The specification library

Consider the details. Make the choices clear.

Seven practical guides connect dimensions, materials, hardware and daily use. Read them alongside the range pages, then bring the decisions into one coordinated brief.

Explore the guides

7 guidesMaterials · Planning · Specification

From room to detail / storage, finishes and movement belong in the same brief.

Browse the library

A guide for each layer.

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.

Material and room references

See the choices in context.

Materials

Start with the layers.

Explore the core, face, edge and surface as parts of one assembly.

Explore Spaces

Connect the rooms.

Carry a coherent design language across different everyday uses.

Explore Journal

Read the decisions.

Longer explanations for comparing specifications and planning delivery.

Explore

From inspiration to approval

Five documents make a cabinetry brief comparable.

A room image can communicate an intention; an approval package records the choices that another person must price, make and coordinate. Keep the drawing revision, sample names and unanswered items together so a visual reference does not quietly become an assumed specification.

Room and site record

Name each space, the intended use, existing walls and services, survey status and the person approving the brief. A reference photo is not a measured site record.

Plan and elevations

Give each room a plan and numbered cabinet elevations on the same revision. Show opening direction, appliance or fixture positions and where the cabinetry meets another trade.

Finish and edge schedule

Link every visible surface, panel core, exposed edge and countertop to a named sample or an open selection. The schedule should identify which room and elevation uses it.

Door and hardware schedule

Record the front type, movement, selected hinge or slide, handle decision and any service access. Ask the supplier for current fitting data for the actual system.

Open questions and approval

Keep unresolved dimensions, samples, interfaces and responsibilities in one issue log. Mark the approved drawing revision before fabrication or installation planning.

Read a plan and photograph together

Plan first. Photograph second. Specify the missing detail.

This Dongguan home project includes both an original level-one plan and a photograph of its kitchen. The plan locates a kitchen beside the dining area and shows an island within surrounding cabinetry. The photograph helps read how the island, cabinet fronts and window work as a room. Neither image identifies the actual fitting schedule, panel construction or installation detail.

Original level-one plan of the Dongguan home with Chinese room labels, dimension chains and a kitchen island at upper right — Original plan / Arcaya project archive. Wall geometry, dimensions and Chinese labels remain untouched. English reading guide: kitchen at upper right, dining below, living room at lower right.

Kitchen photograph from the same Dongguan home showing an island, surrounding dark cabinetry and a rear window — Same-project photograph / Arcaya project archive. It shows the finished room in use.

What to ask next: Which elevation identifies the island and perimeter runs? Which samples name the visible finish and edge? Which selected hardware permits each opening? Which interface remains with the building or another contractor? Put those answers on the project documents, not in a guess based on the photo.

Read the complete project Use the blank cabinet schedule

Source and scope. The plan and photograph come from an Arcaya partner-factory project and show how to read a design reference. They are not a current Arcaya shop drawing, construction document, measured survey or certification. The five-document list is editorial guidance for a new project brief.

From reference to a brief

Read, compare and prepare.

Working template