SPECIFICATION BASICS FOR INTERIOR DESIGNERS: Include this in your specification documents
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Cynthia from Space for Edit dives into the intricacies of interior design specifications. She explains that specs are primarily for tradespeople and the design team, detailing the importance of specifying everything from wall finishes and furniture to lighting and flooring. Cynthia provides practical tips on gathering and documenting essential information like product codes, finishes, and maintenance instructions. She emphasizes the need for clear communication to avoid costly mistakes and ensures a smooth installation process.
Takeaways
- đ Specification sheets are crucial documents in interior design projects, primarily for tradespeople and the design team, not usually for clients.
- đ Everything in an interior space can potentially be specified by a designer, from furniture to wall coverings, lighting, and even artwork.
- đ For wall finishes, it's important to specify the supplier, color code, finish type, and preparation and maintenance instructions.
- đïž Furniture specifications should include product codes, quantities, finishes, and sizes, with details often referenced on technical drawings.
- đĄ Lighting specifications require attention to lamp types, color tones, lumen levels, and whether the fixture is dimmable.
- đœïž Equipment, especially in commercial settings, should be specified with details on finishes, sizes, model types, and power requirements.
- đż Flooring specifications need to cover pattern types, sizes, thicknesses, and subfloor preparation methods.
- đŒïž Breakout items, like artwork and decorative pieces, also require documentation of quantities, product codes, and dimensions.
- đ» A helpful tip for organizing specification research is to name files with supplier and collection information to streamline the documentation process.
- đ Collaboration with suppliers and reps is key, as they provide valuable information for accurate specifications and can save time in the design process.
Q & A
Who are specification documents primarily for in interior design projects?
-Specification documents are primarily for the trade and the design team, including builders, decorators, architects, and the design team. Clients are usually not involved in the proofreading of these documents.
Can specification sheets be part of a technical drawing pack or a separate document?
-Specification sheets can either be a separate document or added to a technical drawing pack, depending on the project requirements and the designer's preference.
What is an example of an item that would be specified by an interior designer?
-Interior designers would specify items such as sofa finishes, fabrics, artwork, curtains, upholstery, tables, paint samples, wall coverings, lighting, and flooring.
What information is needed for specifying paint finishes in a specification document?
-For paint finishes, the specification document should include the supplier, color code, finish type (matte, eggshell, waterproof, etc.), and preparation and maintenance instructions for the surface.
How does the specification process differ for wallpaper compared to paint?
-For wallpaper, the specification includes the supplier, collection code, pattern/color spec, installation height, and maintenance instructions. It may also require an elevation drawing to show where the wallpaper starts and ends on the wall.
What additional information is required when specifying bespoke items like murals or vinyls?
-Bespoke items like murals or vinyls require color specification, dimensions, and details about surface preparation. It's crucial to specify who is responsible for preparing the surface for installation.
Why is it important to specify the quantity of furniture pieces in a project?
-Specifying the quantity of furniture pieces is important because it directly impacts the project budget. Misspecification can lead to significant cost discrepancies, especially for high-value items.
What are some key details to include when specifying lighting in an interior design project?
-When specifying lighting, include the product code, finishes, sizes, lamp type, light color tone, Lumen levels, and whether the light is dimmable. This information is crucial for the electrician during installation.
Why might a designer specify equipment details even if it's not their area of expertise?
-Designers might specify equipment details to ensure consistency with the overall design and to communicate specific requirements to the professionals responsible for equipment installation, such as finish and height specifications.
What should be considered when specifying flooring in an interior design project?
-When specifying flooring, consider the collection, color or pattern, size, thickness, and any specific installation patterns like herringbone or fishtail. Also, include subfloor preparation requirements such as screening or leveling.
How can organizing digital samples during the research phase benefit the specification process?
-Organizing digital samples with supplier and collection information in the file name during research can streamline the specification process by readily providing necessary details when compiling information for drawings and documentation.
Outlines
đ Introduction to Interior Design Specifications
Cynthia introduces the topic of interior design specifications, explaining that these documents are primarily for the trade and the design team, including builders, decorators, and architects. She clarifies that clients are usually not involved in the intricacies of specifications and technical drawings. Cynthia emphasizes the importance of specifications in interior design projects and gives a brief overview of what can be specified, such as flooring finishes, decorative elements, artwork, fabrics, and lighting. She also mentions that these specifications can be part of a separate document or included in technical drawings.
đïž Specifying Wall Finishes and Paints
The video segment delves into the specifics of specifying wall finishes, particularly paints. Cynthia discusses the need to include supplier information, color codes, and finish types such as matte, shiny, or waterproof. She also highlights the importance of detailing surface preparation, the number of coats required, and post-application care. For wallpapers and murals, additional details like starting points, full height installation, and maintenance are crucial. Cynthia stresses the value of reps (representatives) in providing accurate specifications and ensuring that all information is correctly documented to avoid costly mistakes.
đȘ Furniture and Lighting Specifications
Cynthia covers the process of specifying furniture and lighting, emphasizing the role of suppliers in providing detailed product information. For furniture, she mentions the necessity of including product codes, quantities, finishes, and sizes. Lighting specifications require attention to lamp types, color temperatures, lumen levels, and dimmability. She also touches on equipment specification, which often involves collaboration with specialized departments, and the importance of detailing quantities, finishes, model types, and power requirements.
đż Breakout Items and Practical Tips for Specification
In the final paragraph, Cynthia discusses 'breakout' or styling items such as artwork and foliage, which also require detailed documentation. She advises on specifying quantities, product codes, and dimensions. Cynthia shares a practical tip for organizing samples and reference materials by including supplier and collection information in file names to streamline the specification process. She concludes by hinting at future videos that will delve deeper into the specification process and an upcoming collaboration with a company called 'foreign box'.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄSpecification
đĄTechnical Drawing
đĄInterior Design Project
đĄTradespeople
đĄWall Finishes
đĄFurniture Specification
đĄLighting
đĄEquipment
đĄFlooring
đĄBreakfront Items
Highlights
Introduction to the importance of specifications in interior design projects.
Explanation of who the specification documents are primarily for, including builders, decorators, architects, and the design team.
Clarification that clients are usually not involved in the specification process.
Discussion on the inclusion of specifications as a standard practice in interior design projects.
Overview of what can be specified in an interior design project, highlighting that almost every element can be specified.
Demonstration of specifying various elements in a space, including furniture, fabrics, and artwork.
Emphasis on the importance of specifying wall finishes, such as paint, wallpaper, and murals.
Guidance on gathering information for specification documents, including supplier details and product codes.
Advice on specifying paint finishes, including surface preparation and application instructions.
Details on specifying wallpaper, including starting points and full height installations.
Importance of including maintenance and application instructions in specifications.
Discussion on specifying furniture, including product codes, quantities, and finishes.
Explanation of the process for specifying lighting, with a focus on lamp types and lumen levels.
Mention of specifying equipment, such as kitchen appliances, and the importance of including wattage and model details.
Coverage of flooring specifications, including pattern types, sizes, and subfloor preparation.
Discussion on specifying breakfront items, such as artwork and foliage, and the need for detailed documentation.
Tip for organizing and saving samples and information during the research phase for easy reference later.
Conclusion and a tease for future videos that will delve deeper into the specification process.
Transcripts
hello everyone welcome back to space for
edit my name is Cynthia and on this
channel we talk about all the things
that I don't teach you in design school
but you need to know in the real world
today's video is all about specification
for your interior design project first
of all we need to figure out who these
documents are for so specification
sheets can actually go on a separate
document or can be added to a technical
drawing pack so if we are talking about
flooring finishes it can be a separate
document or that information can go on
an actual drawing itself it will make
sense later on as we talk through the
video and who are these documents for
these documents are mostly for the trade
and the design team so these are
Builders these are decorators these are
Architects and the design team clients
don't usually tend to kind of get
involved in this much specification and
are not that involved in like the
proofreading of the drawings or the spec
Sheets if you're creating something for
your client then it will be more like a
visual presentation or like actual
physical finishes that you will present
to them but it's a general practice that
interior designers do we add the
specification to our projects because
it's a very important part of it there's
a lot of work that we need to put into
okay so what can be specified in an
interior design project well if you just
start to look around then you will see
that basically everything let me
actually quickly take you around and
just point out to all the things that if
this space was designed by an interior
designer well it kind of is but at the
same time this is not an official job
but let me just take you around and show
you what little bits you would specify
I'm gonna use my phone camera so I don't
need to mess about with this hey welcome
to the creative mess so let's say for
example sofa finish fabric specified by
interior designer because you
decorative elements specified by
interior designer
artwork and clearly someone has
forgotten to specify that artwork by
interior designer
um
fabrics and shears curtains upholstery
specified by interior designer
table
specified by interior designer
um hey perfect example finish of the
mantle piece that I have forgotten to uh
I've not forgotten about it it is very
much still
yeah it's very much still happening but
um yeah so paint samples specified by
interior designer
um Furniture interior designer interior
designer decoration wall coverings paint
by interior designer lighting by
interior designer and now I'm actually
looking around as well I can see the
kitchen kitchen unit kitchen appliances
specified by interior designer Doors
door finishes door types
um Iron mongaree so any kind of detail
um what else light switches everything
flooring I forgot to mention flooring
rugs so all the elements basically
that's that surround the person in the
space can be that always is but can be
specified by interior design so we have
a few categories to go through mostly
the same things apply to each category
but there are some specifics that are
maybe only specific for Fabrics in
comparison to wall finishes so I will
take you through category by category
and just point out the things that you
would have to specify on these documents
or on your drawings for your interior
design projects the first one let's
tackle wall finishes so these could be
either paints wallpaper maybe some
bespoke vinyls that are more likely to
happen on Commercial projects or even a
bespoke mural that you would go to an
actual artist to do for you so what
information do you need to gather for
the specification documents so for pain
finishes here I've got a Dulux fan with
me you will obviously have to specify
the supplier so who's supplying the
products the code for the color
which whichever you like to go with
whether you have trade palette or you
have something that you get in the store
everything right down to the tea and
make sure you do not miss out and make
sure you do double check then paint also
have finishes so whether it's matte
whether it's with a Sheen or whether
it's eggshell whether it's a waterproof
or maybe it's exterior all of that
information you can access on the
suppliers website or even speaking to
your reps so don't feel like you kind of
have to magically figure out and know
all of the specifications I will talk
about this in a bit as well reps are the
ones that we rely on and we love them
and we are very grateful for them a
specific note that we often leave on
these documents regarding paints is how
the surface should be prepared for
install and how many codes you should
apply and how it should be looked after
afterwards this is again something that
you are not supposed to magically know
you can find that out in the user
manuals and obviously the number of
codes is usually two sometimes three but
usually it's just two it's more like
common sense and more like covering your
backside and this will pretty much apply
to everything that we talk about today
it's really just cover bring your back
and making sure that it is foolproof for
wallpaper it is a very much similar
story I'm just gonna grab this one
I've got probably an outdated book over
here because I've not really updated my
books in absolute ages so wall coverings
what have we got let's take this one for
example so same goes for wallpapers as
well we need the supplier we need the
collection code and we need maybe the
pattern slash color spec as well and all
of that you can always find on these
cards or on the back of the cards or in
the front of the cards or on the
Internet alongside that information you
also need to specify where does it start
from sometimes wallpapers are installed
oxidado rail height or maybe just start
in a dado and going all the way and if
it's obviously full height then it's
going to be full height install so this
is where drawings come in if we think
that we have some wall paneling up to
date or high and then we have wallpaper
above we will need an elevation of that
an explanation more notes more details
so it makes sense to have all of this
information on an actual drawing with
floor plan with elevations with more
detail with notes and all of that so it
can be a separate document but most
likely it will be on a detailed drawing
and again same applies to maintenance
and application so maybe you want to
specify what kind of glue should be used
if you don't want to go with the
manufacturers or the suppliers
suggestions maybe your project is kind
of environmentally driven so you want to
use products that are more like
eco-friendly but if that's not the case
then obviously you can just say to
install as per manufacturer's guidelines
okay put in this back and then we have
murals and bespoke vinyls left as with
everything that is bespoke you have to
include a lot more information and
specifically it is color specification
so whether you are referring to Ral
colors whether you're referring to a
specific supplier for paint that the
artist might be using this is obviously
always discussed during the design
process rough idea of Dimension so
overall dimensions if it's a wall vinyl
let's say it says something like that
quote that you always see but first
coffee so let's imagine that that's a
vinyl print so where is it going to go
on the wall how big it is overall and
again we are going back to the fact that
something like this should probably be
included in a drawing something that's
worth mentioning regarding vinyl is a
note of who is going to be preparing the
surface and whose responsibility is to
make sure that the team can arrive and
start their work all of this little
information is very very crucial because
all of these costs can really add up and
throw your budget right out of the
window it's happened before off you
don't want it this is not a good
position why did I decide to do this
okay Furniture let's talk about
furniture specification this is where
our suppliers come in personally I Rely
a lot on my furniture suppliers when I'm
specifying anything for a project they
know their stuff they know all the ins
and outs about the product so why
shouldn't I trust them to do that job
and take that responsibility off of
maybe my to-do list so first of all you
will need the product code if you want
to go extra mile you can add the image
of the actual product but usually reps
know what you are talking about then you
will need to know quantity so how many
of each are you looking for and this is
so so so crucial if it's a big project
and you need 15 armchairs and one
armchair costs 500 600 pounds then
there's a big difference in those
numbers if you specify 15 or 17 chairs
then you need to specify the finishes so
anything from the frame from legs
whether it's wood or metal to the
upholstery if it's an upholstered chair
if it's not an upholstered piece of
furniture maybe it's just stained so you
need to specify all of that detail as
well and then if there's different
variations of the product you need to
specify the size of it so for example
for coffee tables this collection could
have a smaller version of it or a higher
version or even a lower version so you
need to make sure that you specify those
details as well Furniture is something
that's very often done on a technical
drawing so you would have your table
with all the information that we just
discussed and you will have the
quantities there and you will have a
specific code let's say if it's a table
then it will be T1 T2 T3 T4 and so on
chair c H1 ch2 and all of these little
codes you will place on the actual
drawing itself so it's easy to reference
it straight away now this can also be
done on a separate document some
designers do that as well but the most
common way is to include all of this on
a drawing sheet next we have lighting
lighting is very similar to Furniture
because it's like this separate piece or
element of interior design of the whole
scheme so all the usual things go with
it product code finishes whether it's
powder coated or not whether it's got
like a brow finish the sizes again you
could have a collection of similar
pendant lights but they come in
different sizes so you need to make sure
that you specify the right size the
specific thing about lighting is making
sure that you specify the right lamp
type so what type of light bulb will you
need is it just going to be something
from standard or maybe you can have
something a bit more design lead like
those Edison bulbs what's the light
color tone is it cold or warm white and
also what's the Lumen levels that you
want it to be and is it dimmable or not
all of this information is quite crucial
for the electrician who's going to be
installing the lights so when they
receive this information they know what
they need to prepare on site or they
know what they are dealing with let's
quickly touch on equipment this is not
something that I'm too familiar with
because there has always been a
department that deals with that so if we
think about let's say restaurant kitchen
or a front of house counter so all of
that equipment that goes in there
cooking equipment
dishwashers fridges and things like that
has always been specified by someone
else because they are pros at it but
there is some information that we as
designers had to pass on to them so it
might be a real finish or specific
height so usually the same things apply
for specifying equipment as well
quantities finishes model type model
code photos of the the equipment if
possible and something quite specific is
also the wattage how much power does
this does this piece of equipment
require and usually the equipment piece
can actually have two documents one will
be like a separate document where it's
just information and then the other will
be a reference on a drawing sheet where
it's got all the codes on it any extra
information so this can actually double
up and then we have flooring I have a
flooring book here from um Tico not
sponsored
um but same really goes to flooring
samples as well you need to know the
collection the specific kind of color
combinations or pattern and for flooring
sometimes you might have like a specific
pattern and I'm just thinking well I
could show you I know if you'll be able
to see but there are specific types of
patterns that you can do whether it's
fishtail herringbone like you can see
there and when it comes to sizes usually
flooring tiles or planks are available
in different sizes so all of that
information you can always find on the
box let's see where it's here so there's
like a you know you probably can't see
but there's like a big table there you
can also always find this information
online or from your ref and add it to
your specification sheet flooring also
usually has different depths sometimes
the collection have different
thicknesses so if that's the case you
would add that information on as well
one little extra note that you might
want to add to your flooring spec is the
prep of the subfloor some floors are
very dodgy most likely all of the floors
are quite dodgy so do you need screening
do you need leveling out do you need
some kind of an underlay so all of that
information needs to be specified along
specifying your flooring this is why
it's a lot more easier to add that on a
whole drawing sheet rather than on a
separate document and the last thing is
break a brag items now you might not
call this breaker black items I think
that is just something that commercial
designers have kind of picked up and we
just use it on day to day but basically
if it's all the little styling items so
anything from artwork on the walls to
shelfy moments whatever you're going to
be decorating them with all of those
little items also need to be looked at
and need to be documented also any
foliage foliage also any foliage that
you are specifying will be included in
this as well whether it's full or real
it needs to be documented so as with
everything else you will need to know
the quantities the product code the
overall Heights of the items if it's
artwork then any specific product codes
or like specific frame finishes and
usually this is put on a separate
document so not on a drawing but if your
project requires that much detail or
maybe you need to go in a lot more
detail explanation then you can put that
on a drawing and refer it to in which
area that will be going again it's just
foolproofing everything and making sure
that you include all of that information
so there's no surprises when it comes to
install day okay guys that is roughly it
so you can by now tell that all of the
information like I mentioned in the
beginning it kind of repeats itself
quantities codes specification rail
finish color code but there are some
specifics to each material each finish
or Furniture piece that is specific just
to that category one little tip that I
can add on to finish up the video when
you are saving for example fabric
samples this is saving it on your
computer when you're doing the research
whether you're saving fabric samples
whether you're saving a photo of a
Furniture piece always in the title of
the actual file name the supplier and
the collection so later down the line
when you are trying to gather all this
information and put it on your drawings
you already have that information and
you don't have to think like oh what was
this and where did I place that sample
and where was that from it's a lot
easier for you later down the line and
you can be a lot more productive okay
guys my
my legs are in pain Needles and Pins
pins and needles what did they say I'm
never picking this angle ever again but
I hope you found this video useful there
will be more future videos talking about
specification and I will be going
through kind of category by category if
you wish and we also have a little
collaboration coming through with
foreign
box if you've not heard about them then
you will in the upcoming weeks as I went
down to London to see them and to learn
more about what the company is about if
there's anything specific that you want
to know about specification process let
me know in the comments I will be doing
a future project where I'm going through
a drawing pack step by step so I will be
including all of this information
talking about the process of specifying
so that is definitely coming up is just
a big project so keep your eyes peeled
and just sit aside for it because it's
quite a big deal to film and create an
interior design project so just bear
with hope you enjoyed today's video make
sure you check out the other videos and
if you want to connect with me on a More
one-to-one Level make sure you follow me
on Instagram but if I don't see you
there then I'll see you in the next
video bye
foreign
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