Chief Architect Interior Design: Cabinets, Fixtures, Materials, and 3D Walkthroughs

Chief Architect Interior Design: Cabinets, Fixtures, Materials, and 3D Walkthroughs

The interior design tools in Chief Architect are where this software really shines for residential work. I've designed kitchens, bathrooms, and whole-home interiors with it, and the parametric cabinets and fixture libraries save me hours compared to modeling everything from scratch. Let me walk you through the interior design workflow.

Kitchen Design

Layout Planning

1. Draw kitchen walls (L-shape, U-shape, galley, island)
2. Identify work triangle:
   • Sink: At window wall
   • Range: On adjacent wall
   • Refrigerator: At end of counter run
3. Minimum clearances:
   • Counter aisle: 42" (one cook), 48" (two cooks)
   • Island clearance: 42" from counter to island

Base Cabinets

1. Build > Cabinet > Base Cabinet
2. Click to place against a wall
3. Set cabinet properties:
   • Width: 12" to 48" (in 3" increments)
   • Depth: 24" (standard), 27" (deep)
   • Height: 34-1/2" (standard)
   • Door style: Shaker, flat, raised panel, glass
   • Drawer configuration: 0, 1, 2, 3 drawers
4. Special base cabinets:
   • Sink base: 36" wide, false drawer front
   • Corner: Lazy Susan (diagonal or L-shape)
   • Trash pull-out: 18" wide with double pull-out
   • Dishwasher space: 24" opening

Wall Cabinets

1. Build > Cabinet > Wall Cabinet
2. Click to place above base cabinets
3. Set:
   • Width: 12" to 48" (in 3" increments)
   • Depth: 12" (standard)
   • Height: 30" (standard), 36" (tall), 42" (full)
   • Bottom height: 54" AFF (above counter + 18" backsplash)
   • Door style: Matching base cabinets
4. Special wall cabinets:
   • Range hood: 30" wide over range
   • Microwave: Above range or in cabinet
   • Corner: Diagonal or blind
   • Open shelf: Glass doors or open

Tall Cabinets

1. Build > Cabinet > Tall Cabinet
2. For pantry, oven cabinet, refrigerator enclosure
3. Set:
   • Width: 18" to 36"
   • Depth: 24" (standard)
   • Height: 84" or 96" (floor to ceiling)
4. Configurations:
   • Pantry: Pull-out shelves or swing doors
   • Oven cabinet: Single or double oven
   • Refrigerator: Surround panels and upper cabinet

Countertops

1. Select cabinets > Countertop properties
2. Set:
   • Material: Granite, quartz, marble, laminate, butcher block
   • Color: White, gray, black, beige, custom
   • Thickness: 1-1/2" (standard), 2cm, 3cm
   • Edge profile: Square, eased, bullnose, ogee
   • Backsplash: 4" standard, full height, or none
3. For islands:
   • Overhang: 12" for seating
   • Waterfall: Countertop extends to floor

Appliances

1. Library > Appliances
2. Place:
   • Refrigerator: 36" standard, 42" or 48" (commercial)
   • Range: 30" or 36" (gas, electric, induction)
   • Dishwasher: 24" standard
   • Microwave: Over range or built-in
   • Sink: Undermount, top mount, farmhouse
   • Faucet: Pull-down, bridge, commercial
3. Appliances snap to cabinet openings

Bathroom Design

Layout

1. Draw bathroom walls (full, half, powder, master)
2. Identify fixture placement:
   • Toilet: Minimum 30" clearance from center
   • Vanity: 36" or 42" (single), 60" or 72" (double)
   • Shower: Minimum 36" × 36"
   • Tub: 60" × 30" (standard), 72" (freestanding)

Vanities

1. Build > Cabinet > Vanity
2. Set:
   • Width: 24" to 72"
   • Depth: 18" to 21" (shallower than kitchen)
   • Height: 32" (standard), 36" (comfort height)
   • Door style: Shaker, flat, louvered
   • Sink type: Undermount, vessel, integrated
3. Add:
   • Countertop: Granite, quartz, marble
   • Sink: Oval, rectangular, round, vessel
   • Faucet: Centerset, widespread, wall-mount

Shower and Tub

1. Build > Shower
2. Set:
   • Type: Tile, fiberglass, glass enclosure
   • Size: 36" × 36" to 60" × 36"
   • Glass: Clear, frosted, rain glass
   • Door: Swing, sliding, walk-in
3. Build > Tub
4. Set:
   • Type: Alcove, drop-in, undermount, freestanding
   • Size: 60" × 30" (standard), 72" × 36" (large)
   • Material: Acrylic, cast iron, fiberglass

Toilet and Bidet

1. Library > Fixtures > Toilet
2. Set:
   • Type: Standard, elongated, one-piece, wall-mounted
   • Rough-in: 12" (standard), 10" or 14" (special)
3. Place with minimum 30" clearance from center to any obstacle

Material Assignment

Wall Materials

1. Select wall > Material
2. Choose:
   • Paint: Color from palette or custom RGB
   • Wallpaper: Pattern library (florals, stripes, textures)
   • Tile: Ceramic, porcelain, natural stone
   • Wainscoting: Beadboard, raised panel, shiplap
   • Brick: Exposed brick (interior or exterior)
   • Stone: Stacked stone, ledger panel

Floor Materials

1. Select floor (room) > Material
2. Choose:
   • Hardwood: Oak, maple, hickory, walnut (plank width: 3", 5", 7")
   • Tile: Ceramic, porcelain, natural stone (12", 18", 24")
   • Carpet: Berber, plush, frieze (color from palette)
   • Laminate: Wood-look, tile-look
   • Vinyl: Plank, sheet, tile
   • Concrete: Stained, polished, stamped

Ceiling Materials

1. Select ceiling > Material
2. Choose:
   • Paint: Flat white (standard)
   • Wood: Tongue and groove, beams
   • Tile: Drop ceiling (commercial)
   • Tin: Pressed tin panels

Trim and Molding

1. Build > Molding > Interior Molding
2. Set:
   • Baseboard: 3-1/4" (standard), 5-1/4" (tall), 7-1/4" (colonial)
   • Casing: 2-1/4" (standard), 3-1/2" (wide)
   • Crown: 3-1/2" (standard), 5-1/2" (large)
   • Chair rail: 2-1/2" (dining rooms)
   • Picture rail: 2" (traditional)
3. Assign to:
   • Room: All walls in room
   • Wall: Individual wall
   • Manual: Draw molding path

Lighting Design

Natural Light

1. Place windows and skylights for daylight
2. Set:
   • Window size: Larger for more light
   • Skylights: For interior rooms
   • Glass type: Clear, low-E, frosted

Artificial Lighting

1. Library > Lights
2. Place light fixtures:
   • Recessed: 4", 5", 6" can lights
   • Pendant: Over island, dining table
   • Chandelier: Foyer, dining room
   • Sconce: Bathroom, hallway
   • Under-cabinet: LED strip or puck
   • Track: Adjustable spots
3. Set light properties:
   • Intensity: 0-100%
   • Color temperature: 2700K (warm), 3500K (neutral), 5000K (cool)
   • Beam angle: Spot, flood, wide flood

Lighting Scenes

1. 3D > Lighting > Create Scene
2. Create scenes:
   • Day: All lights off, sun only
   • Evening: Warm lights at 60%
   • Night: All lights at 100%
   • Ambient: Soft fill lights at 30%

3D Walkthroughs

Creating a Walkthrough

1. View > 3D > Walkthrough
2. Define camera path:
   • Click points to create path through the house
   • Set camera height: 5'-6" (eye level)
   • Set camera target: Straight ahead
3. Set walkthrough parameters:
   • Frames per second: 30 (standard)
   • Duration: 10-30 seconds
   • Resolution: 1920×1080 (HD)
   • Quality: Standard or high

Recording

1. View > 3D > Record Walkthrough
2. Chief Architect renders each frame:
   • Standard: 1-5 seconds per frame
   • High quality: 5-30 seconds per frame (with ray tracing)
3. Output:
   • AVI: Video file
   • MP4: Compressed video
   • Sequence: Individual frames (for post-processing)

Client Presentation

1. Create multiple walkthroughs:
   • Exterior approach: From driveway to front door
   • Main floor: Through living, kitchen, dining
   • Master suite: Bedroom, bathroom, closet
   • Outdoor: Patio, deck, landscaping
2. Add:
   • Title cards: "Kitchen" "Master Bath" etc.
   • Music: Background audio
   • Voiceover: Narration of features

Rendering Settings

Standard Rendering

1. 3D > Rendering > Standard
2. Fast preview quality:
   • Textures: Simplified
   • Lighting: Basic
   • Shadows: Off or basic
   • Speed: Real-time navigation

Ray Trace Rendering

1. 3D > Rendering > Ray Trace
2. Set:
   • Quality: Low (1-2 min), Medium (5-10 min), High (15-30 min)
   • Resolution: 1920×1080, 3840×2160 (4K)
   • Samples: 100-1000 (higher = smoother)
   • Light bounces: 3-8 (higher = more realistic indirect light)
3. Results:
   • Reflections: Mirrors, glass, polished surfaces
   • Refractions: Glass, water
   • Soft shadows: Realistic shadow edges
   • Global illumination: Indirect light bouncing

Wrapping Up

The interior design tools in Chief Architect are a major time-saver for residential work. The parametric cabinets alone save me hours on every kitchen and bathroom design. My workflow tip: build a library of your most-used cabinet configurations and material combinations in the user catalog. Once you've got that library set up, you can drop in a complete kitchen layout in minutes and focus your time on the details that make each project unique.