Von Löwen Designs

Accents: A contrast, outline or highlight for added detail and emphasis.

Accent Lighting: Lighting designed to enhance architectural amenities or display areas.

Accessories: Anything that you add to your kitchen cabinets Palo Alto to enhance their functionality. This includes decorative hardware, storage solutions, and other useful cabinet enhancements.

ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act. Federal law governing issues of accessibility in public facilities. Used as guidelines for multi-housing and home modifications for physically challenged persons or homes designed or remodeled with ‘universal design’ or ‘aging in place’ concepts.

Alder: Part of the birch family, is a softer hardwood from the Pacific Northwest. Consistent warmth in colour and non-yellowing like maple are some of the characteristics that have made alder quite popular as of late. Priced usually around the same as cherry and not to be confused with knotty alder which has a much more rustic feel.

Ambient Lighting: Basic, overall room illumination.

American Colonial: Traditional design elements inspired by the American Colonial period and influenced by English Georgian style.

Anigre: Anigre is tropical African hardwood that varies from a yellowish white to a pale brown, sometimes with a pinkish hue or a red-grey colour. A bit on the costly side, figured anigre is a beautiful veneer that will guarantee an impact on any room or Palo Alto kitchen design and remodeling project.

ANSI: American National Standards Institute. This federal agency sets standards for quality, function, and durability of materials used in manufacturing, building, etc.

Antiquity Glass: Blurred, tempered glass with seeded impressions.

Antique Glazed Finishes: To create the look of freshly restored heirloom kitchen cabinetry, the wood is first over-sanded and distressed with random impression marks. A base stain is then applied, followed by a carefully hand-wiped glaze to create soft highlights in the corners and recesses. For an additional accent of colour, a highlight glaze is hand-applied to the recesses in the cabinet doors and drawer fronts.

Appliance Garage: Common name for a roll-up or single door unit placed under a kitchen wall cabinet. Sometimes called ‘tambours.’

Appliqué (on lay): An intricately carved decorative design element installed on the surface of a kitchen cabinet.

Asian Influence: Von Löwen Designs. Redwood City Emerald Hills kitchen design elements and cabinetry principles influenced by Pacific/Eastern cultures characterized by clean lines and simple forms. Asian design can be more asymmetrical. It is subtle, yet dramatic, and creates a peaceful ambiance.

Backsplash: Wall protection at the back edge of the kitchen countertop; designed to seal the counter and protect the wall from spills and damage; can be integral to the counter or applied directly to the wall.

Balance: Von Löwen Designs. The relationship of two or more elements that are equal or proportionate. To bring into harmony or proportion. A classical approach to kitchen & bath design.

Barnstead Glass: Clear, linear-ribbed patterned glass with embedded wire to diffuse the appearance of objects.

Base Cabinet: These are San Carlos kitchen cabinets that are installed on the floor or ground, as opposed to wall cabinets which are installed at eye-level.

Bath Suite: A spacious personal care environment to relax the body and mind typically attached to a master bedroom or master suite.

Batten: A strip of thin, narrow lumber used to cover or reinforce the joint between two pieces of lumber.

Bead (Beaded): A small double groove routed out around the perimeter of a cabinet frame or door giving the appearance of an added rounded, narrow molding.

Bead Board: Paneling that incorporates beaded, routed detail and conveys relaxed, casual styling. Beaded styling adds texture and kitchen design and remodeling to flat panel wood coverings, and is noticeably accentuated by glaze finishes.

Beaded Door: A flat panel kitchen cabinet door design that incorporates vertical beaded texture on the recessed panel area of the door. The wood door frame is more simple and constructed with cope and stick joinery.

Beaded Inset: A kitchen cabinet design style in which the door closes within the frame and ha s a double groove routed around its perimeter.

Beaded Panel: A panel with a vertical double groove routed at intervals across its width.

Beech: Beech is a heavy, pale-coloured, medium-to-hard wood used widely as another maple substitute for contemporary kitchen design styling. It’s fine, tight grain and large medullar rays make a great looking veneer slab door.

Beam Spread: The area brightened by the light a fixture casts in a room.

Bevel: The slant of a surface, as on a beveled edge door.

Birch: Birch is a medium density hardwood with a distinct, moderate grain pattern that ranges from straight to wavy or curly. The predominant sapwood colour is white to creamy yellow while the heartwood varies in colour from medium or dark brown to reddish brown. This range in colour makes a distinctive statement and generally has a love it or hate it appeal.

Bottom-Mount Unit: Freezer below the fresh-food compartment.

Btu (British thermal unit): The amount of heat needed to raise 1 pound of water 1 degree Fahrenheit. Heating and cooling equipment commonly is rated by the Btus it can deliver or absorb.

Building Code: A local ordinance governing the manner in which a home may be constructed or modified. Most codes deal with fire and health, with sections relating to electrical, plumbing, structural, design and remodeling work.

Built-In Unit: Refrigerator sized to fit flush with the countertops. Also called counter-depth refrigerator.

Bullnose Tile: Also called cap tile, shaped to define an edge of a surface, such as a countertop.

Burnished Finish: This warm, traditional look adds depth to your Redwood City kitchen cabinetry for a finish that is commonly found on fine furniture. The wood is first over-sanded and distressed. A darkening stain is then artistically applied to the corners and raised areas of the doors and drawer fronts to create a burnished effect. A hand-wiped base stain completes the finish technique.

Butt Doors: A kitchen cabinet design style were two doors with adjacent edges nearly meet, and between which there is no exposed frame or mullion.

Butt Joint: Joint formed by butting the ends of two pieces or wood together. Usually attached by glue or staples or both.

Camed Glass: Cut glass with zinc caming adds detail and creates visual interruptions in the glass and the objects displayed behind it.

Canter Racks: Wine storage with a permanent incline to keep corks moist.

Capital: An architectural term for the crown or top element of a column.

Cartridge: Component that controls flow can be single or dual-control, ceramic-disk cartridges on better-quality models block water flow when pressed together.

Casual: Von Löwen Designs. Los Altos kitchen design and cabinetry style elements that convey an informal, relaxed, comfortable lifestyle. Formality is less important than comfort.

Ceiling-Mount Fixture: Overhead kitchen lighting that provides general illumination.

Ceramic Tile: Made from refined clay, usually mixed with additives and water and hardened in a kiln. Can be glazed or unglazed.

Cherry: Cherry is an elegant, multi-colored hardwood, which may contain small knots and pin holes. Natural or light stains accent these colour variations making a distinctive statement in a full kitchen. Like a good wine, Cherry wood will naturally darken with age and will look richer over time. Exposure to natural light will hasten this process, which wood lovers consider a natural benefit to owning solid cherry cabinetry. Cherry is always a popular choice wherever you are in America.

Classic Glass: Classic glass typically features minimal patterns and texture, with or without bevels, so you can display your serving ware and collectibles.

Clean Door Styling: Uncluttered and straight-lined kitchen cabinet design style without extra embellishment.

CMG (Colour Marketing Group): An international organization of design-related professionals that forecasts design and product trends and analyzes both current and future colours.

Colour: The quality of an object or substance with reference to light reflection. Usually determined visually by measurement of hue, saturation and brightness of the reflected light.

Colour Palette: An arrangement or grouping of colors and materials that reflects a particular range of colour selections used in kitchen & bath design, remodeling, and interior design.

Colour Trends: Prevailing interior design tendency of popular colours; direction of colour movement.

Complementary Colours: Opposite colours on the wheel that complement each other. For example – red and green, blue and orange, and violet and yellow.

Composition: The relationship of one element to another in a setting. The parts that form a whole (i.e. kitchen cabinets, wall colour and texture, moldings, kitchen countertops and appliances form the composition of a kitchen setting).

Concealed Hinge: A hinge that is attached to the cabinet door and the inside end of a cabinet, making it invisible from the exterior of the kitchen cabinet.

Continuous Pull: The door handle is an integral part of the kitchen cabinet door style and design which runs the full width of the door. The handle is not a separate piece of decorative hardware.

Convection: A setting that circulates heated air with fans, cutting cooking times by 25 percent.

Conversion Varnish: An element of a finishing process, and as intermediate and/or topcoats used in the manufacturing of many kitchen cabinets. This sprayed-on chemical is bonded to the wood when heated in special ovens.

Cool Colours: Colours without red or yellow influence. Blue and green influence cool colours, making them a higher percentage of cool value vs. warm value. When used in kitchen design, remodeling and interior design these colours may evoke a feeling of calm.

Corbel: A decorative bracket that can sometimes be used as a practical support piece for mantels, shelves and more.

Cope and Stick Joinery: Cope and stick joinery is a wood construction technique that features a 90-degree connection as opposed to a miter cut joinery of 45 degrees.

Countertop Cutout: An opening in the kitchen countertop that accepts and sometimes supports the kitchen sink.

Crown or Crown Molding: In general, this is any molding that is applied to the top of any kitchen, bath or other wall cabinetry.

Cup Hinge: Used to hinge full-overlay kitchen cabinet doors. The hinge is set into a round recessed area routed into the back of the cabinet door. The hinge is also attached to the door frame.

Cycle: The wash program you select according to type, amount, and dirt level of items loaded.

Dado: A groove recessed into a board into which another board edge is inset to form a joint, usually with glue to secure it. Typically used to join kitchen cabinet backs to kitchen cabinet floors or sides (end panels) to face frame.

Dentil Molding: Any trim molding with a tooth-like pattern used in kitchen & bath design, remodeling or home improvement project.

Design Continuum: A span of time and events that covers the emergence, transformation, or displacement of a San Carlos kitchen cabinet design remodeling influence or trend.

Design Elements: Line, form, light, colour, and texture are sub-categories of kitchen design elements, which are basic for design and remodeling.

Design Influences: Societal influence on people and design choices as related to fashion, art, magazines, pop culture, study and travel.

Design Principals: Adopted rules or methods accepted for application in Redwood City kitchen design and remodeling. Rhythm, unity, emphasis, proportion, style, and balance are sub-categories.

Diagonal Cabinet: A kitchen cabinet used to span across a corner. Sometimes called a Wall Angle cabinet, Lazy Susan cabinet or Corner Wall cabinet. San Carlos kitchen cabinet design and kitchen remodeling.

Dimmer: A switch that lets you vary the intensity of illumination emitted from a light fixture.

Distressing: Factory-applied techniques that give Redwood City kitchen cabinets a furniture-aged look. Random wormholes, compression marks and corner over-sanding are distressing elements used to convey gently aged fine furniture.

Dovetail: A method of fastening boards together by fitting pieces shaped like wedges into like opposing cavities. Used most often in kitchen drawer assembly.

Dowel: A wood peg inserted into corresponding glue filled hole.

Downdraft Vent: A range or cook top ventilator that pulls cooking fumes down instead of up.

Downlight: Recessed or attached to the ceiling, a spotlight that casts light downward.

Drawer Slides/Guides: The metal tracks mounted to kitchen drawers and the inside of kitchen cabinets for suspending drawers and enabling them to open and close. Slides can be bottom or side mounted.

Dressing Room: A separate room or adjacent area added to a personal care space for dressing and adorning oneself.

Drop-in/Self Rimming Sink: Kitchen sink with a raised rim or lip that rests on the countertop; lip helps support the sink within the kitchen countertop cutout. Also called ‘top-mount’ kitchen sink.

Dual-Fuel Ranges: All-in-one range that combines a gas cook top and electric oven.

Dual Thermostat: Separate temperature controls for the refrigerator and freezer compartments.

Eclectic: Von Löwen Designs. An ensemble of personal design selections, both old and new, used together to create a pleasing, personal style that conveys individual personality. An example of Eclectic Charm would be to use two different San Carlos kitchen cabinet design styles, finishes, or wood species within one space, using them to complement one another – such as a San Carlos kitchen design with white kitchen cabinetry and a dark walnut island as an accent.

Edge Treatment: Special shaping or materials applied to the front edge of a countertop, usually to provide a rounded contour or to hide the exposed edge of the substrate.

Effect: A treatment or technique that gives highlight and visual value.

Electric-Coil Heating Element: A traditional circular coil that provides radiant heat.

Engineered Wood: Wood fibers and/or particles that have been bonded with synthetic resins under heat and pressure are formed into panels or boards. Engineered wood is more dimensionally stable and easier to machine than solid wood or plywood, making it the choice of many kitchen cabinet manufacturers for kitchen cabinet boxes (carcass) and laminate clad San Carlos kitchen cabinet door styles. ‘Grain-free’ surfaces yield smoother surface bonding of laminates.

Environment: An area, room or setting that encompasses a particular style, theme or function.

Etched Glass: Features finely etched patterns over a lightly sanded texture.

Exotic Woods: Species from Asia, Africa, and South America that are often noted for their hardness and intense colours.

Exposed Hinge: A hinge is attached to the kitchen cabinet door and the front frame of the kitchen cabinet, making it visible from the exterior. Typically seen on inset San Carlos kitchen cabinet styles.

Extractor Hood/Exhaust Hood/Kitchen Hood: Is a device containing a fan that removes the airborne grease and other combustion products from the air above the stove. Power is measured in CFMs (Cubic Feet Per Minute).

Face-Frame: The front structure of a kitchen cabinet made of stiles and rails; it surrounds the kitchen door panels or kitchen cabinet drawers.

Fad: A temporary fashion that is followed enthusiastically by a group for a period of time but not viewed as long lasting or timeless.

Farm Sink: Single, large rectangular bowl with exposed apron front; popular for cottage style kitchen designs and remodels.

Fixture: (1) Any electrical device permanently attached to a home’s wiring: (2) Any of several plumbing devices that provide either a supply of water or sanitary disposal of liquid or solid waste.

Flat Panel: A recessed center panel to a kitchen cabinet door or drawer design conveying Transitional, Shaker, or Arts and Crafts San Carlos styling.

Floating Floor: Tongue-and-groove laminated or engineered-wood sections connected to each other but not fixed to the floor beneath.

Fluorescent Light: An energy-efficient light source that uses an ionization process to produce ultraviolet radiation. This becomes visible light when it hits the coated inner surface of the bulb or tube.

Flush: On the same plane and/or level with the surrounding surface.

Flute: A groove routed into a wood part. Flutes may have a functional purpose, as with fluted dowels, into which glue is disbursed, or a decorative purpose as in fluted fillers.

Fluted Columns: Grooves or routings adorned in wood on columns or panels to add detail or accent finishes such as glazes.

Focal Points: A Redwood City kitchen design, remodeling and planning technique that brings emphasis to a specific area of the design and remodeling project.

Foundation: The basis or groundwork for kitchen & bath design.

Fractional Freezing: An icemaker feature that drains residual water and eliminates impurities.

Framed Cabinet: Kitchen cabinets with an applied front face-frame around the kitchen cabinet opening to which the cabinet door is attached. Cabinet doors may lie directly on the face-frame itself or are mounted flush or inset into the frame.

Frameless Cabinet (European Style): Redwood City Kitchen cabinets that have no front face-frame. Omission of the face-frame provides the necessity and inherit characteristic of the full-overlay door which is attached directly to the side of the cabinet rather than the frame.

French-Door Unit: Typically side-by-side refrigerator doors above a freezer drawer. Like all side-by-sides a French door refrigerator requires more clearance when installed next to a return wall to ensure doors, crispers, shelves and other accessories may operate and be removed properly.

Fretwork: Ornamental carving or fancywork.

Frieze: Decorative running design or cutout (fretwork) running along the top of a kitchen cabinet.

Full Overlay: From a purist point of view – typically a European frameless kitchen cabinet door style that covers just about the entire size of the kitchen cabinet box or carcass (give or take 1/16th of an inch).

With the growing popularity of Redwood City frameless cabinetry framed manufactures are now using this term to describe their kitchen cabinet doors that cover more of the face frame than in the past, showing less reveal or gap (distance between doors/drawers), giving a more frameless streamline appearance.

Galley: A kitchen layout characterized by two parallel runs of cabinetry on opposing walls.

Galley Rail: Also called spindle rail or gallery rail. A decorative element often used to create a front retainer on a plate rail.

Garbage Disposal: An appliance used for disposing garbage and other refuse.

Generational: Von Löwen Designs. Timeless, appealing to all ages. Planning and kitchen design and remodeling that facilitates or refers to multi-generational needs or applications.

Glass: A transparent to translucent material used to decorate, add variation, and allow for display. Available on a wide range of colour, tones and textural patterns for personal expression and decoration.

Glaze Finish: A base stain is applied to the wood, followed by a hand-wiped glaze in the corners and recesses, adding richness. A highlight glaze is then hand-applied to the recesses in the kitchen cabinet doors and drawer fronts for an accent that further enhances the colour depth in cabinet door and drawer profiles.

Glaze: The substances used to coat cabinetry that produce enhancements in door detail, wood colour and tone. Some might say glazes actually enhance and improve the beauty of the wood and the base finish colour. Glaze treatments and techniques can vary from heavy to light. Lighter treatments lend themselves to a more subtle appearance.

Also, a protective and decorative coating that is fired onto the surface of some tiles.

Gooseneck or High-Arc Faucet: Tall, arched spout that makes it easy to fill large or deep pots and tall vases.

Grain: The direction of fibers in a piece of wood; also refers to the pattern of the fibers.

Granite: A quartz-base stone used often in kitchen design with a tough, glossy appearance; granite is harder than marble.

Green: Von Löwen Designs. Environmentally friendly San Carlos Redwood City kitchen design and remodeling.

Grout: The material used to fill and seal the joints between ceramic tiles.

G-Shaped: A U-shaped kitchen configuration with the added element of a peninsula joined perpendicularly to one end of the U.

Halogen Heating Element: An element that heats via halogen bulbs in ceramic-glass cook tops and quick-cooking wall ovens.

Hanging Rail: A brace across the back of a kitchen cabinet that is dadoed into each end panel. Screws are driven through the kitchen cabinet back and into the hanging rail to install the kitchen cabinet to the wall. Base cabinet braces are sometimes referred to as ‘installation rail.’

Hardwood: Domestic lumber derived from deciduous trees such as oaks, maples, and walnuts.

Heartwood: Wood that may contain mineral deposits that may produce streaks of darker colours than the sapwood portions of the tree closest to the bark.

Hickory: Hickory is strong, open grained wood known for its flowing grain pattern and dramatic variation in colour. It’s not uncommon to see kitchen cabinet doors or parts of doors that range in colour from light to a deep brown when finished in a light or natural stain. Darker stains will mildly tone these colour variations while knots and mineral streaks can also be evident in the finish. End grain is open and will often telegraph the finish. These characteristics are what make each hickory kitchen unique and is a perfect fit for that rustic country cabin type of vibe.

Highlighted Finishes: A base stain is applied to the wood followed by a highlight glaze that is carefully hand-applied to the recesses in the cabinet doors and drawer fronts. This adds a rich accent of colour without changing the appearance of the base stain.

High Speed: A setting that combines traditional heat with convection, microwave, halogen, or infrared technology to produce quality results in as little as one-third the time; available in wall ovens only.

Honed Finish: A satin rather than high-gloss finish achieved by removing the highly polished surface.

Hue: The essence of colour Von Löwen Designs and Los Altos interior design. The attributes of colour that permit them to be classed as red, yellow, green, blue or an intermediate between any contiguous pairs of these colours – compare brightness, lightness and saturation.

Humidity Control: Mechanism to adjust humidity levels in crisper drawers to prolong produce life.

Hutch: A free-standing furniture unit created with cabinetry to display, serve or store. Also known as a buffet server or china cabinet.

I-Beam: A horizontal support member joining a cabinet front frame, end panel, and cabinet back of a base cabinet.

Impervious Tile: Tile least likely to absorb water.

Induction Heating Element: A surface that conducts heat magnetically to iron or steel cookware.

Incandescent Bulb: A light source with an electrically charged meal filament that burns at white heat.

Indirect Light: Light directed toward, then reflected from, a surface such as a wall or ceiling.

Inlaid Vinyl: Coloured vinyl chips that create heat-fused patterns and provide colour throughout the entire thickness, not just on the surface.

Inset Door/Drawer: Palo Alto kitchen cabinet design door style where fronts are recessed to fit flush with the kitchen cabinet’s face frame.

Interior Drama: The striking relationship of all components creating an exciting environment. For example, a contrasting molding or cabinetry selection shows interior drama.

Island: An independent segment of San Carlos kitchen cabinetry that doesn’t touch any walls and is typically centrally located within the San Carlos kitchen design or floor plan.

KCMIA: The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA) is a voluntary non-profit industry trade association originally founded in 1955. Currently, the KCMA has over 360 members located in the United States and Canada who manufacture kitchen cabinets and bath vanities, countertop fabricators, or supply goods and services to the industry.

Kerf: A saw cut on the surface of a board to relieve stress. Used to create a curve in wood, as with toe kick cover around a base cabinet.

Kiln-Dry: The removal of moisture from lumber using a heat chamber (kiln).

Knife Hinge: One of the many hinge types of kitchen cabinets, the knife hinge is inserted into a slot routed into the side of a door. The hinge is attached to both the door frame and the door with screws, which properly align the door on the frame. Some knife hinges are visible from the front of the kitchen cabinets; others are not.

Knot: A naturally occurring whorl in lumber created where a branch extended from a tree.

Laminate: (noun) A surface covering, usually affixed with glue. May be any thin surface material. This word does not necessarily indicate ‘plastic’ or ‘melamine’ as is commonly believed. Paper or aluminum may also be a laminate. (verb): To affix a surface covering to a substrate or glue.

Layered Glass: Combines tempered glass with a choice of unique materials (such as rice paper, metallic film or other layers) to create a special effect through colour or pattern. The material is sandwiched between the glass layers.

Layered Pallets: Multiple finishes or colour tones applied or displayed in tiers to convey a visually pleasing arrangement. Layers can be contrasting, subtle or monochromatic.

Layout: A plan showing where Palo Alto kitchen cabinets, appliances, and fixtures will be located.

L-Shaped: A kitchen layout characterized by two perpendicular runs of Atherton kitchen cabinetry, design and remodeling that form an L-shaped.

Light: A source that makes items or areas visible or affords illumination. A very important Atherton kitchen design element.

Maple: Maple is a strong wood that is mostly off-white in its raw state. Hard maple is somewhat uniform in appearance, making it ideal for smooth, clean looks. It is usually straight-grained but can be wavy or even curly. Hard maple contains light hues of yellow-brown and pink and occasionally light tan or reddish-tinged streaks that will darken with stain. Burling, bird’s eye markings and grain variations may also be inherent in maple kitchencabinets. Maple is a popular selection for a more even-toned wood species. You can even mix finishes and wood species to create a more eclectic room. Careful it does yellow over time.

Marble: A semi-hard and durable limestone characterized by varied patterns and colours of veins.

Matte Finishes: Finishes with an intentionally lower level of shine or luster.

MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard): An engineered wood offering an extremely tight and smooth surface. Exceptionally stable, MDF is favored for laminating with thermofoils and melamine.

Melamine: A low-pressure laminate thermo-fused to a smooth substrate.

Mellow: Softening related to colour. For example, white mellows over time, becoming less bright with age.

Metallic: Of, relating to, or being made of metal. Finishes or treatments that emulate metal.

Metallic Accent (Glass): Glass surrounded by metal, available on face-mounted on aluminum or rear-mounted glass behind the aluminum frame.

Microwave: An kitchen appliance using electromagnetic waves to cook food.

Millwork: Machined woodwork.

Mineral Streak: Discolouration in lumber caused by chemical oxidation of minerals naturally occurring in the wood.

Miter: Two angles cut and joined forming a continuous profile. Also called mitre.

Mix and Match: Blending of unlike items to produce a pleasing final design and remodeling solution. Cabinet door styles, finishes and even wood species can be combined to produce an Eclectic Charm and Atherton kitchen design.

Moisture Settings: A warming-drawer feature that keeps heated foods moist or crisp.

Molding: Any of variously long, ornamental surfaces that are either continuous or discontinuous, with coordinating cross-sections for the full device and a strikingly modeled profile that adds finishing detail.

Monochromatic: Having varying tones of one colour in addition to the base hue; a monochromatic colour range is both subtle and sophisticated to facilitate a tone-on-tone solution.

Monochromatic Texture: Colour values within a single colour range utilizing paints, fabrics, materials and treatments to achieve differences that convey subtle visual texture and variation for kitchen & bath design, remodeling and interior design applications.

Mood: A state or quality of feeling at a particular time. Mood can be strongly influenced by design style, materials and treatments.

Morning Bars: Mini-kitchenettes designed into a master dressing or bath suite. Includes cabinetry, storage and countertop for morning coffee or a late-night snack.

Mortise and Tenon: A joint between two pieces of wood in which a protrusion on one piece is inserted into a groove or channel in the other. Similar to ‘tongue and groove.’

Mosaic Tile: (1-or 2-inch) vitreous tiles mounted on sheets or joined with adhesive strips.

Movement: Von Löwen Designs. The progression and evolution of a trend, thought or Palo Alto kitchen design and remodeling concept.

Mullion Door: Mullion doors have vertical and horizontal wood rails within the frame forming a grid pattern.

Mullion Glass: Combines wood mullion divides with clear or textured glass. The wood mullions coordinate with the door and frame materials and finish.

Multi-Functional Spaces: Von Löwen Designs. Areas designed for two or more functions or activities. For example, a kitchen, home office and sitting area can be designed all within one area or closely adjoined.

Muntin: A strip of wood or metal set between two rails in a door or in paneling. The short bar extending from stile to stile. As in a tall kitchen cabinet door divided by a horizontal muntin.

Natural: A topcoat that is applied to the wood without the application of a colour stain, resulting in well-defined grain patterns and characteristics.

Neo-Classic: The movement prevailing in the architecture of Europe, America and some European colonies at various periods during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, characterized by the widespread use of Greek orders and decorative motifs; the subordination of detail to simple, strongly geometric overall compositions; the frequent presence of broad, plain wall surfaces; the use of moldings, recessed panels, etc., to create crisp outlines and patterns. A subcategory to Eternally Classic.

NKBA: National Kitchen and Bath Association

Nominal: The ‘rounded’ dimension number used in a cabinet order code. Actual dimension may differ by a fraction either greater or smaller.

Nose: Rounded edge on a wood member.

Oak: Oak has a prominent, open grain that ranges in colour from white, to yellow, to reddish brown. Sometimes streaked with green, yellow or black mineral deposits, red oak’s strong grain often varies from closely knit to a distinctive, sweeping arch pattern.

Ogee: Edge trim or cut characterized by one 180 degrees radius bead extending further out than another below it.

Onlay (appliqué): An intricately carved wood decorative element installed on the surface of a cabinet.

Oven: an appliance used for heating, roasting, or baking food.

Overlay: The degree or amount a door overlays the frame or front edge of a kitchen cabinet.

Painted Finish: Typically several coats of heavily pigmented stain that saturate the wood for rich, beautiful colour. These finishes may sometimes be semi-opaque; meaning some of the natural beauty of the wood grain may be visible.

Palette: A grouping or family of interior design and remodeling colours.

Patina: The natural finish on a wood or metal surface that results from age and polishing.

Patterned: A decorative design, as for wallpaper, textile fabrics, etc., used in a layering effect.

Pediment: Low-pitched triangular head or cap. ‘Broken pediment’ is not solid and often contains additional trim in the open area, such as a spindle.

Pendant: A kitchen fixture that hangs from the ceiling via a stem, wire, or cable to provide task and/or general illumination; one fixture may have more than one pendant.

Peninsula: A typically short section of Atherton kitchen cabinetry designed and joined perpendicularly to one end of an L-shape or U-shape kitchen design configuration.

Plank Flooring: Boards 3 inches and wider.

Plaster: A column. May refer to vertical strips into which shelf supports are inserted.

Plywood: Thinly cut layers of wood veneer cross-laminated with adhesive between layers.

Pot-Filled Faucet: Wall spigot that delivers cold water only, mounted near the range or cook top so cooks needn’t carry heavy, water-filled pots from the sink.

Primary: Relating to colours and interior design and remodeling concepts, primary colours are starting points of all colours. Red, yellow and blue are primary colours.

Product Development: The process of designing, marketing and manufacturing products appropriate for consumers’ needs and interests.

Professional-Grade: High-performance appliances designed for residential kitchen use; often stainless steel with more features.

Proportion: Comparative relationship between objects in reference to size.

Pullout Faucet: Two piece spout functioning as both a kitchen faucet and a pullout sprayer.

Quartersawn Oak: Red oak is a strong, open-grained wood that has a range in colour of white, yellow and pink. Red oak is sometimes streaked with green, yellow and black mineral deposits and may contain some wide grain. Quartersawn refers to the method of cutting the red oak. Boards are cut through the radius of the rings allowing wavy gravy and flaked patterns to show on the face. Although standard oak is somewhat dated quartersawn oak has made a strong comeback with the growing popularity of dark and chocolate hues being used in kitchen finishes.

Rabbet: Rectangular cut of two surfaces.

Racking (wracking): The twisting out of square of a cabinet door caused by uneven installation.

Racks: Up to three storage levels, often adjustable, that best position dishes for both washing and drying.

Radiant Heating Element: An element that provides continuous electric heat from beneath ceramic-glass surface.

Rail: The horizontal members of a kitchen cabinet’s front frame or door.

Range: A combination cooktop and oven.

Receptacle: An outlet that supplies power for appliances and other plug-in devices.

Recessed Door: A flat panel held inside the perimeter of a kitchen cabinet door. A flat panel recesses between the stiles and rails.

Recessed Fixture: General and/or task lighting that installs unobtrusively in the ceiling (only the bulb and lens are visible).

Resilient: Vinyl, linoleum, cork, and rubber tiles and sheets cushioned for comfort and flexibility.

Restaurant/Commercial-Style Units: Large, built-in, often stainless steel refrigerators.

Resurfacing: The placing of a supplemental surface on an existing surface in order to increase its strength or improve its conformation.

Reveal: The area of the face-frame not covered by the cabinet door.

Roof Sheathing: The sheet material or boards that are fastened to the roof rafters, onto which roof covering is laid.

Rotogravure Vinyl: Vinyl flooring with colour and pattern printed only on the surface.

Rout: To hollow out with a tool called a router.

RTA (Ready to Assemble): Items that are targeted towards do-it-yourselfers.

Sapwood: Sapwood contains living cells and performs an active role in the life processes of the tree.

Saturated Colour: A colour rich with pigment or hue.

Scale: Refers to the size of elements in a setting or drawing. In settings, it is the size of elements in relation to one another and the total space. In architectural drawings, an example is a 1/4 of an inch is equal to 1 foot.

Scribe: (verb) Careful fitting, in exact conformity, of an edge to the adjacent panel or wall.

Secondary Colour: Resulting from the combination of two primary colors (i.e., blue and yellow create green, and red and blue create purple, etc.).

Sen Clamp: A steel fastener inserted diagonally behind a front frame, joining the front frame to a cabinet end (side) panel.

Sensors: Electronic devices that evaluate the size and condition of each load, usually by measuring water contamination, and determine times and temperatures to best clean dishes.

Shaker Style: Simple and uncluttered Palo Alto kitchen design style reflective of a historic section of Eastern American descent called Shakers. Old, New England elements fall into this category – finials, trestle tables, bolt and tenor detail, cope and stick joinery. Kitchen cabinetry door styles and designs are simple and have a recessed panel.

Side-By-Side Unit: Refrigerator configured with frozen-food compartments on the left and fresh-food compartment on the right.

Single-File Kitchen: A kitchen design that has the kitchen cabinet, sink, stove, and refrigerator all along one wall.

Single-Hole or Post-Mount Faucet: Kitchen faucet that needs just one hole in sink deck or kitchen countertop – useful where space is limited.

Sink: A water basin that has a drainpipe and a piped supply of water.

SKU: Stock Keeping Unit. Each stock model, configuration, size, or part is one SKU.

Smooth Transition: An easy or continuous passage from one point to another.

Soffit: In kitchen design terms of the past, a soffit was a dropped ceiling that was used to add dimension or architectural detail. Today, more times than not people are wanting to remove their kitchen soffits to take their cabinetry to the ceiling.

Spa: A retreat for stress relief and relaxation. Home spas can include whirlpools, showers with multiple showerheads, steam rooms or saunas.

Stain: An alternative to paint which is used to cover and colour a surface, stain is often used to enhance the natural beauty inherent in each type of wood.

Steam Cooking: A method of cooking without oil or fats; retains food’s colors, textures, and nutrients, available in wall ovens only.

Stile: The vertical members of a kitchen cabinet’s front frame or door.

Stone Tile: Marble, granite, limestone, and slate are some examples. Dimensioned (or gauged) stone is cut to uniform size. Hand-split (or cleft) varies in size.

Stove: A gas or electrical appliance used for cooking or warmth.

Streamlined: Von Löwen Designs. Linear, uncluttered kitchen design, remodeling and styling detail.

Stretcher: A support brace between the two panels of a frameless kitchen cabinet.

Strip Flooring: Boards less than 3 inches wide.

Substrate: A manufactured product used as a base for laminates or veneers. Thickness, density, weight, and surface smoothness may vary depending on the strength required and the laminate to be applied.

Tambour Door: A kitchen cabinet door that opens vertically, by running in a rack mounted on each side of the door frame. The flexible fabric back is surfaced with narrow slits of wood veneer or laminate, allowing the door to roll within the upper back of the cabinet when in the open position.

Task Lighting: Fixture that brightens a specific area or surface for work and tasks.

Telecommuting Lifestyle: San Francisco Bay Area/Silicon Valley at its best. Trend that describes people’s move toward dividing work time between a formal office and a home office. You would think traffic would be less. . .

Temperature Zones: Temperature settings in wine refrigerators for cooling different types of wine appropriately.

Tenon: A projection at the end of a piece of wood. When inserted into a mortise (carved or dadoed area), forms a ‘mortis and tenon’ joint. Usually joined with glue.

Texture: The visual or tactile surface characteristics and appearance of an object or surface. In design, the layering or interrelationship of materials to establish a look or style.

Textured Glass: Patterned glass creates a translucent window into cabinets that softens and diffuses the look of what is behind the glass.

Thermal Oven: Conventional oven with two gas or electric heating elements – one on the top for broiling and one below for baking and roasting.

Thermofoil: Flexible, 100 percent solid-coloured vinyl. With adhesive on its underside, it is applied to smooth, engineered wood or MDF which has been formed into a door, drawer or molding design. It has solid, semi-transparent colouration and is easy to clean and maintain. Although limited to certain kitchen cabinet door styles thermofoil cabinets can provide a painted kitchen look without the painted kitchen price.

Timeless: Von Löwen Designs. San Francisco Peninsula kitchen design and remodeling. Not restricted to any particular time or period. Always in good taste – implementing forward thinking and multi-functional kitchen & bath design.

Toe-kick: The indentation at the bottom of a floor-based kitchen cabinet. Also known as toe space.

Tone-on-Tone: Using a narrow range of colour in the same range and hue to convey a subtle, layered effect. A monochromatic approach.

Tongue and Groove: A projection along the edge of a board inserted into a corresponding groove and fixed with glue and/or a metal pin. Other terms for this type of joint include Dado, Mortise and Tenon.

Top-Mount Unit: Frozen-food compartment above the fresh-food compartment.

Traffic Flow: The route followed to enter and exit a kitchen and move through the work core.

Track Lighting: Ceiling-mount electrified bar that houses movable and directional lights for task or accent purposes.

Traditional: Relating to or based on inherited, established or customary kitchen design. Design elements are consistent with historic American classic style.

Transitional: Von Löwen Designs. Clean, uncluttered, open kitchen design and remodeling style that utilizes a warm, more contemporary approach. Often a passage between two design concepts.

Translucent: Material that transmits and diffuses light so that objects beyond cannot be seen clearly (i.e., frosted glass cabinetry doors).

Transparent: Material that transmits light through it so objects beyond can be seen clearly (i.e., clear glass Atherton kitchen cabinetry doors).

Trash Compactor: An appliance used to compress garbage and refuse into smaller packets for easier disposal.

Trend: A current kitchen design, remodeling style or preference; the general course or prevailing tendency.

Trend Movement: A direction or general course that is a transformation into another notable San Francisco Peninsula – Silicon Valley kitchen design and remodeling trend.

Trim Panels: A method to cover kitchen appliance fronts to help them blend with surrounding Atherton kitchen cabinets, design and remodeling or present a different finish.

Trim Tile: Tile that is shaped to turn corners or decline the edges of an installation. Includes cove, bullnose, V-cap, quarter-round, inside corner, and outside corners.

Under Cabinet Fixture: A compact strip or track of kitchen task lighting that installs under a wall cabinet to provide useable light for a kitchen countertop.

Undermount Sink: Rimless kitchen sink, recessed below tile, stone, or solid surfacing countertops.

Unfinished: San Carlos kitchen cabinetry, molding and accessories are sometimes available unfinished. Because unfinished San Carlos kitchen cabinets lack the protection of a finish coat and are more susceptible to damage from variations in temperature and humidity, warranties are usually void for this option. Some manufacturers may offer a primed cabinet finish option.

Unify: Von Löwen Designs & Jersey Zen. To take multiple items and make them work together as a single unit or a complete overall successful impression.

Uplight: A light fixture that casts light onto the ceiling.

U-Shape: A kitchen remodeling layout characterized by three runs of cabinetry joined perpendicularly to form a U-shape kitchen design.

UV-Resistant Glass: Glass tinted to block damaging ultraviolet rays.

V-Groove: A vertical beaded or grooved door or panel design.

Veneer: A thinly sliced layer of wood applied to a substrate.

Ventilation System: A mechanical system used to circulate air.

Vintage Finish: Kitchen cabinetry finish that creates the look of heirloom cabinetry that’s been well-used and loved. Typically the wood is first distressed and over-sanded. Several coats of heavily pigmented stain are then applied followed by another round of over-sanding on the corners and edges of kitchen cabinet doors and drawer fronts.

Wainscot: Lower portion of an interior wall that contrasts with the wall surface above it. A wall composed of two different surfaces, one above another. Classic wainscot is vertically beaded paneling on the lower portion of a wall, capped by a decorative molding or ‘chair rail.’

Wall Cabinet: These Palo Alto kitchen cabinets are installed at, or above, eye-level. Sometimes called an ‘upper cabinet.’

Warm Colours: Red, orange, and yellow represent warm colours. When used in interior design these colours evoke a sense of energy.

Warmth: A glowing effect that is often produced by the use of warm colours. Tones, colours and treatments that reflect and convey positive, comforting feelings.

Warp: To bend, twist or wrack a piece of lumber from a straight line. Caused by introduction of excessive heat or moisture.

Wash arm or level: The primary water source, along with spray jets and wash towers, which determines a machine’s effectiveness.

Wear Layer: Visible surface of synthetic coating factory-applied to resilient kitchen flooring.

Wood Grain: The alignment, texture, and appearance produced in wood.

Wood Type: Different types of hardwoods or softwoods. Examples are alder, bamboo, cherry, maple and oak.

Work Triangle: The triangle formed by drawing lines from the kitchen sink to the refrigerator to the cooktop and back to the sink.

Zones: Interrelated centers, or stations, laid out to make your kitchen more organized and comfortable.

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so before you leave be sure to visit Von Löwen Designs to view an assortment of refreshing examples in kitchen and bath design concepts, refined palette and interior finishes, and sustainable yet chic, green remodeling ideas that may encourage and inspire your next remodel or home improvement project.