shutters, and usually is two or three stories tall. Subtypes include American Colonial, Dutch Colonial, British Colonial.  and French Colonial. 

Contemporary-Style House 

This is the housing style that features what is most current in design, including boxy facades with glass and steel, flat rooflines and commonly the incorporation of sustainable design choices,  

Farmhouse-Style House 

This rustic housing style features two subtypes: Modern Farmhouse and Traditional Farmhouse. Design elements include open floor plans, exposed beams, shiplap, oversize furniture and the iconic, deep Farmhouse-style sink.  

Mediterranean-Style House 

Drawing inspiration from Mediterranean coastal homes in Europe, this housing style puts emphasis on indoor/outdoor connection. Curves, terracotta, open-concept living, earthy-color palette and clay tile roofs are some of the common design features.  

Mid-Century Modern Style House 

Mid-century modern homes were popularized during the mid-20th century and feature clean lines and a minimalist aesthetic. Open floor plans, wide sightlines, with sleek, functional design, are among the distinguishing features. 

Victorian-Style House 

This 19-century, ornate housing style emerged as a product of the Industrial Revolution, where technology and mass production of goods made it easier for homeowners to produce opulent homes, as status markers. Common features include a closed floor plan, gabled roofs, bay windows, colorful facades and turrets. 

Color Terminology 

Analogous  

A color scheme utilizing colors located next to each other on a color wheel.  

Color 

While this seems straightforward, it is important to understand the concept of color itself, to add context to color properties and types.  

Color, according to Merriam-Webster, is the perception of the application (or absence) of light, to differentiate between different objects. Light is either reflected or emitted by an object to create the appearance of colors, enhanced by the following. 

Color Drenching 

A painting technique, where variations of a single color are used to drench a room on all surfaces, including walls, floors, ceiling and furnishings. 

Color Temperature (Cool, Warm) 

Colors are grouped together according to temperature. 

On a color wheel, cool colors are on the green/blue part and are typically thought to evoke calm and serenity. Think spa-inspired, natural colors.

Warm colors are located in the red and yellow section and are typically thought to energize. Red is the color that is proven to evoke the most significant emotional and physical response.

Complementary 

A color scheme using colors facing opposite each other on a color wheel, used to create contrast. 

Hue 

The hue of a color is purest form, referencing the visible light spectrum that assigns a particular color. The hue can be modified by adding white or black.  

Monochromatic 

A monochromatic color palette features a single color, with variations on that color shade within the color scheme.

Neutral Colors  

Colors with low chromatic content, such as white, cream, grey, black, and beige, often used as a backdrop for other colors to appear more prominently.  

Saturation 

Refers to how a color appears under various light conditions. You might also describe the saturation of a color as to how bold or pale it appears. Unlike some of the other color properties, this refers only to color appearance with application or removal of light, rather than actually mixing anything together. 

Shade 

A color shade occurs when you mix a hue with black: e.g. mixing red with black makes maroon. It refers to a variation within a color family. 

Tone  

A color tone occurs when you mix a hue with white: e.g. mixing red with white makes pink., also a variation within a color family. 

Floor Plans, Layouts and Rooms 

Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)  

A secondary, self-contained, independent living residence located on the same property as a primary residence. 

Alcove 

A recessed niche in a wall. 

Broken Floor Plan 

A semi-open layout, where zones are defined and created using half-walls, glass doors and partitions, sliding doors (such as barn or pocket doors), or furniture, such as bookcases. 

Butler’s Pantry 

Usually a short pass-through, from the kitchen to the dining room, or from the garage to the kitchen, offers extra food and dish storage, concealed from the main living spaces.  

Closed Floor Plan 

A layout where rooms and spaces are completely enclosed and divided by walls or other architectural elements.  

Dual Owner Suites 

A layout where there are two primary bedrooms, both sizable and private, usually each with a walk-in closet and ensuite bathroom. These are popular with multi-generational households. 

Flex Room 

A multi-purpose room that can easily be modified on demand to suit the needs of homeowners. 

Focal Point 

A strategically designed feature in a room that is striking and naturally draws the eye because of the relative visual weight in the space.  

Great Room 

The area is an open-concept floor plan that usually includes the kitchen, dining and living rooms.  

Jack-and-Jill Bathroom 

A bathroom that is usually shared by two or more household members, often with door access from each bedroom. The whole bathroom may be shared, or there might be individual water closets and sinks, tucked at either end of the bathroom. 

Loft 

A loft is an open space that often combines work/live areas, usually with lots of natural light and high ceilings. Loft styles are split between hard lofts and soft lofts. Hard lofts are historically conversions of former industrial or commercial spaces, such as factories, that feature brick, exposed ductwork, stone, steel and glass, while soft lofts have a lot of the same aesthetic, but the decor is manufactured to mimic the hard loft industrial vibe. 

Open-Concept Floor Plan 

A layout without physical barriers, such as walls and doors, interrupting the space.  

Open-Riser Staircase 

A staircase with wide treads, and empty vertical space between the steps. 

Porte-Cochere 

A large overhanging structure, usually over a driveway, on a side or front entrance, providing cover to a car, while parked underneath. 

Portico 

An overhanging structure over the entrance, intended to provide shelter to individuals when entering and exiting the home.  

Scullery 

A prep-oriented space, usually located adjacent to the main kitchen area that features extra storage, refrigeration, counter space, and sometimes an additional dishwasher or oven. 

Steam Shower 

A fully-enclosed shower with steam jet features, on demand. 

Wet Room 

A bathroom space, where a bathtub and a shower are open, or minimally contained with partial walls, to the rest of the bathroom.  

Lighting 

Ambient Lighting  

General lighting that disperses freely through a space, often natural light from a window, or a large, overhead light. 

Cove Lighting 

Architectural lighting built into a recessed area in a wall. 

Lumen 

A unit of measurement to designate how much light is visible by the human eye. This is used to determine how much light, and which fixtures and light sources need to be in a particular room to make sure that it is properly illuminated. 

Sconce 

Decorative wall-mounted light fixture. 

Task Lighting 

Directing lighting that facilitates tasks in a room, such as pot lights, spotlights, table lamps and under-cabinet lighting. 

Decorative Lighting 

Lighting that functions to serve the aesthetic, usually mixed in a room alongside task and ambient lighting, such as chandeliers, semi-flush mounts and pendant lighting.  

Windows 

Transoms  

A small window, usually placed on top of a doorway, may be curved or rectangular. 

Clerestory Windows 

Banks of windows usually placed high in a room, near the ceiling or roofline. 

Bay Window 

Multi-sided window that protrudes, often with hexagonal or octagonal commonly seen in Victorian and Edwardian-style homes. 

Dormer Window  

Window vertically placed on the slope of a roof, with its own smaller roof. 

Double-Hung Windows 

Also known as double sash windows. Both the upper and the lower parts of the window open and close for ventilation.  

Single-Hung Window 

Also known as a single sash window with a fixed portion (usually the upper piece) and a sliding lower portion for ventilation. 

Design and Decor Details 

Accent Wall 

A wall in a space that is intended to be a focal point that is different than the other walls, with variations in texture or color. 

Applique 

The practice of placing (or stitching) different shapes and styles of fabric together on a larger piece, to create visual and texture variety. 

Balustrade 

Vertical supports that run across a stairway railing, come in a variety of designs and finishes 

Banquette 

A built-in bench or seating, usually with upholstered cushions. In residential design, this is usually found in the kitchen. 

Barrel Vault Ceiling 

Curved, semi-cylindrical wooden ceiling detail that looks like the inside of a barrel, cut in half. 

Beadboard 

Wood paneling that is separated by vertical ridges that resemble beads. 

Biophilia 

The concept that, despite access to a built environment, human beings are naturally drawn to the innate comforts provided by nature. Biophilic design mimics these design features to elicit the same response.  

Boucle 

Woven fabric with loops or nubby ends, used often on furniture and accents, such as throw pillows.  

Brocade 

Rich, woven fabric with raised patterns, popular in the Victorian-style aesthetic. 

Chintz 

Colorful cotton textile imprinted with traditional patterns, such as floral, gingham or plaid. Commonly used in the Cottage-style aesthetic. 

Coffered Ceiling 

Ceiling detail that features a series of grid patterns. 

Fresco 

A painting applied over damp plaster. 

Fluting 

A ridged architectural detail, often added to walls, cabinetry and furniture. Also known as reeding. 

Patina 

A finish on a surface produced by age and use. This can occur naturally, or be replicated with strategic use of finishes 

Shiplap 

Weathered wood planks that overlap to create a rustic look, popular in Farmhouse and Coastal aesthetics. 

Terrazzo 

Flooring, counters or other surfaces made by combining crushed stone, glass and cement, and polished to finish. 

Tray Ceiling  

Also known as a recessed ceiling, a tray ceiling has a raised center portion, with details on the outer trim, resembling an inverted tray.

Tufted 

Textile weaving technique, where needles are pushed through a base with yarn, creating patterns and volume. 

Wainscoting 

Wooden wall trim, usually applied to the lower half or third of a wall. 

Kitchen Terms 

Convection 

A method of heat energy transfer through air or water, common in modern appliances for energy efficiency. 

Cooktop 

Flat cooking surface that is usually installed directly in a countertop. Can be electric, gas or convection. 

Kitchen Triangle 

A design approach to make the kitchen more functional by minimizing steps between workstations, from stovetop to refrigeration to sink, placed in a connected, small, imaginary triangular pattern.