Interior elevations are a vital part of any complete design set. A home can be permitted without the interior elevations, but there are so many unknowns that it makes it quite difficult to build with your needs in mind. How high are the counters in the bathroom? Are there drawers or does the cabinet have doors with fixed shelves? What is the height between the counter and the upper cabinets? What finish is on the wall, and where exactly on the wall?

The image above is an example of an elevation provided for one of my projects. It illustrates the height of the cabinets, centerlines to plumbing fixures, important fillers in the cabinets that are to be considered, and the sconce mounting height. See the weird coded numbers/letters in circles? Those guide the contractor back to a schedule that illustrates what paint color, tile, etc. is to be used in that space. Sometimes there will be more detailed drawings that cut through the cabinetry or blow up a particular detail on the elevation, and the details will be noted on the elevation so that we know where to find them and what type of detail it is... but more on details later!

In the meantime, check out some of these great books, many from my own library, on the types of drawings we use as designers:

Ready to see drawings of your space come together? Get started here!