Home interiors glossary
The words that show up on quotes, in showrooms and in designer conversations, explained in plain English so nothing gets past you.
This glossary explains the everyday terms used across UK home interiors, grouped by kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, decorating, fitted storage and working with professionals. Each entry gives a plain-English definition you can act on, from what a kitchen carcass is and why a wet room needs tanking, to the difference between an interior designer and a decorator and what a provisional sum on a quote really means. The aim is simple: help you read a quote, compare two of them fairly, and brief a professional clearly, so you spend with confidence and avoid expensive misunderstandings.
Kitchens
Carcass
The box that forms a kitchen unit, before doors, handles and worktop are added. Cabinet quality is largely about the carcass: solid backs, thicker board and better fixings last longer than thin flat-pack shells.
Shaker
A door style with a plain recessed centre panel and a flat frame around it. It suits both traditional and modern kitchens, which is why it is the most common style specified in the UK.
Handleless / J-pull
Doors with no separate handle. A true handleless kitchen uses a recessed rail behind the door edge; a J-pull has a curved lip you grip instead. Both give a clean, contemporary look.
Soft-close
A damped hinge or drawer runner that stops doors and drawers slamming and eases them shut. Now standard on most mid-range and above kitchens.
Worktop
The work surface over the units. Common materials are laminate, solid wood, quartz (engineered stone), granite and porcelain, which vary widely in cost, durability and how they handle heat and stains.
Splashback
The protective surface on the wall behind a hob, sink or worktop that guards against splashes and heat. Made from tiles, glass, stone, stainless steel or a continuous upstand of worktop material.
Plinth
The removable panel that hides the gap and adjustable legs under floor units, running along the base of the kitchen. Also called a kickboard.
Bathrooms
Wet room
A fully waterproofed bathroom where the shower area is open and drains through the floor, with no tray or enclosure needed. It relies on correct falls in the floor and thorough tanking.
Tanking
Applying a waterproof membrane or coating to walls and floors before tiling, so water cannot reach the structure behind. Essential in wet rooms and shower enclosures.
Vanity unit
A cabinet built around or under the basin that adds storage and hides the pipework. Sizes range from compact cloakroom units to double-basin runs.
Thermostatic valve
A shower or bath valve that holds the water at a set temperature and cuts the flow if the cold supply fails, preventing scalding. Standard on modern showers.
Close-coupled toilet
A toilet where the cistern sits directly on top of the pan as one connected unit. The common alternative is a wall-hung or back-to-wall toilet with the cistern concealed in a frame.
Flooring
LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile)
A hard-wearing vinyl floor made in planks or tiles that mimic wood or stone. Warm underfoot, water-resistant and suited to kitchens and bathrooms. Sold as glue-down or click-fit.
Engineered wood
Flooring with a real hardwood top layer bonded to plywood or HDF underneath. More stable than solid wood with underfloor heating and humidity, and can usually be sanded once or twice.
Laminate
A photographic wood or stone image sealed under a tough wear layer on a fibreboard core. Budget-friendly and scratch-resistant, but it cannot be sanded and swells if water gets into the joints.
Underlay
The cushioning layer laid under carpet, laminate or engineered wood. It adds comfort, insulation and sound reduction, and the right type matters when there is underfloor heating below.
Underfloor heating (UFH)
Heating built into the floor, either electric mats or warm-water pipes. It frees up wall space and gives even warmth, but not every floor covering is compatible, so check the tog rating and the maker's guidance.
Screed
A smooth layer of material laid over the structural floor to create a level base for the finish, and to encase wet underfloor heating pipes. It needs time to dry fully before flooring goes down.
Decorating and finishes
Sheen / finish
How much a paint reflects light. From least to most shiny: matt, eggshell, satin and gloss. Matt hides wall imperfections; eggshell and satin wipe clean and suit woodwork and busy rooms.
Primer / undercoat
A preparatory coat that seals a surface and helps the topcoat stick and cover evenly. Bare wood, new plaster and previously glossed surfaces usually need the right primer first.
VOC
Volatile organic compounds, the solvents that evaporate as paint dries and cause the smell. Low-VOC and water-based paints are less harmful to breathe and better for poorly ventilated rooms.
Skirting and architrave
Skirting is the board where the wall meets the floor; architrave is the moulding framing a door or window. Matching their profiles is part of a coherent, finished-looking room.
Coving / cornice
A moulding that covers the join between wall and ceiling. Coving is the simpler curved type; cornice is more decorative. Both soften the transition and add period character.
Fitted storage and general
Fitted wardrobe
Storage built to the exact dimensions of your room, including into sloping ceilings and awkward corners, so no space is wasted. The alternative is freestanding furniture you can take with you.
MDF
Medium-density fibreboard, a smooth engineered wood used for painted doors, shelving and mouldings. It takes paint beautifully and is dimensionally stable, but it is heavy and not suited to damp areas unless moisture-resistant.
Bespoke vs made-to-measure vs flat-pack
Bespoke is designed and built from scratch to your brief. Made-to-measure adapts a standard range to your sizes. Flat-pack uses fixed off-the-shelf units. Cost and lead time rise as you move from flat-pack to bespoke.
RAL / colour match
RAL is a standard colour system used to specify an exact paint or sprayed finish, so a fitter, joiner and decorator all work to the same shade. Useful when matching cabinetry, radiators and woodwork.
Working with professionals
Interior designer vs decorator
An interior designer plans the whole scheme: layout, lighting, materials and how a space works and feels, sometimes including structural changes. A decorator focuses on the surface finish, mainly painting and papering.
Specification (spec)
The detailed list of exactly what is being supplied and installed: brands, models, materials, finishes and quantities. A clear spec is what makes two quotes genuinely comparable.
Provisional / PC sum
An allowance in a quote for an item not yet chosen, such as tiles or taps. It is an estimate, not a fixed price, so the final cost changes once you make the actual selection.
Lead time
The gap between placing an order and the goods arriving or the work starting. Bespoke kitchens, stone worktops and made-to-measure items often have long lead times worth planning around.
Snagging
The final check at the end of a job to list small defects, such as a chip, a gap or a misaligned door, for the tradesperson to put right before you sign off and make the final payment.
Still unsure about a term on your quote? Ask us or read our guide to whether a quote is fair and the red flags to watch for.
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