The interior design guide

Open Rayon

All sections

Knowledge

2Running a project

Survey
Programming
Concept design
Design development
Pricing
Documentation
Supervision

Flooring by room
Colour: undertone, LRV, light
Paint sheen by surface
Stone and tile
Joinery materials
Junctions and transitions

4Space planning

Zoning an open plan
Circulation and clearances
Furniture layouts that work
Doors, swings and openings
Testing a plan at 1:50
Planning a small flat

Sofa scale and depth
Rug sizing
Dining table and pendant
Beds and bedsides
Vintage, new or custom
Reusing what the client owns

The socket plan
Switches, circuits and scenes
Ceiling spots: grid or wall wash
Floor sockets for floating furniture
Kitchen and bathroom circuits
Data, TV and charging points

Where the soil stack sets the plan
Supply, waste and fall
Kitchen sink and appliances
Bathroom layout around the WC
Showers: valves, trays and wet rooms
Heating: radiators or underfloor

8Joinery & millwork

Kitchen carcasses and fronts
Wardrobes and alcove storage
Shelving that doesn’t sag
Skirtings, architraves and panelling
Doors, hinges and handles
Drawing joinery for the maker

Door schedules: sizes, swings and hardware
Window schedules: glazing, sills and heads
Openings without doors
Ironmongery and handles
Thresholds and level access
Fire, acoustic and privacy ratings

Art: size, height, grouping
Curtains: height, width, fullness
Lamps as objects
Shelves and objects
Plants
Knowing when to stop

Materials and finishes for a render
Daylight, evening and artificial light
Ambient occlusion and contact shadows
Camera height and lens
Styling a render
From render to client sign-off

Others

Lexicon FAQ MCP About

Structural opening.

What it means in interior design.

A structural opening is the raw hole in the wall, before frames, linings and plaster go in. It is always larger than the finished door or window it receives.

In practice

Schedules should state both the structural opening and the finished size; confusing the two is a classic reason a door doesn’t fit. Allow for frame, packers and plaster, typically 10–20 mm a side for a door lining (rule of thumb).

Where the guide uses it

Defined here, in the Lexicon.

Related terms.

More from Openings.

Door schedule

A door schedule is the table that lists every door on a project, each with a reference (D01, D02…) that matches the plan. It records size, swing, leaf and frame finish, ironmongery and any fire or acoustic rating.

Window schedule

A window schedule lists every window with its reference (W01, W02…), opening size, sill and head heights, glazing, opening type and frame finish. It sits beside the elevations rather than replacing them.

Ironmongery

Ironmongery is the hardware on doors and windows: handles, hinges, locks, stops, closers and pulls. It is the part of an opening people touch every day.

Threshold

A threshold is the transition at the foot of a doorway, where floor finishes, levels and seals meet. It decides whether a door is level, draught-proof and step-free.

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