The Arcaya library

Ideas to live with. Details to build on.

Move from a room idea to a considered specification. Explore design studies, compare the materials and find the practical answers for your project.

Explore projects & studies

10 design studies7 specification guides38 journal articles

California marble-and-oak kitchen / Arcaya project feature.

Where to begin

A useful next step.

Explore

Study a room.

See one project feature and ten clearly labeled concept studies.

Explore Specify

Understand the layers.

Bring dimensions, materials, hardware and daily use together.

Explore Plan

Read the decisions.

Compare the choices that affect an international order.

Explore

The specification library

Read the detail before you decide.

Seven guides to turn a visual preference into a coordinated brief.

Sizes & clearances

Start with a useful dimension framework, then resolve the room, the appliances and the people who will use it. A planning range is a starting point for a drawing—not a production dimension.

A CNC routing head machining a panel in a woodworking setting

Boards & emissions

A cabinet needs a material schedule, not a single “eco board” label. Separate the core, the surface, the edge treatment and the evidence required for the destination market.

Kitchen island with open drawers arranged for utensils, pans and dishes

Hardware & movement

The door finish sets the appearance. Hinges, slides and opening systems set the daily experience. Specify a complete fitting system for each cabinet and the load it will carry.

Kitchen island with a marble waterfall countertop and light oak cabinetry

Countertops & interfaces

Choose the surface with the fabricator and the cabinetry team together. The important decisions sit at the edges: sinks, supports, joints, appliances and the way water is managed.

Sage shaker kitchen with an island and bar stools

Door finishes

Choose the finish with the door shape, the opening detail and the way the room is used. A sample is most useful when it shows the face, the edge and the substrate together.

Walk-in wardrobe with a skylight and a central island

Wardrobe interiors

Count what needs a place before drawing equal divisions. A good wardrobe makes the everyday items easy to see, easy to reach and easy to put back.

Wood-toned vanity with a recessed basin, side drawers and framed doors

Bathroom vanity planning

Draw the basin, plumbing, storage and mirror as one assembly. The result should support the daily routine while keeping wet areas and services accessible.

Materials in context

Core, face, edge and surface.

The design study collection

Start with a layout. Develop the character.

Original concepts for kitchens, dressing spaces and bathrooms.

Open contemporary kitchen with a pale island and a long handleless working run

Design study · Kitchen01

A quieter line through an open kitchen

A handleless kitchen study that connects cooking, storage and a social island through one restrained composition.

Explore the study

Pale wardrobe doors with a contrasting open timber storage bay

Design study · Wardrobe08

A spare room becomes a dressing space

A walk-in concept balances hanging, folded storage, mirrors and light around a clear central route.

Explore the study

Compact bathroom vanity with timber storage below a basin and mirrored wall cabinets

Design study · Bathroom10

A family vanity for the everyday routine

A mirror cabinet, accessible daily storage and service-aware drawers form one considered bathroom composition.

Explore the study

Explore all ten studies

From the journal

The practical side of a considered room.

Open island drawers with separate compartments for bowls and plates

Specification4 min read

Blum, Hettich or DTC? Compare the specification

Brand names help start the conversation. The decision becomes useful when the quotation names the series, the movement, the load and the replacement route for each fitting.

Read the article

Oak island carcass assembled on the workshop floor

Delivery3 min read

Flat-pack or assembled for an overseas order?

The most useful comparison includes freight, site assembly, protection and access. A smaller packing volume is only one part of the installed cost.

Read the article

Delivery4 min read

A reliable cabinetry timeline starts with decisions

A useful schedule connects approvals, production, inspection and the destination site. It should show who decides what—and what moves when that decision changes.

Read the article

Read the full journal

A completed kitchen reference with pale upper fronts, timber base units and an adjacent dining table

Planning8 min read

Buying Custom Cabinets Direct from a China Factory

An overseas cabinet order works best when the room, specification and delivery responsibilities are clear before production begins. This guide explains how to prepare a comparable brief, review a supplier and organize the decisions that connect a factory quotation to an installed room.

Read the article

Kitchen cabinet elevation with pale upper fronts, timber base units and a cooking zone

Specification8 min read

Reading a Cabinet Spec Sheet, Component by Component

A useful cabinet specification tells you what is being supplied, where it goes and how it will be checked. Read it alongside the drawings and quotation. The aim is to connect each material, fitting and finish to a named part of the room before the order is approved.

Read the article

Navy base cabinets, timber tall units and a patterned backsplash

Materials8 min read

Cabinet Finish Systems: Specify More Than a Color

Two cabinet fronts can share a color and still be very different products. The core, surface, coating, edge and method of opening all influence the result. Choose the appearance you want, then turn it into a finish specification that can be sampled, priced and checked.

Read the article

From reference to a brief

Read, compare and prepare.

Working template

Illustrated journal

A closer look at the details.

A timber kitchen island, framed cabinets and pendant lighting

PlanningIllustrated guide

Ideas to live with. Details to build on.