A
American (kitchens)
Kitchens opening onto the living area, with the transition generally based around a breakfast bar.
B
Baluster
Small turned wooden piece forming a decorative ensemble.
Belfast sink
Straight-sided ceramic sink fitted to be seen.
Built-in
Domestic appliance fitted in between two partitions or into a unit.
C
Canopy
Decorative panel set around the top of an ensemble of units.
Countermark
Name designating a project at its start of manufacture.
Credenza
Wall space separating the upper units from the work surface. A credenza may have special fittings.
Curved (hood)
Decorative shape for cooked hood.
D
Droplet
Small turned detail endpiece.
E
Element
Unit.
English drawer
Open-ended drawer accessible behind a door.
F
Filler panel
Adjustment piece between walls and units. A distinction is made between internal and external filler panels.
Fish-tail
English-style interlaced moulding decoration.
Fluorescent
Energy efficient gas-based lighting system. Creates a colder light than tungsten.
G
Gluelam
Solid wood panel made by assembling wood pieces.
H
Half-moon
Hinged surface for a corner unit with a semi-circular shape.
Halogen
Method of cooking using heat exchange.
Highlighting
Application of colour to mouldings.
I
Induction
Method of cooking using magnetic exchange.
Integral
Domestic appliance concealed behind matching front.
Invisible hinge
Hinge set into the door, invisible when the door is closed.
L
Laminate
Decorative sheet for gluing onto a backing with good mechanical characteristics.
Layout
Plan of the arrangement of a room or ensemble requiring an input of multiple skills
Low voltage
Tungsten halogen lighting requiring a transformer to convert the 24-volt mains supply
M
Medium
Abbreviation of M.D.F., medium density fibreboard.
Melamine
Decorative panel, with décor paper glued to the agglomerate panel (not suitable for horizontal surfaces).
Mixer
Tap enabling optimum temperature adjustment.
P
Panel (bath)
Vertical bath trim with technical access.
Piano
Professional gas cooker.
Pilaster
Vertical decorative element, usually fluted.
Pintle hinge
Visible decorative hinge for a rustic-style unit.
Plan
Study carried out based on customer requirements and technical constraints.
Plinth
Base.
Polymer
Usual name for a PVC coating.
Post-formed
Worktop with front edge covered with rounded laminate.
R
Rack
Open shelving.
S
Scalloped edge
Decorative cut-out on an edge.
Securit
Glass treatment so that if broken the glass crumbles into small pieces.
Shakers
Founded in Massachusetts in 1774, this religious community aimed to get rid of artifice by prioritising the useful and the practical. Their creations are recognizable by their simple and authentic shapes and by the unity of their sets, and have a strong connection with the natural environment. The Shakers were undoubtedly the first designers and the very first creators of fitted kitchens.
Sheeting
Technical process to enable water drainage from a shower without a tray.
Slats
Wooden lattice used as flooring and allowing water to run through.
Standard hinge
Visible hinge. A minimum of two are needed for each door.
Strut
Central piece forming the link between two doors.
T
Tile plan
Design for a set of decorative tiles.
Trim
Matching panel or front for fitting to a built-in unit.
Tray
Container used as floor of shower.