Your site is great. Found a few more schools I did not have in my database. - Jackie Jordan, Division Designer Marketing Manager - The Sherwin Williams Company
Design Speak lets you in on a some industry lingo so that you will sound oh-so-smart. From abbreviations to acronyms to phrases to trendy words, we’ll do our best to cover it, and we’ll do it in language you’ll understand.
A fancier name for the ancient decorative technique of inlay, which is a method of creating elaborate patterns by inserting pieces of fine material – such as wood, metal, stone, shell, or ivory – into a wood veneer that is then applied to a surface… maybe a piece of furniture, a cabinet front, flooring, wood paneling or the like.
A mason is a worker who is skilled in systematically laying / arranging units of heavy, solid material (like brick or stone) as to form a specific pattern and structure. The word masonry can refer to the end result of what the mason has made, but it can also refer to the occupation itself.
Most of us are familiar with the Dewey Decimal System used to catalogue and organize books in libraries. Think of MasterFormat as the equivalent system for the building construction industry. A product of the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and Construction Specifications Canada, MasterFormat organizes specifications for commercial and institutional building projects. Originally, the system contained 16 Divisions, but in November 2004, MasterFormat expanded to 50.
Published by Architectural Computer Services [ARCOM] for the American Institute of Architects [AIA], MasterSpec is a building and construction specification system for use by architects, interior designers, engineers, landscape architects and others. Developed in 1969, the purpose is to provide design professionals with a method of creating technical specifications without spending excess time researching products and writing the technical specifications from scratch. MasterSpec consists of over 600 sections packaged in 13 practice-specific libraries, following the MasterFormat 2004 organization standard. The MasterSpec technical specifications are available in three distinct formats or type: Full Length, Short Form and Outline.
French for “cushioned”, this medium to heavyweight type of fabric appears quilted, puckered or blistered depending on the exact construction of the cloth. A double cloth or compound fabric made of cotton, wool or other fibers, matelassé is commonly used for upholstery, pillows, draperies, bedspreads, coverlets, and shower curtain covers.
Now that the building community and the public are becoming cognizant of potential dangers involved with some chemicals used in the construction process, Material Safety Data Sheets are often requested – often as proof of compliance with indoor air quality standards and safety regulations. A MSDS lists information relevant to the physical, chemical and toxicological makeup of a particular substance – e.g., an adhesive. Its content provides those handling it with vital safety information, including physical data, toxicity, health effects, first aid, reactivity, storage, disposal, protective equipment, and spill handling procedures.
As you might have guessed, this term doesn’t exactly derive from ancient Greek roots. The “Mc” must give it away. Yes, the prefix is referencing the ubiquitous cultural icon that is McDonald’s, the world’s fast food juggernaut. Therefore, McMansion is a derogatory “architectural term” used to describe the type of housing that started dominating the American suburban landscape in the 80s. Similar to a mansion, these homes are ridiculously oversized (dare we say “supersized”?). Similar to the chain restaurant, they are everywhere (dare we say “mass produced”?). Similar to fast food, their quality is not always appetizing (shall we say “McRib”?). Yes, they’ll fill you up, but there’s not always a great deal nutritional / aesthetic / architectural value there to completely satisfy.
We don’t particularly care for this word. Images of silvery surfaces of raw meat, deteriorating layers of mystery substances, and dental-enhanced members of the band Cypress Hill shouting out their ridiculous, yet catchy, anthem “Insane In The Membrane” spring to mind. In the design sense, however, membranes are not nearly as disgusting and are, actually, quite important. In its most basic sense, a membrane is a thin, pliable (or semi-flexible) sheet of material that separates environments and prevents the transfer of anything between them. In the construction world, membranes usually act to prevent water from traveling where it’s not supposed to be, which tends to be on the interior of a structure. Therefore, these separating layers are used in roofing, exterior wall, and flooring assemblies to prevent moisture – whether trapped in a cement foundation or released from the heavens – from seeping into other materials, causing them to mildew, grow mold, and generally reek havoc on the earth. That’s a little dramatic, we know, but it does seem pretty serious when it happens to you.
No dictation involved here – it’s not that kind of memo. It’s another name for a swatch or a relatively small sample of a textile. Size will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Some are as small as 3”x3”, and some are as large as 8”x12”. If you see a fabric or wallcovering you like and want to keep it for future reference or show it to a client, sales reps will be more than happy to get you a memo sample or, sometimes, simply a “memo”. If you’re dealing with a showroom directly, you can order memos over the phone or check them out yourself. Sometimes you have to return them or pay for them. If you do, let’s hope you have an organized librarian to do this for you.
When you pronounce this, you don’t say “mep” (rhymes with Johnny Depp); instead, spell out the initials M-E-P. They stand for Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing. These engineers are the left-brained people on the project team who work with more right-brained designers and architects. The latter supply them with schedules and plans for electrical, lighting, HVAC and plumbing needs, and they draw up their own, more highly detailed versions from which the contractors and subs can build. The earlier you can get this group on board in a project, the better – especially if the scope is large and/or the project is technically intense. MEPs (that’s the shortened term for them) figure out circuit loads, heating and cooling loads and now must advise on energy efficiency codes. An experienced MEP firm is essential to a successful project.
Saying this word will make you feel so very French! It’s an adjective describing an overall pattern of tiny flowers and plants (or stylized flowers and plants). You might have guessed that if you really looked at the word: mille (or M) = a thousand and fleur = flower. Another version of this word is "millefiori," but it refers to ornamental glass characterized by multicolored flower-like designs and comes from "mille fiori," an Italian phrase meaning – you guessed it – a "thousand flowers."
To mock is to imitate, right? So a mock-up is something constructed to imitate or represent an intended finished product, which could be a series of structures, the façade of one building, a masonry pattern on one part of that building, etc. So, as you can see, a mock-up can refer to several different things.
1) A three-dimensional scaled-down working model that used where the actual objects and/or materials are either unavailable or too expensive to use. It’s intended to represent a design and analyze a design concept. (Frequently called an appearance model.)
2) A full-size model used for display and/or presentation for approval.
3) A full-size model used for testing and reference during work for quality assurance purposes.
4) A working sample (as of a brochure or presentation board) for reviewing layout and format.
To bridge the gap between the student / educational community and the professional / manufacturer community of the interior design world, and not to die of boredom while we do it.
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Good design works. Great design inspires. Design professionals, submit photos of the transformative and impactful murals that you have used in your projects, and Murals Your Way will feature you and your great design in their Designer of the Month program. The chosen designer will not only be featured in the designer of the month press release but will also win a free mural for their next project (or themselves!). Winners will be chosen and notified within the last week of the month. GO HERE to find out more details.
Enough Said T-Shirts
Created by a couple of Milwaukee interior designers with a quirky sense of humor, a healthy dose of sarcasm and a heaping serving of caring. Check out Enough Said to find fun t-shirts with a message.
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