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Interior Design vocabulary · Space Planning

Clearance

Meaning in interior design, with examples

/ˈklɪərəns/nounCommon term

In interior design, clearance means: The free space needed around furniture, fittings and doors so that people can move, sit, open drawers or use appliances comfortably and safely.

In Turkish: geçiş mesafesi, boşluk mesafesi, kullanım boşluğu

How it is used

Checked on every plan. Designers talk about the clearance between a bed and a wardrobe, in front of a dishwasher or around a toilet, and follow building regulations and accessibility guidance for minimum dimensions.

Example sentences

  1. There's only 60 cm of clearance between the island and the fridge, which isn't enough.

  2. Check the door clearance before you order the wardrobe.

Common collocations

  • minimum clearance
  • door clearance
  • clearance around the bed
  • leave enough clearance
  • circulationThe routes people use to move through a building or room, such as corridors, stairs and paths between furniture, and the space these routes need.
  • ergonomicsThe study of how furniture, spaces and equipment fit the human body, so that people can use them comfortably, safely and efficiently.
  • kitchen islandA freestanding block of cabinets with a worktop in the middle of a kitchen, used for preparing food, for storage and often for casual meals.
  • layoutThe way rooms, furniture and fittings are arranged within a space, including where things are placed and how people move between them.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Space Planning

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