Thank you again for the opportunity to contribute to the site, which definitely fills a void in our industry. - Alana Villanueva – dallasDECORUM blogger
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.
In Latin this literally means “eye,” but we in the biz it’s used to describe – in general terms – an oval or circular window, or – in more specific terms – a circular opening at the top of a dome. You’ll sound so much smarter, though, if you just say oculus.
The term “ogee” can be used as an adjective to describe something with an S-shaped profile, or it can be used as a noun and be the item itself. The former is more common: ogee edge, ogee molding or ogee arch. Out of the three items listed, you will see ogee edge – as in the profile for a table top or countertop edge – is the most frequent usage.
Talk about wave of the future. OLEDs – otherwise known as organic light emitting diodes – are positively space age. The technological advances are happening so fast on this stuff that you better read the Science and Technology section of the paper everyday. So how do they work? By spreading a thin layer of organic compound on a surface of plastic or glass and applying an electric current, so that Voila! – you’ve got yourself a light source. And the applications are endless. Right now you’ll mainly see them produce bright, clear images on video screens and other displays, but more applications like printing them on flexible tubes and sheets (think wallpaper) and weaving them onto clothing and other textiles are on their way to becoming the stuff of mass availability. The extra bonus is that they are even more energy efficient than the old standby, fluorescents. Right now most are around 15 lumens per watt (lm/W), but researchers are looking to achieve 100+ lm/W in a product that can maintain its brightness over a long period of time so that it is even more sustainable. Yee-haw!
Olefin is a type of synthetic fiber that is used in the production of carpet, upholstery and wallcovering. As any textile fiber does, it has its advantages and disadvantages. Advantages include: resistance to fading from sunlight and resistance to acid-based stains; the production of very low levels of static electricity; low moisture absorption; overall strength, colorfastness and resilience even when wet. Weaknesses include: inability to dye well; a low melting point – i.e., it melts more readily than other fibers.
An oriel itself is a standard architectural term describing a projection from the upper portion of a building. Therefore, you can imagine that an oriel window is such a projection that contains a window. Traditionally these windows are bay windows that are supported by ornamental brackets and corbels.
Say this word in a breathy voice and you sound quite enticing because it’s French. But of course it is. Oui oui. This sexy word means “ground gold” or, more specifically, the paste formed from crushing gold with mercury. More commonly it is used to describe the decorative appliqué of gold paste on bronze or the item itself. The article is first coated with the paste and then heated to evaporate the mercury, which leave the gold deposited evenly and securely on the surface. Voila!
Though, when capitalized, this word refers to a member of the Turkish dynasty that ruled the Ottoman Empire, we’re talking about it’s other, drastically different, meaning: an upholstered, often overstuffed footstool. Oh, and it also is the name of a bulky fabric used for clothes distinguished by prominent crosswise ribs. (Those images are harder to find, so you’ll have to be satisfied with the footstools.)
Often simply referred to as Oushaks or Ushaks, these carpets are named due to the Turkish town from which they originated. During the early days of the Ottoman Empire, Ushak emerged as a major center of rug production and became known for the heavy, yet silky, luminous wools woven into elaborate medallion patterns made up of shades of saffron, gold, cinnamon, terracotta, ivory, gray, blue, and green hues. Over the centuries patterns and colors have changes due to tribal influences, as well as Western demand.
Though this term is used in a vast number of global industries, we included in the DESIGN SPEAK section because it has affected the architecture and design community more and more in recent years. In general, it is the concept of taking internal company functions and paying an outside firm to handle them. Most famous (or infamous): customer service call-centers and IT support. Most accepted: data processing, payroll functions, shipping and warehousing. The goal is to cut costs, especially when the workforce that the company contracts with is overseas and pays only a fraction of the typical wages to its employees.
Within the A&D industry, the most common outsourcing function is CAD, hand-rendering, and 3-D computer animation work. The last two are completely understandable as it takes special talent and specific software. However, the first in the list – CAD – is a fairly common function in both large and small firms. Arguments against outsourcing CAD work are usually those of quality control, security, and project management challenges. Arguments for outsourcing are usually those of better profit margins, increased project capacity, and faster turn-around time (working around the clock in multiple time zones).
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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Mannington Commercial'sTx:Style Design Challenge 2012 has named a winner: Katie Henry of One Eleven Design in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Her design, Stacked Up, was chosen by public vote from among four finalists. Katie will create a full carpet collection to be manufactured and marketed by Mannington, and will receive a total purse of $7,000 and a trip to the International Furniture Fair in Milan. GO HERE to see the winning design.
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.
