Glossary

All A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
R, Er Lamps	Lamps with a built-in, reflective surface.
R-20, R-30, R-40	Indicate the degree of beam spread in reflector lamps.
Rabat Rugs	Moroccan rugs in a deep, hand-knotted pile with simplified Oriental designs.
Radial Balance	A type of balance that is seen in the same way as radiation from a central point.
Radiant Heat	Electrical conduit or water (steam) heat plumbing in ceilings, floors, or walls that radiates heat.
Radiation	A type of rhythm (a principle of design) illustrated by elements radiating out in nearly every direction from a central point, such as spokes of a wheel or concentric circles.
Radiators	Wall or baseboard units that contain steam heat or another heated fluid medium, permanent or portable.
Rafter	One of the series of members designed to support roof loads.
Rag Rug	A plain weave rug woven with strips of fabric, historically rags or recycled clothing.
Ragging And Rag-Rolling	Wet paint or glaze is partially removed by dabbing with a rag or rolling the paint off with a rolled rag.
Rail	The horizontal section of a frame for a panel or door frame.
Railroading	Railroading usually applies to wallpaper or fabric and specifies it to be installed horizontally rather then vertically. This comes in handy at times in order to use less fabric or have less seams in the installation.
Rain Gutter	The metal glitter and downspouts that channel rain and snow runoff from the eaves down the side of the building to the ground.
Rain Water Pipe	This is the pipe provided to carry rain water.
Rainbow Roof	A curved, gabled roof, attributed to ships' carpenters, used on some Cape Cod houses.
Raised Hearth	A hearth built on a platform or cantilevered in front of a raised fireplace.
Raking Bond	This is a bond in brick work in which the bonding bricks are laid at any angle other than zero ninety degrees.
Raku	The technique of rapidly firing low-temperature ceramic ware. Raku firings were used traditionally in Japan to make bowls for tea ceremonies.
Rambler	A one-story detached home with or without a basement. The social, work, and private zones are located on the main floor.
Random Match	A way to join veneer where no particular attention is paid to the color or grain of the material or the pattern in which it meets. Considered a rustic or casual look.
Random-Shear Carpet Texture	See level-tip shear.
Rapid-Start Fluorescent Lamps	Eliminate flickering as the gases quickly activate the phosphorus in the light. May also be controlled with a dimmer switch.
Rattan	A climbing palm with slender, tough stems used to make wicker.
Raw Linseed Oil	It is a transparent vehicle , yellowish in colour , sweet in taste and has very little smell . It has inferior drying qualities and is generally used for inside painting work.
Rayon	A regenerated cellulosic man-made fiber that imitates the luster of silk at a lower cost. Primarily used for drapery and upholstery.
Rebar	Bendable steel bars set into concrete for reinforcement and to deter cracking.
Rebating	It is the process of cutting a rectangular grove along the edge of a member , so as to enable the edge or tongue of other member to fit in the former.
Rebonded Foam	See bonded (rebonded) foam.
Recessed Adjustable Lighting	Architectural luminaires that are fixed into the ceiling. The lamps can be adjusted to the desired angle.
Recessed Downlight	A canister that fits into the ceiling and casts pools of light downward.
Recessed Luminaires	A general term for luminaires that fit into the ceilings where the light is noticeable but the fixture is not.
Red Lead	It is an oxide of lead , bright red in colour and is usually sold in powder form or in the form of paste made by grinding it with linseed oil.
Reeding	Rows of parallel convex beads or moldings used to embellish a column or leg. If the piece is grooved with concave moldings, it is fluted.
Refinement Or Refining	The process of placing overlays of tracing paper to improve a space plan design.
Reflecting Glare	A shiny object causing a distraction in a task area.
Refraction	The bending of a ray of heat, light, or sound.
Regency	The period or style of English architecture that paralleled American Greek Revival. See American Empire.
Registers (Heat Registers)	The metal grill that covers the duct opening of the HVAC system.
Reinforced Concrete	Concrete set with rebar or metal mesh to deter cracking and to give strength.
Relief Print	A process in which a print is produced from the relief carving on a metal plate or a wood or linoleum block.
Relief Printing	Printing from a pattern that stands out in relief, as is done with a block print.
Renaissance	The great rebirth of classical art and learning during the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth centuries.
Rendering	An artist's conception or perspective of a finished building exterior or interior, usually clone in full color.
Repeat	The repeat of a fabric or wallpaper tells you the size of the pattern and how often it is reproduced on the item.
Repetition	A type of rhythm (a principle of design) wherein shapes, forms, lines, or colors are repeated in a congruous manner.
Repousse	An ancient process in which sheet metal is hammered into contours from both the front and the back.
Reproductions	Printed copies of an artist's work.
Research	Examining all factors that influence a design.
Residential Buildings	These shall include one or two private dwellings, apartment houses(flats), dormitories, hotels etc.
Residential Interior Design	Concerned with the panning and/or specifying of interior materials and products used in private residences.
Resilience	The ability of a fabric or flooring to return to its original shape.
Resilient	A material with some give or ability to bounce back.
Resist Or Reserve Printing	Coating the fabric with a chemical paste that resists the dye, then dyeing the fabric. The area not printed receives the color.
Restoration	A research, demolition, and reconstruction process to bring a building back to a specific state of its history.
Retainer Fee	A deposit given to the designer upon the client's signature on the letter of agreement that retains or hires the services of the designer.
Retaining Wall	It may be defined as a wall built to resist the pressure of liquid , earth filling , sand or other granular material filled behind it after it is built.
Retrofitting	Adding active or solar systems to an existing building.
Return	The distance from the face of a curtain rod to the wall casing where the rod bracket is attached.
Reveals	These are exposed vertical surfaces left on the sides of an opening after the door or window frame has been fitted in position.
Reverberation	The phenomenon of undue prolongation of sound of sound by successive reflections from surrounding surfaces , after the source sound has ceased , is called reverberation.
Reverse Painting	A technique where paint is applied to the back side of the surface (typically glass) and viewed through the front. This process requires the painting to be done in reverse order; what appears closest to the viewer, as a detail or highlight must be painted first rather than last. Any lettering must likewise be painted in the mirror image4 so it will appear right facing when viewed from the front.
Reversible Cushions	Loose cushions that can be turned to avoid excessive soiling and wear.
Revolving Door	They provide entrance on one side and exit on the other simultaneously keeping the opening automatically closed when not in use. The door is so assembled as to exclude the wind draught.
Rhythm	Is the repetition of elements in a regular patter.
Rib	A projecting band on a ceiling or vault.
Ribbon Window	A continuous band of windows.
Ridge	It may be defined as the apex of the angle formed by the termination of the inclined surface at the top of the slope.
Ridge Beam	It is a horizontal timber piece provided at the apex of a roof truss. The common rafters are fixed to this piece and are supported by it.
Riftsawn	Wood that haws been cut so that growth rings are at an angle of 30 to 60 degrees to the board face.
Ring Porous	Hardwood that shows a distinct zone between early and late wood, such as oak and ash.
Rise Of Roof	It is the vertical distance between the wall plate and the top of the ridge.
Rise Of Steps	It is the vertical distance between the upper surface of the successive treads.
Riser	The vertical portion of a step providing support to the tread.
Robsjohn-Gibbings, T.H. (1905-76)	Designer of a group of Creek furniture reproductions, including the Klismos chair.
Rock	Any natural material formed of a single mineral or various minerals.
Rococo	See Louis XV period.
Roller Painting	Paint application with a roller?a sleeve of soft fibrous pile fabric that can hold and release the paint evenly. Faster than brush painting. It tends to spatter but. is very useful for large areas such as walls and ceilings.
Roller Printing	A fabric printing method whereby dye is applied to raised figures on a cylinder, then stamped or transferred to fabric as it rolls over the cylinder.
Roller Shade	Flat fabric or plastic material on a roller rod, which is operated with a spring or pulley mechanism.
Rollikan Rug	A flat tapestry folk rug from Scandinavia that often incorporates simplified floral patterns and stripes.
Rolling Steel Shutter Doors	These doors are commonly used for show windows , stores , shop fronts and godowns etc. The door shutter acts like a steel curtain and provides adequate protection and safety against burglars and fire.
Roman Shade	A fabric shade that folds up from the bottom accordion style. May be interlined for energy efficiency.
Roman Shades	Pull up with a cord into accordion folds.
Romanesque	(A.D. 800-1150) The Medieval architectural period based on Roman design.
Roof	A roof may be defined as a covering provided over the top of a building with a view to keep out rain , snow and wind and to protect the building from the adverse effects of these elements.
Roof Monitors	Clerestory windows, skylights, and cupola windows that catch hear from the sun and allow ventilation for excess summer heat.
Roof Trusses	A joist and rafter system that forms the triangular construction of a roof.
Room Height	The vertical distance measured from the finished floor surface to the finished ceiling surface.
Rosette	A decorative element featuring a floral design often used with a plinth and fluted molding in Victorian architecture.
Rotary Screen Printing	A mechanized silk-screen process where the screens are wrapped around a circular drum that rotates the ink onto the fabric moving beneath the rotary screens. It is a fast and efficient process.
Rotary Slicing	A method of shaving a continuous layer of wood from a log that has been mounted on a lathe, producing a broad, open grain.
Rotogravure Or Roto	A printed pattern overlaid with layers of vinyl for sheet flooring.
Rotunda	A round, domed room.
Rough Arches	These arches are built with ordinary bricks which are not cut to wedge shape.
Rough Cast Finishing	It is a finish in which the mortar for the final coat contains a proportion of fairly big size coarse aggregates.
Rough Electrical	The wiring installed when the building is framed
Rough Plumbing	The installation of pipes to carry water and sewage and central vaccume.
Rough Tooled Surface	In this type of surface finish , the projection of the stone block are removed by means of chisels and the surface is nearly dressed true. The corners and the edges are made accurate , chisel
Round Wire Tufting/Weaving	Carpet construction technique that yields even, round loops.
Roundheaded Arch	An arch formed in a perfect half circle, not flattened. A Roman or keystone arch.
Row House	Another term for town house.
Rrough Heating	The installation of furnace and duct work system when the building is framed.
Rubber	A natural or synthetic composition that yields a resilient, solid or marble-patterned flooring.
Rubber-Backed Tufted Carpet	Carpeting tufted into a foam rubber backing that serves as a pad or underlay. Direct glue-down installation.
Rubbings	Designs made by placing a sheet of paper over any object with a flat, raised pattern and rubbing it with a special crayon.
Rubble	Stone or rocks set or installed to produce an uneven, random surface.
Rubble Arches	They are constructed with rubble stones which have been hammer-dressed , roughly to required shape and size of the voussoirs.
Rug	A soft floor covering laid on the floor but not fastened to it. It does not cover the entire floor.
Rumford Fireplace	A fireplace specially constructed to maximize heat output and minimizes smoke problems.
Runner	A long narrow area rug designed to go in a hallway or foyer.
Running Match	A veneer method in which each face is complied from as many veneer leaves as needed, resulting in one of the most affordable veneers, with a varied and unequal appearance.
Rush	A grasslike marsh plant used to weave chair seats and floor mats.
Russian Style	The Russian furniture style is a blending of styles from throughout Europe. The production of metal furniture can be considered a purely "Russian" phenomenon since the production of metal furniture was not found elsewhere in Europe at the time.
Rusticated	Rough-surfaced masonry or stone.
Rya Rugs	Deep pile shaglike rugs handknotted with abstract, contemporary patterns from Scandinavia.