Design Dictionary

Zip Line: Cables and pulleys were used long ago to transport supplies and people across rivers or down steep slopes.

Q

Yurt: Yurts are round, portable tents traditionally used by nomads traveling throughout Asia, made with felt, leather or cloth.

Q

Xeriscape: Xeriscapes are low-water landscape designs that offer attractive and environment-friendly alternatives to grass lawns, conserving water with drought-tolerant plants and efficient irrigation.

Q

Witch's Hat Roof: A witch's hat roof is a variation of a cone roof. Shaped just like its name, it has a skinny peaked top and flares at the bottom.

Q

Vaulted Ceiling: A vaulted ceiling creates more volume in a room by opening the ceiling to a higher point than normal within the framework of the roof.

Q

Tray Ceiling: A tray ceiling is a recessed or an inverted section of a ceiling that adds architectural interest and depth to the space.

Q

Soffit: Tucked under a roof or near a ceiling, this architectural feature adds a polished look while concealing wires, lights or plumbing

Q

Rotunda: Rotundas are round rooms or buildings, sometimes with a domed roof.

Q

Quoin: Quoins are the stone blocks used at the corners of Georgian-style masonry houses.

Q

Pivot Door: Rather than being attached to the door frame, pivot doors turn on a single shaft located within the door itself.

Q

Oriented Strand Board: This inexpensive alternative to plywood can serve as a strong substrate material or provide an interesting finish style of its own

Q

Newel Post: A newel post is the post at the end of a balustrade of a staircase.

Q

Matelasse: Matelasse is an embossed pattern on a single layer of fabric.

Q

Leaded Glass: Leaded glass refers to the many pieces of clear, stained, beveled or otherwise decorative panes of glass soldered traditionally with lead to create a window.

Q

Kalwall: Kalwall is the brand name of light-transmitting wall panels manufactured by their namesake.

Q

Jib Door: A jib door is nearly invisible, or at least disguised from being recognized as a door. It may have the same moldings or wall treatment as the surrounding wall, but door hardware is usually absent.

Q

Inscription: An inscription is a carefully chosen message that is written or carved as a permanent record or dedication.

Q

Honed: A honed surface is processed until it is smooth but not polished and shiny.

Q

Gable Roof: A gable roof is one of the most common roof types, with two triangular gable ends and a single ridge between two sloping roof panels.

Q

Finial: A finial is an ornament that tops a roof, a fence post, a piece of furniture or any other structure.

Q

En Suite: “En suite" is a term used in home design to indicate that there is a bathroom within the bedroom.

Q

Demilune Table: "Demilune" is French for half-moon. Meant to rest against a wall, this console table with a rounded contour fits nicely into small spaces.

Q

Catwalk: A catwalk is a narrow, bridgelike pedestrian walkway that floats in the interior of a lofted space or on an exterior between structures.

Q

Bow Front: Bow fronts in architecture and design are the result of steaming and clamping wood in the shape of an outward curve.

Q

Arbor:A freestanding garden structure, typically with an arch and a lattice, an arbor creates a doorway or focal point for climbing plants.

Q