Abacus: The topmost member of the capital of a column.
Abrasion Wear: Distress or wear marks on fabrics, wood or metal. Created when a furniture or accessory
surface experiences friction in use or handling.
Abstract: Style of design that uses general forms verses detailed realistic representations.
Acanthus Leaf: A leaf decoration often used on furniture, particularly on brackets and legs.
Accent Colors: Contrast colors used to enhance room color schemes.
Accent Lighting: Controlled and specically focused lighting for accenting interior decor elements or
architectural details.
Accessible Design: Interior and exterior design that meets prescribed requirements for people with
disabilities. Guidelines and laws related to accessible design include such issues as standard dimensions
and features such as door widths, clear space for wheelchair mobility, countertop heights, audible and
visual signals, switch and outlet height, and more.
Accessories: Objects such as books, plants, vases, lamps, and decorative pieces.
Acetate: A synthetic ber made from cellulose, which is a common material in the cell walls of many
plants. It is usually combined with other bers to add a luxurious feel and appearance.
Acorn (or Acorn Turning): Turned ornament resembling an acorn; common in Jacobean furniture as nials
on chair posts and bedposts, as pendants and as the prole of leg turnings in Jacobean tables.
Acrilan: A synthetic ber used in producing Wear-Dated® fabrics.
Acroterium: Originally an ornament on the roof corners of Greek temples. In classical furniture, similar
ornaments applied to the top corners of secretaries, bookcases, highboys and other furniture.
Acrylic: A synthetic ber that's derived from a plant or chemical resin. Acrylic's best properties are its
moderate strength and acceptance of brilliant color dyes. Acrylic also has a plush loft that will not atten.
Adam Style: British neoclassical style that predominated during the latter half of the 1700's. This style
developed out of reaction to the more fanciful rococo style of the 1750's, and is characterized by slender,
graceful lines, rened shapes and restrained ornamentation.
Adaptation: Furniture that captures the feel of an original design or period, but diers in some details.
Adelphi: Greek term meaning brother, which was the trade name of the three brothers Adam. These
brothers are famous for the Adam style of the 18th Century.
Afghan: A coverlet or shawl of wool, knitted or crocheted in colorful geometric designs.
Ageing: Decorative technique used to create the eect of wear-and-tear on wooden, painted, plastic or
other surfaces.
Air Bed: A vinyl or rubber mattress core that's lled with air for support. Can be upholstered and covered
with cushioning and ticking and be used in combination with a foundation.
Alcove: Recessed part of a room. Bed alcoves exist in Pompeian rooms, and such placing of the sleeping
quarters was common in northern Europe through the Middle Ages and later. In the 18th Century special
beds were designed to t such recesses. Alcoves are also used for bookcases and cabinets, dining groups,
etc.
Almery: A cupboard for doles of pensioners, family retainers.
Ambry: In medieval churches a recess for the storage of goods. The addition of doors gave it the cupboard
form. The English equivalent became a large cupboard with doors; the interiors were tted with shelves for
storage.
Ambulantes: A small portable table.
American Colonial: Term loosely applied to all American furniture used by the colonies prior to the
American Revolution. This style includes rough handmade pieces of the early American frontier, New
England versions of Jacobean and Puritan (Cromwellian), furniture imported by settlers from Europe and
Americanized versions of formal English and European designs. There is no clear division of this period but
most agree to group it into Early Colonial and Late Colonial (American Provincial).
American Country: Simple designs originating from the earliest settlers in America during the Early
Colonial period (see above). These pieces are very simple and often rough in design. This charming style is
still very popular today.
American Frontier (American Primitive): This style of late 1700's to 1800's was created to meet the
demands of the western frontier. Noted pieces include wagon seat twin chairs, sinks without plumbing,
cupboards and cobbler's benches. Woods primarily used included ash, hickory, maple, black walnut and
pine. Pieces of this period were usually painted black or in primary colors.
American Oriental: A machine-made domestic rug with Oriental design and colors to resemble a hand-
tied Oriental rug.
Americana: Objects and decor items that is characteristic of American history or culture.
Amorini: Cupid ornaments found on Italian Renaissance furniture.
Angel Bed: A bed with a canopy but no front support.
Angora: Soft long hair of the Angora goat, often called mohair. The animal is native to Anatolia in the Angora
province of Turkey.
Aniline Dye: Term applies to dyes derived from coal tar, which are used to color fabrics and leather.
Aniline-Plus: Term sometimes applied to leather nished with an opaque pigmented dye.
Anthemion: A honeysuckle design from classical Greek decorative motifs. Term refers to any conventional
ower or leaf design.
Antique: Could be anything ranging from a piece of furniture to art. The U.S. government considers any item
over 100 years old to be an antique, whereas most collectors use 50 years as a benchmark.
Antique Finish (or Antiquing): A paint or stain nish applied to an object to give an aged look.
Antique Satin: A drapery fabric that has a lustrous eect, normally made of rayon/acetate blends.
Antron: A registered Trademark of DuPont for Type 66 nylon bers, which are used in many applications
including fabrics.
Apothecary Chest: A low chest with small drawers that was originally used to store herbs for cooking and
medicinal purposes.
Apron: The wooden panel connecting the surface and legs of a table or chair.
Arabesque: Decorative scroll work or other intricate ornamentation consisting of foliage, vases, leaves and
fruits, or fantastic human and animal gures.
Arcade: A series of arches, with supporting columns or piers.
Area Rug: A small rug or carpet which covers only part of the oor.
Arm Caps: Coverings, usually crafted from fabric, to protect the top surface of sofa and chair arms.
Arm Chair: Seating that has both a backrest and armrests.
Armoire: A tall wardrobe with doors and shelves for clothing, more recently armoires have been adapted
for use as an entertainment center or computer workstation.
Arrow Foot: A cylindrical foot that's tapered and separated from the leg by a turned ring.
Art Deco: A streamlined, geometric style of home furnishings and architecture popular in the 1920's and
1930's. Characteristics include rounded fronts, wood furniture with chrome hardware and, or, glass tops.
Art Glass: Decorative glass - includes stained, beveled, fused, blown, etched, leaded and cut.
Art Moderne: The Paris Expedition of 1925 introduced a fantastically modern design called Art Moderne.
This styling is familiar because of its angular and straight shape. Geometric patterns are the main
decoration.
Art Nouveau: Decorative style developed in France between 1890 and 1910. Tiany lamps are a great
example of this style ornate and owing lines.
Art Print: A print that is a reproduction of an original piece of artwork.
Artisan Style: A style characterized by ne but not overly ornate workmanship that celebrates the maker's
community identity or ethnicity.
Arts & Crafts: Also commonly known as Mission style. This style was popular from the late 1800's through
the 1920's. The Arts and Crafts movement was a reaction against the massproduced and ornate Victorian
furniture of that time.
Asian Style: A general term referring to styles of the Far East. Such as Chinese, Japanese, or Korean
designs for example. Furnishings with Asian characteristics are popular as a subset of contemporary style.
Astragal: Small, semi-circular molding applied to the glazing bars on cabinets and bookcases.
Attached Back Pillow: A pillow treatment that can't be removed from the upholstered piece, commonly
found on sofas, loveseats and chairs.
Aubusson: A scenic tapestry used for wall hangings and upholstery. Named for Aubusson, France.
Austrian Shade (or Austrian Blind): A decorative window treatment with a scalloped lower edge. When
the blind is drawn up it maintains the scalloped edge, creating folds of ruched fabric.
Bachelor's Chest: A small low chest originating in the 1700's.
Backing: A coating that is applied to the back of fabric to prevent seam slippage and excess wear.
Backsplash: A small strip (usually wood) placed against the wall or on the back of a dry sink or console.
Backsplat: A slat of wood in the middle of a chair back.
Bale: A device xed to a light tting to prevent light from glaring into the eyes.
Bag Table: 18th Century serving table with drawers and a cloth bag attached.
Bagging: A painting technique in which a crumpled bag (or other material) is dabbed onto a glazed or
emulsioned wall to create textured patterns.
Baguette: A small convex molding with semi-circular contours.
Bail: A metal ring or hoop forming a handle.
Baize: Wool fabric resembling felt (usually green) used on gaming tables.
Bakelite: A trade name for one of the rst plastics to come into widespread use. The colors of this plastic
are usually limited to browns and blacks. Bakelite was a popular material used in producing early pieces of
modern furniture.
Baker's Rack: Commonly an open slatted back storage unit with shelves used for storing goods in the
kitchen such as cook books, wine, etc. Most commonly made of wood and metal or a combination of the
two.
Balance: The arrangement of objects around an epicenter, or creating an even feel or atmosphere in a
room.
Ball & Claw: A carved lions or birds claw clutching a sphere, usually at the end of a cabriole leg or tables
base.
Ball Foot: The rounded end of a turned leg having a hooded eect.
Balloon Back Chair: A rounded back Hepplewhite style chair in the shape of a hot-air balloon.
Balloon Shade: A window treatment with gathered fabric and soft billowy folds.
Baluster: A small turned, square or at column that supports a rail. Also used to form chair backs.
Bamboo Turning: Style of turning and painting wood to resemble bamboo. Popular in the 19th Century.
Banding: An Inlay or Marquetry that produces a color or grain contrast along the perimeter of a surface
such as a tabletop.
Bandy Leg: American colonial term for the cabriole, or curved leg.
Banister-Back Chair: Generally made of maple and often ebonized. Features vertical split banisters in the
back. Widely used in rural America in the 1700's.
Banquette: A long upholstered seat, settee or bench, that's usually built-in. Term also refers to the ledge at
the back of a buet.
Bar: A counter like piece of furniture or built-in cabinetry typically used for mixing and serving drinks.
Bar Stool: A stool that has a seat height of about 30", opposed to a counter stool that normally has a seat
height of 24" to 26".
Barkcloth: A soft and textured fabric that resembles the bark of a tree.
Barley Twist: A furniture leg that's turned so that it resembles a screw thread.
Baroque: A highly ornate decorative style that originated in Italy in the 1600's. The style is characterized by
irregular curves, twisted columns, elaborate scrolls and oversize moldings. The Italian equivalent of French
"rococo".
Barrel Back: A chair or sofa with the arms and back forming a continuous curve.
Barrel Chair: A semicircular upholstered chair with a loose seat cushion.
Bassinet: A bed for a baby. Originally basket shaped.
Batik: Form of hand-printing fabric that originated in Indonesia; technique involves using wax as a resist to
create a negative image.
Batten: A strip of wood that's attached to a wall to provide supports for xing fabric or paneling.
Batting: Thin layers of natural or synthetic cloth used to line cushions, pillows, quilts or crafts.
Bauhaus: A style of the early 1900's taking its name from the German School of Architecture.
This minimalist style has had a great eect on contemporary architecture and furniture design.
Bead: A small, convex molding of a nearly semi-circular section.
Beadboard: Traditionally, wood paneling that's routed vertically so that parallel lines span the height of the
board. Beadboard is often used as a wall material, wainscoting and on cabinet doors.
Beading: A decorative detail that resembles a row of attened beads.
Beau Brummel: A Georgian dressing table for men. Named after an English fashion arbiter.
Bed Frame (or Bed Base/Frame): A frame or type of platform that a bed rests on. Usually, a metal or
wooden frame with legs used to raise the bed o of the oor, headboards can be attached to most bed
frames. Find bed frames and bedroom furnishings.
Bed-In-A-Bag®: Bedding set that includes at and tted sheets, standard pillowcase pair, comforter, bed
skirt and standard sham pair. Twin has one pillowcase and sham, king and California king have king size
pillowcases and shams.
Bed Rails: Metal or wooden frames that join a headboard and footboard together and also support the
mattress set. Most commonly used bed rail styles include hook-on and bolt-on designs.
Bed Skirt: A gathered or pleated strip of cloth reaching from the bottom of a mattress or box spring to the
oor. Also referred to as a dust rule or bedskirt.
Bedding Ensemble: Can be any combination bedspreads, pillow shams, bed skirts, etc.
Bedspread: A decorative covering for a bed that can reach to the oor on either side and usually is large
enough to cover the pillows.
Bell Flower: A hanging ower of three to ve petals carved or inlaid one below the other in strings. Used
primarily down the legs of tables and chairs, or on chair splats.
Bench: A long seat that can seat at least two people. Benches can be made from any material from wood
to concrete.
Bench Cushion (or Bench Seat): A long seat cushion that covers the entire deck area of a sofa, loveseat or
settee, opposed to individual cushions.
Bentwood: A process of steam bending wood for shaping into furniture parts, particularly chairs.
Bergère: An upholstered French arm chair with closed arms. Features include an exposed wood frame,
loose seat cushion and wide proportions. Popular during the Louis XIV and Louis XV periods.
Bias: The cutting and sewing of fabric at a diagonal or 45 degree angle in relationship to the fabrics pattern.
Beidermeier: A German furniture style from the rst half of the 1800's. The furniture is often plain and
squared in form and borrows elements from many styles, particularly French Empire. The Beidermeier
style concentrates on strength and comfort at the expense of grace and renement.
Beveled Edge: A slanted and polished edge nishing detail used on wood, marble, glass, etc.
Bibliotheque-Basse: A low cupboard with shelves for books. Doors are often of glass and sometimes
tted with grilles.
Bird's-Eye: A marking of small spots often found in the wood from sugar maple trees. Highly prized
throughout furniture history.
Bishop's Sleeve: A drapery treatment with side panels of lightweight fabric tied back slightly above the
midpoint to form a billowing drape above and a owing eect below.
Bistro Table: Term conventionally refers to a round table about 40" in height designed for small spaces and
intimate dining. It is common for people to also refer to bistro tables as pub tables.
Blanket: A large piece of woven material used as a covering for warmth, especially on a bed.
Blanket Chest: A low box-like chest for storing blankets often called a hope chest. Used during Colonial
times for storage and as a bench.
Blinds: Window coverings designed of either horizontal or vertical slats. Blinds can be made of wood,
aluminum, fabric, or other materials. Horizontal blinds traditionally open from the bottom up, while vertical
blinds open and close to the side.
Block Foot: A square foot at the base of a straight leg.
Block Front: An American furniture form of the 1700's, used primarily in chests. The front is divided into
three vertical segments consisting of a concave panel in the center and convex panels on each side.
Block Printing: The oldest form of printing known to man. Motifs are obtained by the use of wooden,
linoleum or copper blocks.
Bobeche: A glass ring placed at the base of a candle to gather wax or dangle crystals.
Body Impressions: The "normal compression" of upholstery layers as they lose resilience over time. Often
mistaken for sagging on mattresses, sofas and other upholstered furniture.
Boiserie: Carved panels used on French pieces from the 17th Century.
Bolster: A long and usually cylindrical stued pillow or cushion. Also an oversized backrest or pillow which
can be rectangular or wedge-shaped.
Bombe: Traditionally a low baroque style chest with bulging convex sides originated in France. Term can
also apply to some commodes, bureaus and armoires.
Bonheur-du-jour: A small French writing table that usually features tall legs; sometimes tted to hold
toilet accessories and miscellaneous items.
Bonnell Coil: An hourglass-shaped mattress coil that's cylindrical at the top and bottom and tapered in the
center. Mostly used in promotional and lower-priced bedding today.
Bonnet Top: A hooded top usually found on secretaries, china cabinets, bookcases and curios.
Book Matching: Two adjacent sheets of veneer that are opened like a book and glued side by side to
produce a symmetrical pattern.
Bookcase: A piece of furniture with shelves that is normally used in an oice or study for storing books.
Borax: Borax really isn't a period of furniture as it is a term that refers to lower priced, mass produced
furniture from the 1920's to current day. Upholstered pieces are characterized by a large overstued
design and usually have wood trim. Case pieces are often decorated with veneer panels and plastic
moldings. A popular design of Borax furniture is a "waterfall" front.
Border Rod: A heavy wire that's normally placed around the perimeter (top and bottom) of a mattress
and/or box spring. The border wire is attached to the outermost coils to provide the shape and form for the
mattress set.
Boss: An oval or round ornament applied to a surface. Term also applies to works in relief.
Boston Rocker: A large wooden rocker with a spindle back and wide top rail, which is often painted or
stenciled. Originated in America in the 1800's.
Boucle': Knitted or woven fabric with characteristic looped or knotted surface that often resembles a
spongy eect. Term also applies to a variety of looped, curled, or slubbed yarns. In French, "boucle'"
means "buckled" or "ringed."
Boudoir Pillow: A small or baby size decorative pillow, usually measuring about 12" x 16".
Boulle: A designer of the Louis the XIV period who was famous for his inlays of metal and tortoise shell.
"Boullework" can be used as a descriptive phrase.
Bowback: A popular type of Windsor chair, also the style of a back such as a bow back rocker. Originally
popular in America during the 18th Century.
Bowfront: A rounded curve on the front of a piece of wood furniture to appear convex.
Box Pleat (or Boxpleat): A symmetrical skirt pleat made by folding the fabric to the back of each side of
the pleat to create a dentil pattern.
Box-Spring: A foundation that's designed to support an innerspring mattress.
Boys and Crowns: A very old term for a type of carved ornamentation used on the cresting of chairs,
daybeds, etc.
Bracket Foot: A low foot running both ways from the corner of wood furniture to form a right angle.
Braganza: An inscrolled or knurled foot, also commonly called a Spanish foot.
Break Front: A china cabinet or bookcase that's divided vertically into three segments with the middle
segment projecting forward. Find a china cabinet or bookcase.
Brewster Chair: An American Colonial style chair with large turned posts and spindles.
Named for Governor Brewster of Massachusetts.
Broadcloth: Dense cotton fabric with a smooth, semi-gloss nish.
Brocade: A rich fabric with a raised pattern woven into it. Brocades use richly colored, sometimes metallic
threads that make the design stand out against the background.
Broken Pediment: An ornamental crest running across the top of a tall piece such as a highboy or chest.
The pediment is interrupted or broken by an opening that highlights a carved nial such as an urn or other
shape.
Buet (or Sideboard): A sideboard without a hutch or storage cabinet on top. The French denition of the
word is "a small sideboard, a place to keep dishes."
Bullion Fringe: Corded fringe that's twisted into a rope or braid. Primarily used on the base of upholstered
furniture, window treatments, accent pillows and lamp shades. Also called bullion trim.
Bun Foot: A attened ball or bun shaped foot with a slender ankle above, normally used on a chest or
seating piece. Very popular during the William and Mary period.
Bungalow Style: An architectural style of a small house or cottage usually having a single story and
sometimes an additional attic story. Most commonly associated with Victorian and Craftsman period
bungalow homes and decor.
Bunk Bed: Two beds that are joined together so that one is placed above the other.
Bunkie: Commonly refers to a twin-size mattress used on bunk beds.
Bunkie Board: A platform type of base or a board usually covered with fabric. Used to support a bunkie
mattress on a bunk bed.
Bureau: A dresser used to store clothing also a piece of furniture with drawers used as a desk. Bureau's
normally feature either a fall-front, which slopes at 45 degrees, a tambour front or a cylinder front. Find
bedroom furniture.
Burjar: A large upholstered arm chair style that was made by Thomas Chippendale.
Burl: Wood cut from a large rounded growth on a tree. Burl is characterized by a strong distinctive grain and
is often used as a special veneer or inlay.
Butler's Tray Table: A tray with four ip-up handholds that can be removed from the table legs on which it
stands. When the sides are down an oval tabletop is created.
Butt Joint: The junction of the ends of two pieces of wood such as on a sill.
Buttery Table: A small drop-leaf table whose leaves are supported by a swinging support resembling a
buttery wing on a rudder.
Button Tufted: Buttons that are fabric covered and sewn through the upholstery surface and tied down.
The placement of the buttons and their resulting folds produce geometric patterns.
Byzantine Chair: A three cornered chair originated in the Orient and later used in Italy.
Cable: A molding design that resembles inter-twined rope.
Cabochon: A gem shaped ornament of convex, hemispherical form.
Cabriole Leg: A decorative S-shaped table or chair leg that curves outward at the knee then tapers at the
ankle. Commonly found on Queen Anne, Chippendale and other 18th Century pieces. Often seen with ball
and claw feet.
Café Curtain: A curtain that covers only the bottom half of a window and hangs from a wire or thin curtain
rod.
Calico: Cotton or cotton-blend fabric printed with small, colorful patterns.
California King: A bed size that measures 74"x86". This style is popular on the West coast of the United
States. The additional size comes in the length creating a rectangular shape rather than the square shape
of a standard king (Eastern King).
Cambrick (or Dust Cover): A non-woven cloth that covers the bottom of an upholstered piece of furniture
such as a sofa or box spring. Also commonly called a "dust cover".
Camel Hair: Wool-like underhair of the camel that is lustrous and extremely soft. Because it is expensive,
often used in blends with wool for coats, blankets and oriental rugs. Natural colors range from light tan to
brownish black. Classied as wool under the Wool Products Labeling Act.
Camelback: A curved sofa back characterized by a large central hump. This design was often used by
Chippendale and Hepplewhite.
Campaign Furniture: Portable furniture that's folding or collapsible, or made of at components that can
be assembled or disassembled. Initiated for military use and usually features handles, it is most
associated with colonialism.
Canape: A type of French settee with padded back and seat, open arms, and a decorated frame. Most
commonly associated with Louis the XV design.
Candle Follower: A device that ts onto the top of a candle. As the wax melts the follower keeps the wax
from dripping down the side of the candle.
Cane: Split rattan, often used to cover chair seats and backs.
Cane Chair: These chairs were rst made in England and were very popular since they were cheap, light
and durable. First used in America in the late 1600's.
Canopy: A fabric covering attached to a frame at the top of bedposts.
Canopy Bed: A bed supported by four tall posts with a cross members joining the posts that may be used
for a supporting a fabric canopy cover, swags, curtains, etc.
Canted: Slopping at an angle, such as a sofa or chair back.
Canterbury: A portable magazine rack named after the Bishop of England.
Cantonniere: A bed hanging used in 16th Century France. It hung outside of the bed curtains to prevent
drafts.
Capital: A decorative cap placed on a column, pillar or pilaster.
Capping: A turned ornamentation used to make furniture pieces more decorative.
Captain's Chair: A Windsor chair with a lower, rounded spindle back.
Carcase: The basic structure of a piece of furniture; often forms the foundation for veneering.
Card Table: A folding table that originated in England during the late 1600's to accommodate the nobility's
passion for gambling.
Carlton Table: An 18th Century writing table that featured an adjustable top.
Carolean: Restoration and Late Jacobean furniture is also known as Carolean furniture. Carolean furniture
includes Charles the second through James the second reign. This period of furniture is a result of
Cromwellian severity in shape and style. Carolean furniture is appealing because of its beautifully carved
spiral turned legs and stretchers. Chairs, tables, and beds usually have scroll shaped feet. Seats are often
made of cane. Upholstery fabrics are luxurious tapestries. The most common wood used was walnut.
Some pieces were made of oak.
Cartonnier: A piece of furniture that took on many various forms. It usually stood at the side of a writing
table to hold papers.
Cartouche: An ornamental shield or decoration usually placed above a door opening or replace mantel,
often containing the name of a king, queen, or deity. Term also applies to a sculpture or back ornament in
the form of an unrolled scroll.
Carved Rug: A rug with a three-dimensional design/pattern.
Carver Chair: A modern term for a 17th Century "Dutch" type of arm chair that featured turned posts and
spindles.
Caryatid: A top member of a pedestal or leg used for support in the form of a conventionalized human
gure.
Casegoods (or Case Furniture): Non-upholstery pieces such as tables, hutches, dressers and chests,
which have functional or storage capabilities.
Casein (or Buttermilk): A traditional paint made by blending earth colored pigments with buttermilk (or
skimmed milk) and a small amount of lime. Casein dries to a at, smooth nish.
Casement: A cloth drapery made of an open weave material that's normally somewhat opaque.
Cashmere: Fine downy undercoat hair of the cashmere goat from Tibet, the Kashmir province north of
India, Iran, Iraq, and southwest China.
Casing: An enclosing frame around a door or window opening.
Cassapanca: A wooden bench with a built-in chest under the seat.
Cassone: Italian chest, often highly decorated with carving and inlay.
Cast Iron Furniture: Iron furnishings made with molds. Very popular since the 1800's for many items
including garden furniture, plant stands and cast iron beds.
Casters: Round wheels attached by a swivel to furniture pieces for mobility. Commonly used on dining and
oice chairs.
Casting: The method of forming metal objects by pouring molten metal into a mold and allowing in to
harden.
Causeuse: A small settee that was very popular in early French furniture.
Ceiling Fan: Both decorative and functional fans, which are installed on the ceiling to circulate air in a
room.
Cellaret: A case on legs or a stand for wine bottles.
Center Draw: A pair of draperies which open and close at a window's mid point.
Center Glide: A center track (glide) that guides a drawer.
Center Rail: A support beam that runs head to toe down the middle of a mattress foundation or bed frame
for added support.
Centerpiece: An ornament used to occupy the center of a dining table.
Ceramic Tiles: Glazed clay tiles, which stand up to large amounts of wear and tear very well.
Certosina: An ivory inlay found on some ne Italian antique furniture.
Chair and a Half: An upholstered seating piece that's larger than an armchair, but not as large as a
loveseat.
Chair Rail: A molding placed on a wall about thirty inches from the oor to protect the wall from being
scratched by chair's back.
Chaise Lounge: An upholstered armchair with the back and seat lengthened for reclining. Styles range
from formal to contemporary. Also referred to by some as a French long chair.
Chambray: A popular variety of cotton fabric that combines colored warp and white lling yarns in a plain
weave.
Chamfer: A corner or edge that is cut at an angle or beveled.
Chandelier: A ceiling-mounted lighting xture consisting of two or more arms bearing lights. Styles can
range from small and simple to extremely large and ornate.
Channel Back: A sofa or chair with a back design of vertical sections of cushioning in a shelllike pattern.
Channel Quilt: Stitching in lines that run parallel to the length or width of a fabric.
Channeling: A grooved or creased eect in wood.
Charles of London: A style of sofa or chair with a low rolled arm.
Chased: A metal surface that's ornamented by embossing, engraving or carving.
Checks: Splits or cracks in wood, which are ordinarily caused by seasoning. A common characteristic of
genuine cherry wood pieces.
Chenille: A fuzzy yarn that is like velvet when tightly woven.
Chesser: A combination of a dresser and a chest. Chessers are narrower than a dresser and shorter than a
chest, and normally have a small tilting mirror.
Chest: A tall, narrow piece featuring a series of drawers for storing clothing.
Chest on Chest: A tall chest with a larger chest of drawers that supports a slightly smaller chest.
Chestereld: A sofa style with deep button tufting and large rolled arms that are the same height as the
back. Term is still common in Canada and England.
Cheval Mirror: A freestanding mirror swung in a vertical frame. Also called a dressing mirror or cheval
glass.
Chevron: A V-shaped ornamentation inspired by military insignia.
Chionier: A tall and narrow chest of drawers normally used for storing undergarments and lingerie. Term
is a French word denoting a lady's work table, derived from chions, which means rags. Term can also be
used in reference to a lingerie chest or highboy.
Chiorobe: A combination of wardrobe and chest-of-drawers.
China Cabinet (or China Hutch): A cabinet with, or without, glass fronts to store and display china, the
sides may or may not feature glass. Seldom found in America before the late 1700's.
Chinese: Chinese art and furniture design heavily inuenced European furniture periods, particularly
during the 1500's through the 1800's. Styles especially inuenced include Chippendale, Regency, and
Louis the XV styles. All Chinese furniture is lacquered and usually features relief carving for decoration.
Most pieces are small and simple and rely on decorative details for their beauty. Most common woods on
authentic pieces were teak, sandalwood, and bamboo. Chinese rugs and wallpaper are famous throughout
the world.
Chinoiserie: A decoration inspired by Chinese art, which can be painted or lacquered on furniture or used
as themes on wallpaper, fabric, etc.
Chintz: A printed cotton fabric that is often "shiny" or glazed.
Chippendale: A design that's more rectangular and heavier than Queen Anne pieces. Chippendale design
features include cabriole legs, ball and claw feet, and highboys with broken pediment tops.
Cinquefoil: Term refers to any ve petaled design.
Claw & Ball (or Ball & Claw): A carved lions or birds claw clutching a sphere, usually at the end of a
cabriole leg or pedestal table’s base.
Club Chair: An upholstered chair with arms, normally made to match a sofa and covered in the same
material.
Club Foot: A turned foot resembling a club; often found at the end of a cabriole leg.
Club Sofa: A fully upholstered piece of furniture with arms that are lower than its back.
Cockbeading: Bead molding applied to the edges of drawers.
Cocktail Table (or Coee Table): A long and low table normally positioned in front of a sofa, which
provides a surface for serving.
Coer: A multi-functional traveling chest with handles and a domed lid but without feet, usually made of
oak. Term can also refer to a chest or box covered in leather or some other material and banded with
metalwork.
Coil Count: The specic number of coils in a mattress or box spring unit. The standard count is based on
the coils within a full size piece. A high coil count was once touted to indicate better quality, however this
term is no longer applicable to many of today's better mattress sets.
Coil Springs: Wire coils used in more expensive upholstered seating pieces to give a desired resiliency and
rmness to the seat and back.
Colonial: American furniture from the 1700's through the Revolutionary era. The formal styles are usually
mahogany or cherry while plainer furniture was done in pine, oak, and maple. Queen Anne and
Chippendale designs are often included in this category.
Colonial Revival: Reproductions of classic American styles from the 1700's, although not always accurate
in detail. Revival pieces were popular from the late 1800's through the early 1900's. Also known as just
"Revival".
Colonnade: A range of columns connected by a horizontal entablature or cornice at the top.
Color Scheme: Color combinations for the interiors of rooms and homes in general.
Color Transfer: The process of applying a color from one material onto another by the means of moisture
or heat. The term can also refer to the accidental seepage of color from one material to another.
Color Way: A term used in interior design to describe a color combination.
Colorfast: A term used to describe fabrics of suicient color retention so that no noticeable change in
shade takes place during the normal life of the fabric.
Colorwashing: A decorative painting technique where a thin glaze (or water-based wash) is applied over
the base coat of paint to create an eect of subtle layers of color.
COM/COL: Furniture industry term for "Customer's own material" or "Customer's own leather." Typically
expressed in square yards for fabric (COM) and in square feet for leather (COL). Figure references the
amount of material required for custom fabric or leather coverings.
Comb Back: A Windsor chair having an extension of the back above the arm rail that consists of ve or
more spindles and a curved top rail resembling a comb.
Combing: A painting eect in which a comb (or comb like tool) is dragged across the paint or glaze to
create a series of lines.
Comfort Layers: The layers of material in a mattress or upholstered seating that provide the comfortable
surface feel.
Comforter: Comforters cover the mattress, but not the box spring. Since the top and bottom fabrics of a
comforter are quilted together with a lling material in between, they are usually uier and thicker than a
bedspread or coverlet. Comforters are usually used with a dust rule to cover the box spring. Comforters
are usually too short to cover the bed pillows, therefore most people use shams.
Commode: A small, low chest with doors or drawers, many traditionally styled nightstands are referred to
as commodes.
Commonwealth (or Puritan): Commonwealth furniture is also known as Puritan, Cromwellian and Middle
Jacobean. Commonwealth furniture was a design devoid of ornate style. This style was characterized as
straight and severe. Pieces were square and rectangle.
Sturdy underbracing was used on chairs. Settees had straight backs and low seats. Upholstery pieces had
dull or dismal fabrics. Oak was the favored wood. Most popular during the mid to late 1600's.
Computer Desk: A desk that's specically designed to accommodate a personal computer.
Connecticut Chest: A low chest on legs that normally contains a double set of drawers.
Console (or Console Table): A term originally applied to a bracket that supported cornices or shelves and
later used to describe tables that were aixed to a wall and supported with legs at the front. Today it
describes any type of table used along a wall.
Contemporary: A term covering many styles of furniture that developed in the latter half of the 1900's.
Contemporary pieces have an updated look that's softened and rounded compared with the stark lines of
modern design.
Continental: A pillow that's 26" square, which is the traditional European sized pillow.
Continuous Coil: A mattress design in which each row of coils is made using a single, continuous wire.
Contrasting Welt: Welting or piping at seams that are covered in fabric contrasting or dierent from the
main body fabric. Used on upholstered furniture and fabric accessories such as accent pillows and drapes.
Corduroy: A cotton or rayon velvet that's woven with ridges (or cords).
Corner Block or Brace: A diagonal brace placed at the corner of a frame structure to provide strength.
Commonly found on the inside corners of dressers and chests for example.
Corner Cupboard: A triangular shaped dining room china cabinet made to t into a corner.
Cornice: A molding that crowns or runs along the top of a curio, hutch, etc.
Cornucopia: The horn of plenty, which symbolizes peace and prosperity, used as a design motif.
Corrected Grain Leather: Leather that's bued to remove unattractive blemishes and embossed to
simulate an attractive grain pattern or to add a decorative texture.
Cottage Furniture: A style of casual furniture that's characterized by being painted and/or decorated.
Cottage pieces often feature turned legs and very simple lines. The term originated during the Victorian
period to refer to mass-produced simplied designs.
Couch: A term from the 17th and 18th Century used to refer to a daybed. Not used as a term for a sofa or
settee until more recent times.
Counter Stool: A stool that has a seat height of about 24" to 26", opposed to a bar stool that normally has
a seat height of 30".
Country Style: A casual style that gained popularity in the 1980's and remains popular today, often
featuring nature and nostalgic motifs. The "appearance" of handcrafting is also important. Distressing is
commonly seen.
Court Cupboard: A small cupboard that's used for storing silver, china, or other precious items.
Coverlet: A bed cover that reaches to the top of the bed and to the bottom of the box spring on three sides.
Coving: A decorative plaster or polystyrene molding used to cover the join between walls and ceiling.
Crackle Glaze (or Craquelure): A special type of glaze used to create a ne network of cracks.
Credence: An early Italian cabinet that was used for carving meat or displaying plates. It was the original
forerunner of the sideboard.
Credence Table: A type of small table used for storing food before serving; generally a semicircular table
with a hinged top.
Credenza: Normally a sideboard or buet. In oice furniture, credenzas are a horizontal ling cabinet that
may also feature doors or shelves for storage, often placed behind a desk.
Crest Rail (Top Rail): The top horizontal rail of an upholstered piece, which can be very detailed.
Cresting: A shaped ornamentation on the top of a structure, as in the cresting of a chair.
Crinoline Stretcher: An arched stretcher found on certain Windsor chairs.
Crocheting: A fabric, trimming, or lace made by interlocking successive loops or stitches with a hook or
needle.
Crocking: The loss of transfer of leather coloring or nish by abrasion.
Croft: A small ling cabinet from the 18th Century that had many small drawers and a writing top.
Cross Stretcher: An X-shaped stretcher in straight or curved lines. Found on some traditional style tables,
chairs and on highboys and lowboys.
Crown Molding: Molding where the wall and ceiling meet or the uppermost molding along a piece of
furniture or cabinetry.
Cupboard: A cabinet, box or closet with shelves designed to hold cups, dishes or food.
Cupid's Bow: Term used to describe the typical top rail of a Chippendale chair back, which curves up at
the ends and dips slightly in the center.
Curio (Collectors Cabinet): A case piece featuring glassed in shelves and doors for displaying
collectibles.
Curule Legs: X-shaped legs used on a portable backless folding chair.
Curved-Back Sofa: A sofa whose back arches in a smooth, even curve with large, scrolled arms.
Cushion Drawer: A convex drawer below a cornice that runs the full width of a piece of furniture.
Cushioning: Materials used to provide comfort in upholstered furniture and bedding. Popular cushioning
materials include polyurethane foam, polyester, cotton, latex and wool.
Cyma Curve: A distinctive 'S' shaped curve incorporated into Queen Anne furniture.
Dacron: Registered Trademark of DuPont for polyester bers in the form of continuous lament yarns,
staple, tow and berll.
Dado Joint: A rectangular groove across the width of a board or plank that another piece of wood ts into.
Dado Rail: A Wooden rail or molding that's xed horizontally along a wall, usually about a third of the way
up from the oor.
Damask: A heavy reversible fabric featuring a pattern that's distinguished from the background by
contrasting luster.
Davenport: Term originates from the last name of a Boston upholster who made overstued couches. His
couches were so popular people called them Davenports. This word has been replaced with sofa.
Daventry: A small chest of drawers with a sloped top for writing.
Daybed: A seating piece that can also serve as a bed.
Deboss: To depress a design in leather, paper, or composition board. Decoupage: A method of decorating
walls and objects with paper cutouts. Denim: Heavy cotton twill woven from coarse yarns. Density:
Normally used as a measure of weight per cubic volume, which is usually expressed in pounds per cubic
foot. An important quality of foam used in upholstered furniture. Greater density in foam is generally
equated with better quality and durability. Density can also be used to refer to the number of coils per given
area in a mattress.
Denim: This basic cotton cloth - rst brought to America by Columbus almost 500 years ago as the sails
on the Santa Maria - is rugged, tough, and serviceable. It is easily recognized by its traditional indigo-blue
color warp and gray or mottled white lling, and its left hand twill on the face. Today, we most commonly
associate denim as the material used for making blue jeans.
Dentils (or Dentil Molding): Rectangular tooth-like blocks spaced at equal intervals along a cornice
molding.
Design: The art of conceptualizing the appearance of an object or space. The term also refers to the style,
appearance, or characteristic of an item such as a modern lamp or rustic bench.
DeStijl: A 20th Century style originating in the Netherlands. As with other Dutch furniture of the period,
DeStijl furniture is characteristically simple and clean-lined.
Dhurrie Rug: A at woven wool or cotton rug featuring beautiful designs.
Diamond Tufting: An arrangement of tufted buttons which yields a diamond shaped pattern on the back of
an upholstered piece of furniture.
Diaper-Work: A surface decoration that consists of a series of reticulations each of which contains an
ornamental unit, such as a ower or leaf.
Dinette: A small dining set, which is often used in the kitchen.
Dining Room: Traditionally a formal room dedicated to the serving of meals.
Direct Printing: Also known as roller, calendar or cylinder printing; the colors are printed directly onto the
fabric in the same manner as the printing of wallpaper.
Directoire: The Directoire period of furniture (late 1700's to early 1800's) was a result of French reign
under ve directors. Styling was controlled by a Jury of Arts and Manufactures. All emblems of royalty and
aristocracy in furniture design were abolished. Classic decorations including griins and caryatids are
familiar in Directoire furniture. This period is inuenced hugely by Greek, Egyptian, and Roman styling.
Simple elegance characterizes this period.
Disc Foot: A at, disc-shaped foot used on tables and chairs. Very common on chrome dining furnishings
from the 1950's and 1960's.
Distemper: Paints made by mixing pigment with water and bound with casein, glue or egg. Widely used
before the arrival of emulsion.
Distressed (or Distressing): A furniture trait where pieces are purposely dented or otherwise marked to
render an antique or rustic appearance.
Dormer: A window set vertically in a structure projecting through a sloping roof.
Double Bed (or Full Size): Refers to a bed for a mattress that measures 54"x75". Was once the standard
or most popular size bed. Sometimes referred to as a full, double or standard.
Double Extra Long (or Full Extra Long): A double/full mattress that measures 54"x80".
Dover Chest: An early American hope chest that was normally made of maple or oak.
Dovetail: Joint construction made by cutting pins in the shape of dovetails, which t between dovetails
upon another piece. Commonly found in drawer construction.
Dowel: A headless wooden pin used in furniture construction.
Down: Soft breast feathers from ducks or geese.
Dowry Chest: A chest that was made to hold the personal possessions of a prospective bride. Notable
examples in American furniture history include the Hadley chest, the Connecticut chest and the paint
Pennsylvania-German chest.
Dragging: A paint eect that produces ne stripes on a surface, usually done by dragging a dry brush or
through a glaze.
Drapery: A draped fabric window treatment.
Draught Chair: The early English equivalent of a wingback chair.
Draw Draperies: Curtains or drapes mounted on a horizontal traversed rod so they can be open and
closed with a pull cord.
Drawer Guides (or Glides): Term referring to the track or runners allowing a drawer to move freely and
evenly in a piece of furniture such as a dresser. There are many types of guides including wooden center
guides, metal glides with rollers, and metal ball bearing guides.
Dresser: A long chest of drawers used to store clothes. Term originally referred to a type of sideboard that
was used for serving food and storing dishes.
Drop Front: The hinged front of an upright desk that drops down to provide a surface for writing.
Drop Handle: A pear-shaped handle made popular in the late 17th Century.
Drop-In Seat: An upholstered seat frame that sits in the main framework of a chair.
Drop-In Spring Unit: A coil spring assembly (much like a mattress coil unit) used in upholstery to simulate
an eight-way-hand-tied feel and support.
Drop Leaf: A dining or occasional table with hinged leaves that can be lowered.
Drop Lid Desk: A desk with a hinged front that covers the inner compartments.
Drop Seat: A concave seat where the middle and front are lower than the side.
Drum Dyeing: Maximum dye penetration of leather by immersing it in a dye solution in a tumbling drum.
Drum Table: A circular top table on a tripod base with a deep skirt that may contain drawers.
Dry Brushing: A paint technique in which a brush is worked over a glaze to create a cloudy eect.
Duck: A closely woven heavy durable material.
Duck Foot: A webbed foot attached to a table leg which curves outward.
Dumb Waiter: A type of dining room stand with a central shaft and circular trays, which often revolves to
enable those who are dining to help themselves to additional plates. Term also applies to a pulley type
elevator that brought food up from a basement kitchen to the rst oor dining room.
Duncan Phyfe: A furniture style popular in the late 1700's to early 1800's. Duncan Phyfe pieces are
characterized by feet that gracefully curve outward on both tables and sofas. Duncan Phyfe seating pieces
often have lyre-shaped backs, rolled top rails and arms.
Dupioni: A lustrous silk woven from two dierent colors of threads so that it shimmers or changes color in
the light.
Dust Cover (or Cambrick): A non-woven cloth that covers the bottom of an upholstered piece of furniture
such as a sofa or box spring. Also referred to as cambrick.
Dust Rule: Dust rules t under the mattress and on top of the box spring to decorate with fabric to the
oor.
Dustboard (Dust Panel): A panel placed between drawers in a chest or dresser to eliminate dust.
Dutch Dresser: A cabinet with open shelves on the upper portion, and drawers or cupboard below.
Dutch Foot: A simple pad used as the foot on a cabriole leg. Sometimes confused with a duck foot.
Dutch Renaissance: This furniture style was a huge inuence on late English design. It is characterized by
its square heavy style and its straight dominate lines. Chairs were made with turned legs, straight
stretchers and low backs that were also straight in design. The main decoration was carving with leaves
and scrolling. Chair seats often had leather attached with brass nails, also referred to as nailhead. Oak was
the favored wood of choice. Most popular during the 1500's through the 1600's.
Dutch Style: Early Flemish Baroque furniture, dating from the 17th Century, was but a slight adaptation of
the late Renaissance style. Typical are oak cupboards with four doors and chairs with seats and backs of
velvet or leather held in place by nails. Most pieces are massive, solid unpretentious pieces made of local
woods with turnings.
Duvet Cover: A removable cover that encases a down-lled comforter known as a duvet.
Dye Lot: Because fabrics are dyed in varying quantities of yardage, consistency of color will vary. Therefore
there will be dierences in color from bolt to bolt.
Dying: The process of applying color to ber stock, yarn or fabric; there may or may not be thorough
penetration of the colorant into the bers or yarns.
Early American: American furniture design of the late 1600's to early 1700's (still popular today), adapted
from popular European styles such as Jacobean and William and Mary. The look is characterized by
straight lines and minimal decoration. The style has merged into what is now called Colonial, normally
featuring elements of Queen Anne and Chippendale design.
Early Renaissance: Early 1500's, the transitional period between Gothic Arts and the Classical Revival.
Characterized by arch form, ornament and detail in style and decoration, high relief carving with diamond
shapes and architectural pilasters, and ornamented with olive, laurel and acanthus leaves. Pieces usually
featured no hardware.
Eastlake: Charles Eastlake designated the Eastlake period and was popular in both England and America
in the late 19th Century. Eastlake furniture had a medieval styling with a Gothic and Japanese decoration.
The favorite woods were cherry wood and other fruitwoods. Panels were sometimes adorned with tile and
metal for an added decoration.
Easy Chair: Any large chair which is suitable for lounging.
Ebeniste: An ordinary term for a French cabinet maker.
Ebonize: A painting eect where an object is treated with color to make it look like ebony.
Eclectic: A style of decorating combining furniture and accessories of various styles and periods.
Egg & Dart: A classic design of alternating oval and dart shapes, commonly applied to cornices.
Eggshell: An oil-based paint that has a low-sheen satin nish.
Egyptian: This is arguably the rst "inuential" style of design dating from 4000 to 300 B.C. Pieces were
very colorful and highly decorated. Carvings featured papyrus, lotus, and human and animal forms. Seating
was usually of leather or cane and loose cushions were common. The most popular woods of choice were
sycamore, cedar, yew and olivewood. Royal pieces were normally further decorated with inlaid ivory, gold
and jewels. Egyptian styling has also been a huge inuence on craftsmen of later eras.
Egyptian Cotton: Fine lustrous long staple cotton. Several varieties - usually brown in color. 12/5" average.
Used in U.S. for thread and ne fabrics.
Eight-Way Hand Tied: Springs used in upholstered furniture, in which each spring is tied in eight directions
by hand securing the springs inside of the frame.
Elevation: An elevation is a view of a 3-dimensional object from the position of a horizontal plane beside
an object. In other words, an elevation is a side-view as viewed from the front, back, left or right.
Elizabethan: A large furniture style of severe form that emerged during the reign of Elizabeth I in England
during the latter half of the 1500's. Elizabethan pieces are characterized by heavy carving and massive
size.
Embossing: A technique to impress or stamp a design onto a piece of furniture; mostly used on wood
pieces to resemble carving.
Embroidery: Ornamental needlework consisting of designs worked on fabric with either silk, cotton,
metalized, or other threads, either by hand or machine.
Empire: A style inspired by the Napoleonic Empire, which features heavy looking classical designs and
combines straight lines and curves, sleigh beds are a good example of this styling.
Emulsion: A water-based paint that's mainly applied to walls and ceilings.
Encarpa: A festoon of fruit and owers traditionally used to decorate friezes and other at spaces.
Encoignure: An 18th-19th Century casework piece similar to a corner cabinet. Its front is typically rounded
or diagonal, and it rests on three or four feet. Often, the top portion contains shelves in graduated sizes.
End Matching: Two adjacent pieces of veneer, which are joined end to end to form a continuous pattern.
End Table: A small accent table that is usually placed at the end of a couch, beside chair or beside. Most
commonly made of wood, metal and glass, or a combination of these materials.
Endive: A carved leaf design following the lines of the endive plant.
English Regency: Often referred to as the English version of the French Empire, this period (1810-1830)
reected the general European interest in antiquity and return to classic forms, rich ornamentation.
Furniture was small-scaled, well-proportioned; combining curves and straight lines.
English Style: The period distinctions of English furniture are somewhat indenite owing to the variety of
labels according to monarchs, designers, typical woods and external inuences. Changes were happening
so rapidly that primarily the type of wood used distinguished the boundaries of the English style.
Entertainment Center: A piece of furniture designed to hold entertainment equipment such as TV's and
stereo components. Find an entertainment center.
Ergonomic: Term that relates to furniture design and function for the human form; very commonly found in
home oice furnishings such ergonomic chairs for example.
Escritoire: A writing desk with a fall front that lowers to form a writing surface. The English word
"secretary" was derived from this term.
Escutcheon: The shaped metal tting/backing behind a drawer pull or surrounding a keyhole.
The term can also apply to a tiny plate that hangs over a keyhole to stop drafts from coming in. The term
can be further applied to a shield upon which a coat of arms or other devices are emblazoned.
Espagnolettes: A long bolt sometimes found on French windows. It consists of a handle that sends the
bolt into the top and bottom of the wall.
Etagere: A freestanding set of open shelves commonly used for displaying accessories. Term also applies
to a small work table consisting usually of shelves or tray sets one above the other.
European Style: Sophisticated style with great attention to detail and ornamentation.
Evolute: A recurrent wave motif for a band, frieze or cornice.
Eyeball Spots: Semi-recessed lights set in the ceiling, which can be adjusted to shine in dierent
directions.
Eyelet: A small hole in a piece of fabric designed for a cord to be thread through or used for decoration (as
in embroidery).
Faceted: Decorative surface cut into sharp-edged planes in a crisscross pattern to reect light.
Fall Front: The ap of a bureau or secrétaire that pulls down to provide a writing surface.
Fan Patterned: The description of a chair back when tted with ribs or channels that resemble the stalks
of a half open fan.
Fancy-Faced Veneers: Veneers that are cut into exotic patterns, which are usually used in more visible
areas of wooden furniture such as door fronts and table tops.
Fanlight: A window, which is usually semi-circular, with radiating glass sections that make it look like an
open fan. Commonly found above doors.
Farthingale Chair: An armless upholstered chair for ladies wearing enormous skirts of the early Stuart era.
Fauteuil: An upholstered French armchair with open spaces between the arms and seat.
Faux: A simulation of something else. An example of this would be faux marble, which is a marble-like
surface painted onto walls or other surfaces (see trompe l'oeil).
Feather Banding: Two narrow bands of veneer laid in opposite diagonals.
Feather Bed: A quilted mattress topper stued with feathers or goose down.
Federal: Design period following the American Revolution and running roughly through the early 1800's.
Federal styles incorporate the neo-classical inuences of Sheraton and
Hepplewhite including straight and delicate lines, tapered legs, and contrasting veneers.
Felt: A cotton material commonly used for cushioning or lining the inside of a piece of furniture such as a
jewelry armoire or the drawers of a buet.
Feng Shui: Literally translated as wind and water, it's an ancient Chinese scientic practice based on
selecting or conguring a site, structure or interior so as to harmonize with the spiritual forces that inhabit
it.
Ferrule: Normally a metal cap attached to the end of a slender shaft for strength or to prevent splitting.
Festoon: A length of garland, foliage, owers or branches that are entwined or bound together, usually
hanging in a curve between two points.
Festoon Blind: Similar to an Austrian blind, but with gathered scallops throughout the length of the blind.
Fiber: A natural or synthetic substance such as cotton or polyester that can be separated into thread-like
laments and be spun, woven or matted.
Fiber Rug: A oor covering made of tightly twisted strips of paper often coated with vinyl to resist friction
and moisture.
Fiberboard: A board made of compressed wood bers and glue.
Fiberll: Generic term for all stuing bers or materials used in battings, quilting, sleeping bags, pillows,
etc.
Fiddle Back: A backsplat in the shape of a violin (ddle) that is typically seen on Queen Anne chairs.
Figuring: A pattern made by the natural grain of wood.
Filament Lighting: Light that's produced by heating a small lament inside a bulb, as with a common light
bulb.
File Cabinet: A piece of oice furniture used for storing les. File cabinets normally consist of one to four
drawers.
Filigree: A decorative ornamentation that's often produced with ne wires of gold or silver in the form of
scrolls and arabesques.
Fill (or Weft): Visible yarns in a fabric that are woven through the less visible foundation of the warp yarns.
The term "ll" can also apply to how an item is stued such as a 100% down-ll pillow.
Filling: A step in the manufacturing nishing process where the lling of natural pores in wood allows the
surface to become smoother and more reective.
Finger Joint: A joint in which two pieces of wood are cut in an elongated zigzag pattern and joined together
with glue.
Finger Plates: Narrow rectangular panels, often made in the same material as the door knob, which are
xed to the door to protect against dirty nger marks.
Finial: A decorative detail that's carved or shaped to ornament the top of an upright piece such as a
bedpost. Finials are commonly found in the opening of a broken pediment or on the topping a lamp.
Common motifs include ames, urns, and pineapples.
Finish: The surface coating of an item, which can include paints, stains, varnishes, fabric treatments, etc.
Wood, metal, fabric, stone and many other materials require a nish for reasons such as coloring, texture,
and protection from moisture.
Finnish Style: Finnish furniture designers used bent and laminated (layers of solid wood) woods to create
organic, humanistic forms and lightweight open shapes. These designers were also the rst to experiment
with tubular steel in furniture design.
Firmness: A sought after quality by many in upholstered furniture and mattresses, which is usually
interpreted to mean support. Firmness for some is a comfort term synonymous with hardness, and for
others it is a structural term associated with support.
Flambeau: A carved decoration in the shape of a aming torch.
Flame Stitch: A wavy angular pattern that looks like the shape of a ickering ame, normally found on
brocade fabrics.
Flange: An erect, projecting attened ridge such as the top and bottom horizontal projections of an I beam.
Also refers to a decorative nish sewn into a seam.
Flannel: Usually a cotton or rayon fabric slightly napped on both sides to resemble woolen fabric used for
some, blanketing, coating, etc. Woolen and worsted annels are also popular.
Flare: The outward concave curve of a furniture leg.
Flax: A plant from which linen is derived.
Flemish: Flemish furniture was a product from master craftsmen of Flanders (Belgium). Flemish is usually
included in Dutch Renaissance furniture and is not necessarily dened as a period of furniture, but more as
an inuence in design. Flemish furniture is famous for its distinct and careful carving and the Flemish foot.
Flemish furniture is a product of French inuence.
Flemish Scroll: A baroque form with the curve broken by an angle.
Fleur-De-Lis: Term for a decorative French emblem in the form of a conventionalized oral design.
Flock Wallpaper: Wallpaper that has a raised fabric pattern.
Floor Lamp: A tall lamp with a base that stands on the oor.
Floor plan: or oorplan, is a diagram, usually to scale, showing a view from above of the relationships
between rooms, spaces and other physical features at one level of a structure. Dimensions are usually
drawn between the walls to specify room sizes and wall lengths. Floor plans will also include details of
xtures like sinks, water heaters, furnaces, etc. Floor plans will include notes to specify nishes,
construction methods, or symbols for electrical items. It is also called a "plan"
Flow: A smooth continuity achieved by design and decor elements being arranged harmoniously with
some sense of shape, style and color.
Fluting: A series of carved out semicircular grooves usually found on columns, molding or wooden legs.
Fly Rail: The folding bracket that supports the drop leaf of a table.
Foam: Padding material used in upholstered furniture and mattresses. Common types of foam include
polyurethane, latex, and Viscoelastic ("Visco" or "Memory Foam").
Foam Core: A cardboard-like material with a foam center available in varying thickness; commonly used to
mount photographs and display materials.
FOB: "Free on board" at named port of export. A pricing term commonly used in the home furnishings
industry indicating that the quoted price covers all expenses up to and including delivery of goods upon an
overseas vessel provided by or for the buyer.
Focal Point: An area to which the eye is drawn. This could be a part of a room, a view, landscaping, etc.
Foliated: Decorated with leaf designs of an intricate pattern.
Footboard: The piece at the foot of a bed of a headboard and footboard set.
Foundation: The bottom part of a mattress set that gives the mattress its support and durability.
Four Poster: A bed with posts that are tall enough to hold a canopy.
FQ: Full/Queen size. Fits both Full and/or Queen Size. Approximate size for Comforter, Duvet Cover is
88"x96".
Frame: The wooden framework of an upholstered piece of furniture.
French Bed: A bed with ends that roll outward. It has no posts. Commonly referred to as a sleigh bed
today.
French Classic: French Classic design was largely base on a complete avoidance of the curved line in
furniture. This type of furniture is usually quite straight and simplistic in design. French Classic is
considered an inuence rather than a dened style and was inuenced by an Italian avor of styling.
Decoration depends on uted and grooved accents, geometric patterns and marquetry. Mahogany is the
favored wood of French Classic designs, however rosewood, tulipwood, and ebony were used though less
frequently. Most popular during the later 1700's.
French Empire: Style of the early 1800’s that expressed the imperial ambitions of Napoleon and was
created at his command. Greek and Roman inuence is apparent and though somewhat ostentatious,
many pieces are considered quite exquisite even today. French Empire has simple construction with a
deep rich varnish. Empire-wreaths. Roman eagles, lions, sphinx, and the letter "N" (for Napoleon himself
of course) are the emblems that are familiar to this design. This style of furniture has mostly straight lines
and often will have metal feet. Tabletops have marble tops. The most commonly used woods were
mahogany, rosewood, and ebony.
French Polishing: Treating a wooden surface with French polish to give it a highly reective, smooth nish.
French Provincial: Rustic versions of formal French furnishings of the 1600's and 1700's, such as the
Louis XIV and Louis XV styles. Early French Provincial pieces were considered as peasant furniture.
French Regence: Popular in Europe during the early 1700's. French Regence' furniture designs have many
similarities of Louis XIV furniture but denitely had its own styling. Rococo decoration is familiar in this
style. Pieces from this era are very curvy and are intensely decorated. Many pieces from this period are
somewhat whimsical and dierent. French Regence' also introduced commodes, secretaries, and
chioniers.
French Renaissance: Style dating from the mid 1400's to the early 1600's. French Renaissance spans
through many rulers, Francis I, Henry II, and the most noted Henry IV. French Renaissance was mostly
inspired by Italian taste but the pieces are much smaller in scale. This period is famous for its exquisite
woodcarving. French Renaissance is also noted for its betterment in tapestry weaving. Early pieces are
mostly manufactured of oak. Later pieces are made of walnut. Later pieces are also known to be a bit more
elaborate in decoration.
Fresco: A durable painting technique for walls and ceilings, created by blending water-colors directly into
wet plaster.
Fretwork: An open or pierced woodcarving with an oriental inuence, primarily used as a decorative
element in Chippendale-style furniture.
Frieze: A decorated horizontal band attached or painted along the top of a wall, building, mantle, etc.
Full Bed (or Double Size): Refers to a bed for a mattress that measures 54"x75". Was once the standard
or most popular size bed. Sometimes referred to as a double, full or standard.
Full Extra Long (or Double Extra Long): A full/double mattress that measures 54"x80".
Full-Forward Arm: An arm extending continuously from the back to the front of a piece of furniture.
Full Grain Leather: A top-grain leather without any corrections or alterations to the natural grain pattern.
Functionalism: A form of design based on use rather than on ornamentation.
Futon: A Japanese-style mattress placed on a folding frame, which can be used as both a seating piece
and a bed.
Futon Cover: Basically a giant pillowcase that pulls over a futon mattress, that has a zipper or Velcro-type
of closure.
Hadley Chest: A colonial chest with a drawer that was used as a hope or dowry chest.
Haitian Cotton: A highly textured woven material with a loose, rolled cotton weft.
Hall Tree: A piece of furniture that's usually placed in an entryway or hallway to hang coats and hats on.
Hall trees often have a mirror back and a table surface or storage bench seat.
Halogen: A light that emits true color characteristics, unlike uorescent and other lighting that tend to give
a room a yellowish cast, halogen's light remains neutral.
Hand: The feel of cloth or leather, the sensation of its textural qualities.
Hand Distressing: Creating a marred surface, this lends an aged look to furniture.
Hand Tied: Coil springs that are attached to the webbing with links and then "hand tied" to each other and
the frame to achieve diering amounts of elasticity in the seat. Two, four, and eight way hand ties are
commonly used.
Handkerchief Table: Term refers to a single leaf table with a leaf and a triangular top. Closed the table ts
in a corner, opened it's a small square.
Hardwood: Wood derived from trees such as oak, beech, maple, mahogany, and walnut.
Hardwood Frames: Upholstered furniture frames made from hardwoods such as oak or birch. These
woods are normally kiln dried and resist splitting.
Harvest Table: A narrow rectangular table that has hinged drop leaves, this design takes up very little
space and oers a nice amount of surface area when the leaves are up. Find dining furniture.
Hassock: Upholstered footstool large enough to be used as seating, often referred to as an ottoman.
Headboard: An upright structure rising above the mattress at the head of the bed.
Heading: The hemmed, stiened, layered portion on the top of a curtain or drapery.
Heat Transfer Printing: Method of printing fabrics by transferring designs to fabric from special pre-printed
paper.
Helical Wire: Thin wire spirals that hold adjacent rows of mattress coils together and may be used to hold
coils to the border rods. They can run horizontally or vertically. Not present in mattresses with individually
pocketed coils.
Hepplewhite: A neo-classic furniture style that followed Chippendale from the late 1700's to about 1820.
It overlaps with Sheraton styles and shares similar elements of restrained design, tapered legs and
classical ornamentation like urns and shields.
High Relief: Term refers to deep carving of the plane surface of any material.
High Resiliency Foam: A pure foam with a cell structure dierent from conventional foam which results in
more durable and more supportive material. This foam will retain its shape longer.
Highboy: Simply a tall chest of drawers. The style was developed in the 1700's and is usually composed of
a base and a top section with drawers, which is often topped with a decorative broken pediment crown.
The name comes from the French "haut bois" which means "high wood". Find bedroom furniture.
Highlighting: A color-removal technique in the nishing process, which is used to highlight natural grain
characteristics.
Hinged King: A king size mattress with a divided border rod in the center to allow for slight bending or
folding without causing damage.
Hitchcock Chair: A black-painted/nished chair of the 1800's with gold powdered stenciling of fruit and
owers on the backrest, named after its designer Lambert Hitchcock. Heavily inuenced by Sheraton
designs.
Hitchcock Style: Style created by Lambert Hitchcock of Connecticut from the early to mid 1800's.
Although most famous for the design of Hitchcock chairs, Lambert also produced stools, settees, rockers,
cabinets and cradles. The Hitchcock chair is still reproduced to this day.
Hock Leg: A cabriole leg having a broken curve on the inner side of the knee.
Hood: A shaped top on cabinet work that usually overhangs the vertical lines.
Hoop Back Chair: Hepplewhite or Queen Anne chair with a top rail curving directly into its arms.
Hope Chest: Traditionally a hinged-top chest for storing items such as household goods and textile items
in anticipation of marriage. Also referred to as a dowry chest.
Hue: A color tone such as red, yellow, blue, etc.
Huntboard: Designed to be light and portable so it could be moved outdoors. Originally used for serving
food and drinks after a hunt.
Hutch: Enclosed cupboard with shelves resting on a solid base such as buet or desk.
Imbrications: Ornamentation in the form of sh scales or the segmented edge of tiles that overlap.
Incandescent: The most commonly used household bulb, which emits light through a wire lament.
Initial Load Deection (ILD): A measure for the rmness level of foam used in upholstered furniture and
Mattresses.
Inlay: Decorative patterns created with pieces of dierent woods or other materials, which have been set
into the surface of wood furniture.
Inner Quilt: A true pillow top mattress will have an inner quilt, which means that the rst layers of
upholstery are actually covered with a layer of fabric that is sewn to the tape edge of the mattress. Some
so called pillow tops do not have inner quilts. These imitation pillow tops have border panels around the
perimeter with two tape edges to give the appearance of a pillow top.
Inner Tufting: A very durable method of attaching and combining layers of padding below the quilted cover
of a mattress to prevent shifting and settling of the padding layers. This method is rarely used in mass-
produced mattresses due to the labor intensive process.
Innerspring Unit: The spring and wire units made up primarily of coils, helical wires and border wires,
which is the inside of an innerspring mattress. Some upholstered furniture such as sofas and loveseats can
also feature innerspring units.
Inset Tile: A tile with a dierent design than the surrounding body of tiles.
Insulator: A mattress component that separates and protects the mattress cushioning from its innerspring
coils. Common insulators consist of a compressed polyester ber pad, compressed cotton, or a
polypropylene mesh screen.
Intaglio: An illustration or design cut into a surface.
Intarsia: An Italian type of decoration that's similar to inlay and marquetry, where the design is sunk into
the wood.
International Style: Functional modern furniture style developed in Europe during the 1920's and 1930's.
The most important origin of this style was Germany's Bauhaus School. Simple lines and an absence of
decoration are hallmarks of this design. Popular materials used included chrome and glass.
Iron Bed: Term commonly used to describe beds made of metal that are coated with colored nishes.
Italian Finishing: Bed linen nishing technique developed in Italy, where luxury single ply yarns are treated
individually to remove bers and smooth the surface. This special nishing then compresses the fabric,
reduces shrinkage that imparts a smooth lightweight feel to sheets.
Italian Provincial: Loose term applied to furniture of the Italian provinces made during the
1700's to mid 1800's. These pieces, although more rustic, copied the elaborate furniture styles of Milan,
Venice, Rome and Florence. Later pieces (Late Italian Provincial) were heavily inuenced by French design.
The pieces feature simplied lines and lack ornate decorations. Very few of these pieces are reproduced
today.
Italian Renaissance: Popular through the 1400's to 1600's. Italian Renaissance furniture features a very
rich appearance and is decorated with carving, inlay, and marquetry. Chairs have a very straight
construction and are built with at runners. Chairs usually have very sturdy stretchers. Tables are very big
and elaborately decorated. Tables have stretchers and are rectangular in shape. Most pieces are made of
walnut.
Jabot: The cascading fabric at each side of a swaged valance.
Jacobean: This furniture period spans almost the entire rst half of the 17th Century from James I to
Charles I reign. Many furniture specialists claim that all furniture of the 17th Century is inuenced and
encompassed by this design. Pieces are large, square or rectangular. Carving is intricate and done in a
tasteful low relief style. Seats of chairs are at and stretchers sit low on the frame. Stretchers are usually
rectangular and show up on most tables and chairs. Oak is the dominant wood.
Jacquard: Intricate fabrics such as tapestries, brocades and damasks whose patterns are woven with
yarns of dierent colors.
Japanese Style: Japanese domestic usage required little furniture. Chests and cupboards were built in
with sliding doors. Usually nished with highly polished lacquer ecked with gold and decorated with ne-
scaled ower, animal and landscape motives. Thin mats made of rice straw covered the oors and were
used for sitting. Cloth cushions were also used, as were small tables of wood and lacquer. The folding
screen was an indispensable adjunct to the other furnishings as it could be moved to change the entire
aspect of the room. Japanese furniture forms have changed very little for centuries.
Japanning: A European and American technique of painting that requires several coats of heat-hardened
lacquer, commonly used in creating chinoiserie designs.
Jewelling: Ornamental carving in the shape of jewels. Very popular during the Renaissance period.
Jewelry Armoire: A small and narrow upright chest for the storage of jewelry and fashion accessories.
Jute: A plant that's used in natural ber ooring.
K: Marking for king size bedding. Approximate size for Comforter, Duvet Cover is 104"x96", Bedspread is
116"x118", Coverlet is 108"x98", and Blanket is 108"x100". King shams approximate size is 20"x36".
Kas: An early American cabinet of Dutch origin, made with painted or paneled wood.
KD: (See Knocked Down).
Keeled: A sharp edge often found on the corner of cabriole legs, the term "keeled" is used because it
resembles the keel of a boat.
Kelim: A at-woven (not tufted) tapestry rug.
Kick Pleat: An inverted pleat that's usually found at the corner of a at or box-pleated skirt on a piece of
upholstered furniture.
Kidney Desk: A desk or table with a curved front and a top shaped like a kidney bean.
Kiln Dried: Wood that's dried by a means of controlled heat and humidity in kilns or ovens to specic
ranges of moisture content.
King Mattress: A standard king sized mattress that measures 78"x80", often called an Eastern King.
Kitchen Cart (or Kitchen Island): A kitchen cart is a piece of furniture usually on casters that provides
extra kitchen storage and surface space. Some people interchangeably use the term "kitchen cart" with
"kitchen island". However, the term "kitchen island" most commonly refers to a built-in piece of cabinetry.
Klismos: Ancient Greek style of chair with saber shaped legs splayed at the front and back. The back legs
continue up to support a shoulder-height curved back.
Kneehole Desk: A desk with a recessed central cupboard.
Knife Edged: Loose or attached cushion treatments that use a single horizontal seam or welt in the middle
of the cushion's front edge.
Knit: A type of upholstery fabric that is made from polyester or nylon. It is knitted as opposed to woven and
is softer and stretchier than other fabrics.
Knob Turning: Term refers to a turning resembling a series of knobs and bosses.
Knocked Down (or KD): Furniture that is sold unassembled or partially assembled.
Knot: In wood, the area where a branch or the limb of a tree appears on the face or edge of a piece, such as
knots commonly found in knotty pine furniture.
Lacche: Term is used in Italian to cover all painted decoration applied to furniture.
Lacquer: A hard, protective varnish that is applied as a topcoat to furniture.
Ladder-Back: Normally a country style of chair with a back that resembles a ladder.
Lamb's Wool: Elastic, soft, resilient wool bers, obtained from lambs when they are seven or eight months
old - the rst or virgin clipping from the animal. This lofty stock is used in better grades of fabrics.
Lambrequin: A short piece of hanging drapery, often imitated in metal or wood for decorative purposes
Laminate: Any thin material such as wood or plastic that's glued to the exterior of a cabinet or other
surface.
Lap: A joint of two pieces lapping over one another.
Latex: A natural foam from the rubber tree or a synthetic rubber. Latex is often used in premium foam
mattresses.
Lattice: An openwork decoration of crisscrossed wood, iron plate bars, etc. in a diagonal or square pattern.
Laurelling: A decorative feature using the laurel leaf motif as its basis.
Lawson: An overstued furniture style that has square seat cushions, short square or rectangular
backrests, and high rolled or squared arms. Variations of this style are often referred to as transitional.
Lay O: To brush an unloaded paintbrush across a wet painted surface to create a smooth as possible
nish.
Lazy Susan: Term refers to a revolving tray or stand, normally made of wood or metal.
Leather: The hide of an animal used in home furnishings.
Leather Finishing: After dyeing leather, the nishing may include waxing, buing, waterproong, etc.
Lectus: A style of daybed or reclining sofa featuring Roman inuences.
Library Storage: Drawers, trays, cabinets or racks designed to store cassettes, CD's or video tapes. They
often roll or slide out for easy accessibility.
Lifestyle: A term to describe an individual's expression of life. Lifestyle furniture pieces tend to be casual in
nature and simple in design.
Limewash: A nish that's made of slaked lime and water, which is used for whitening outside walls.
Liming: A technique of using liming wax to stain wood a whitish color.
Lincoln Rocker: An upholstered high back rocker that has an exposed wood frame and padded armrests.
Linen: A type of cloth that's made of ax, which is woven somewhat loosely, allowing more air through.
Linen is known for having a generally cool feel.
Linen-Press: A cupboard with shelves for storing linen and clothes.
Linenfold Panel: A decorative panel that's molded or carved to look like folded cloth.
Lingerie Chest: A tall narrow seven-drawer chest normally used for storing undergarments and lingerie.
Lining Paper: A special type of wallpaper that's used as a base for the decorative paper. Lining paper is
often used to cover cracks and other imperfections in a wall.
Linoleum: An all-natural ooring material made of linseed oil, cork dust, wood our, tree resins, ground
limestone and pigments.
Linters: Short cotton bers clinging to cotton seed after it has been ginned. Used for mattress lling.
Lodge: Traditionally a rustic house or inn that's located in a remote area such as the mountains of
Montana. The word has also become a decor term for a trend of furnishings and accessory items inspired
by the rustic elements and objects found in lodges.
Loft Bed: A raised bed like a bunk bed that has drawers or other case pieces such as a desk underneath
instead of an additional bed.
Log Furniture: Western and rustic style furnishings that are made out of actual wood logs.
Loo Table: A large Victorian card or games table.
Loop-Back: An oval chair back without arms.
Loose Cover: A throw or tted cover that goes over a sofa, chair, etc.
Loose Pillow-Back: A pillow treatment that can be removed from an upholstered piece of furniture.
Loper: A pullout arm used to support the hinged fall of a bureau.
Lotus: The conventionalized Egyptian water lily as found in classic ornamentation.
Louis XIII: Popular during the early 1600's. Louis XIII furniture pieces tend to have a straight line. Case
pieces are usually symmetrical and separated into two parts. Panels on cabinets have square panels and
have a broken pediment design. Favored details are twisted columns, turned legs, and balusters. The
prominent decorations are inlay, marquetry and intricate carvings. Ebony, walnut, and oak are the most
popular woods of Louis XIII pieces.
Louis XIV, XV and XVI: Classic French furniture designs ranging from the mid 1600's to the late 1700's.
These styles grew to be simpler and more rened. Louis XIV style is larger and more ornate. Louis XV is
simpler and features curved lines and some ornamentation. Louis XVI features geometric shapes, straight
lines and minimal ornamentation.
Louvered Doors: Doors that are made up of horizontal wooden slats.
Loveseat (or Love Seat): A smaller two-seat version of a sofa originally associated with the Queen Anne
style.
Low Relief: Term refers to shallow carving of the plane surface of any material.
Lowboy: A short chest or table with drawers normally set on short legs.
Lozenge: A diamond shaped decorative panel. Term comes from the Middle English word for stone.
Luggage Stitching: A sewing technique featuring two parallel rows of stitching.
Lunette: An ornament or mural decoration in the shape of a half moon.
Lurex: Fibers from nely slit aluminum lm covered in plastic. The luster of the yarn imitates gold and silver
threads.
Lyre Arm: A bow-shaped section of a piece of furniture resembling a harp.
Lyre Back: A chair with a back resembling a harp.
Lyre Motif: Representations of a harp-like instrument used on many French and English designs. The lyre is
used extensively in the chair backs and table supports of Duncan Phyfe.
Manchette: A small upholstered patch or cushion used on an armrest.
Mantel: The shelf above a replace. The term is also commonly used to refer to the decorative trim around
a replace opening.
Mantel Clock: A relatively small clock traditionally placed on a replace mantel or shelf. These clocks
were originally developed in France in the mid 18th Century.
Marbleizing (or Marbling): Decorative painting/nishing of a surface which is marble like in appearance.
Marlborough Legs: Heavy strait legs used in Chippendale designs and others.
Marquetry: Decorative patterns made of inlays, usually applied to veneered surfaces.
Married: A term referring to an item of furniture that has been made up from two or more associated
pieces, usually from the same period/style. Also, a term for upholstered furniture that's normally
manufactured in a particular fabric or leather (opposed to a custom or special order covering).
Marshall Unit: Coil springs inserted in separate pockets and joined together to form cushions.
Mat Board: A thick paperboard used to add dimension to framed artwork; available in a wide variety of
colors and textures.
Matchboarding: Form of cladding where long wooden boards are held together with tongueand-groove
joints.
Matelassé: A double-woven fabric with puckered surface eects.
Matte Finish: A nish that's more at than shiny.
Mattress: A piece of bedding to sleep on that conventionally consists of multiple layers of foams and bers
with a metal innerspring unit to provide support. Mattresses are usually used along with a box-spring or
foundation unit to support the mattress and reduce wear. Many of today's better quality mattresses no
longer use innerspring units and are made entirely of latex or other types of foam products.
Mattress Pad: A protective pad used to cover a mattress to protect it from soiling.
MDF: Medium density berboard; made from compressed particles of wood and used in the construction
of furniture.
Medallion: A decorative plaque made of wood or metal.
Mediterranean: This style originated in counties of the North Mediterranean Sea, such as Spain, Greece
and Italy. Mediterranean has been popular since the 1500's and is often referred to today as Spanish
Modern. Mediterranean furniture ranges from simply functional to extremely formal. The style is
characterized by being built short and squat with ornately turned legs and feet. The hardware used is
usually heavy and often burnished. Primary woods used include pecan, chestnut, mahogany and walnut.
Mediterranean can often mix with contemporary, country and provincial pieces.
Mélange: Handmade pillow lace of silk which shows a combination of conventional Chantilly lace with
Spanish eects in the design.
Melon-Bulb: Term referring to the swollen member on legs or posts of furniture.
Memory Foam: Heat sensitive, polyurethane foam. Also referred to as viscoelastic or visco foam.
Memphis: A modern style of design from about 1950 to 1970 that is still considered by many as a stylish
fad. The Memphis style was created by a group of furniture and household accessory designers that were
known for erratic, avant garde, and anti-establishment styles. Popular characteristics of the Memphis style
include the use of bright colors, fantastic forms and intentional elements of bad taste.
Menuisier: Term corresponds roughly to an English carpenter or joiner. Term is pretty much obsolete
except in France to refer to a carpenter’s tool that we refer to as a planer.
Merino: The highest, nest and best wool. This ber is used only in the best of woolen and worsted fabrics,
billiard cloth, etc.
Micro Fleece: Lofty micro eece bers oer warmth without the weight. The fabric is velvety soft, ultralight
and breathable with unique thermal qualities. Commonly used for making throw blankets.
Microber: A fabric that's tightly woven from a very ne poly thread and has a suede like nish. Microber
fabric is water repellent due to its construction process and when specially treated it can also be
waterproof.
Mirror Stand: An adjustable mirror mounted on a shaft and tripod base, resembles a polescreen. Popular
at the end of the 18th Century.
Mission (or Mission Style): This style grew out of the English Arts and Crafts movement and was a direct
reaction against the ornate Victorian furniture styles of the time. Original Mission furniture was produced
between about 1895 to 1910. Its styling is rooted in Southern California. Mission has absolutely no
decoration and has a very sturdy simple construction. Desks, tables, and chairs are straight and legs are
attached with stretchers. Chair backs have a slat design. Seats are usually made of cane or solid wood.
Mission has a very utilitarian design and is almost always made of oak. Currently there is a resurgence of
popularity in this design. Its simple basic look blends well with Shaker and Danish pieces.
Miter Joint (or Mitered Corner): A diagonal joint formed at the intersection of two pieces of wood. For
example, the joint found at the side and head casing of a door opening is made at a 45-degree angle.
Modern (Moderne or Modernist): A clean streamlined furniture style of 20th Century with roots in the
German Bauhaus School of design and Scandinavian design. Sometimes referred to as International Style.
Modillion: An enriched block, or horizontal bracket, used in series under a Corinthian or Composite
cornice.
Modular: Furniture units that can be rearranged or stacked in dierent congurations.
Modular Seating: Seating units (usually upholstered), which are easily joined to or arranged with other
units to form dierent seating arrangements.
Mohair: The long, lustrous and strong hair of the Angora goat which is spun into yarns for knitting and
fabrics. Also called Angora.
Moiré: A fabric with a swirled pattern that resembles water patterns on silk.
Molding: Ornamental shaped strips that are applied to and project from a surface.
Monochrome: A single hue.
Morris Chair: An early twentieth Century Arts and Crafts style chair with an adjustable back, padded
wooden arms and loose seat and back cushions. Named after its inventor William Morris.
Mortise & Tenon: A slot cut into a piece of wood to receive a tenon of another piece of wood to form a
joint.
Mosaic Tiles: Colorful natural stone tiles, usually sold in squares.
Mother of Pearl: Inlay of nacreous shell slices, often used on early 19th Century American fancy chairs,
tables, mirrors, etc.
Motif: A decorative theme, component or element.
Motion Furniture: Reclining sofas, loveseats and chairs with mechanisms that allow the user to extend
their legs and, or, lean back. Find reclining furniture.
Mule Chest: A chest with drawers in the base, the forerunner of the chest-of-drawers.
Mullion: The vertical wood between window frames.
Muntons (Muntins, Muttons or Mutons): Dividers over glass panels in windows and china cabinets.
Muslin: A plain-woven cotton, typically used as the under layer on a piece of upholstered furniture, over
which the decorative upholstery material is mounted.
Nailheads: Decorative brass nails attaching fabric or leather to a frame, thereby outlining its design
elements. Nailhead trim is often applied along the arms and backs of upholstered pieces such as sofas.
Nap: A fabric with a texture or design that runs on one direction such as corduroy and velvet.
Natural Finish: A transparent nish that doesn't seriously alter the original grain or color of the natural
wood. Natural nishes are usually applied with oils, varnishes, and or similar materials.
Natural Grain Leather: A leather with an unaltered grain.
Neo-Classic (or Neoclassicism, Neoclassical Style): A design style that's elegant and simple, with
motifs borrowed from ancient Rome and Greece. This style was widely popular during late 1700's through
the 1800's and relates to the Sheraton, Hepplewhite, Empire and Federal periods.
Neo-Gothic: Revivals of aspects of Gothic detailing, which took place in the 1700's and 1800's. These
aspects included Gothic arches and tracery applied to rococo furniture. Later Neo-Gothic styles applied
Gothic ornamentation to neoclassical forms.
Nesting Tables: Tables of varying sizes stored one under the other, normally consisting of a set of three.
Neutral Color: Colors such as white, black, gray and tan, which easily blend with other colors.
Niche: A recess in a wall for displaying a sculpture or other accessory.
Niello: The traditional art of decorating metal plates by incising designs on them and ling incised lines
with alloy.
Night Stand: A small, low table or cabinet with drawers that sits by a bed.
Nubuck Leather: A top-grain, aniline dyed leather that's bued to create a soft nap. Nubuck leathers are
especially vulnerable to stains even if treated with a stain protection product. Not recommend for use
where spills are likely to occur.
Nulling: A projecting detail of a carved ornament, similar to gadrooning.
Nylon: A synthetic yarn derived from polymers. Nylon is famous for its excellent wearability.
Occasional Table: General term for small pieces of furniture such as coee and end tables.
Oice Chair: Any chair that's specically designed to be used in an oice environment such as a desk
chair or an oice guest chair. Term most commonly used to refer to swivel desk chairs with casters.
Ogee: A decorative S-shaped molding.
Ogee Bracket Foot: A foot commonly used on Chippendale case pieces, which features a double-curved
leg that wraps around two sides of the piece.
Olen: A synthetic ber derived from a hydrocarbon source. Olen is famous for its strength and stain
resistance.
Onlay: An ornament applied to the surface of wood or other materials.
Opaque: Applies to any material that does not allow light to pass through (i.e. nontransparent).
Open Stock: Individual pieces from a furniture grouping that are sold separately.
Organdy: Very light and thin, transparent, sti and wiry cotton cloth used in bedspreads, curtains, baby
bonnets, articial owers, etc.
Oriental Rug: Hand-tied Oriental rug made in India, the Near East, or China.
Ormulu: A metal resembling gold. Used as mounts and decorative eects on furniture.
Ottoman: A low upholstered footstool or seat without arms or back.
Outdoor Lighting: Term typically refers to any hardwired, low-voltage or solar powered lighting that is used
for illuminating outdoor areas such as walkways, patios, driveways, etc.
Oval-Back: The shape of a chair back that's often associated with Hepplewhite designs.
Overlay: A decorative trim piece applied to a at surface. Overstued Furniture: Upholstered pieces in
which the frame is completely and deeply covered by the upholstery with little or no exposed woodwork.
Ovolo: A continuous ornament in the form of an egg which generally decorates the molding called the
"quarter-round". Eggs are often separated from each other by pointed darts.
Oxbow (or Oxbow Front): The opposite of a serpentine-curve, they somewhat resemble the curve of an
oxbow and are used on the fronts of case pieces.
Pad Foot (or Club Foot): A simple foot treatment at the end of a cabriole or Queen Anne leg commonly
found on living room and dining room tables of these styles.
Pad Seat: Upholstered furniture built without springs.
Padding: Soft materials such as foam that's used between the frame and covering material of an
upholstered piece of furniture to create comfort and shape.
Palladian Style: Furniture styling based on designs from the mid 1500's Italian architect Andrea Palladio.
This furniture and decor style features very large and spectacular cornices, pediments and sculptural
decorations of scallop shells, eagles, acanthus leaves and other motifs. Windows and columns in this
style of decor still carry the Palladian name today.
Palladian Window: A large window divided into three parts consisting of an arched center section and two
smaller side sections.
Palmette: Term refers to a carved or painted ornament resembling a palm leaf.
Panel: Normally a thin at piece of wood or similar material, framed by rails and stiles as in a door, or tted
into grooves of a thicker material with molded edges for a decorative wall treatment.
Papier (or Paper Mache): Material that's made from paper pulp and molded into various products, which
is suitable to be painted and varnished when dry.
Parquet: Wood ooring that's usually laid in blocks with boards at angles to each other to form decorative
patterns.
Parquetry: Furniture that's inlaid with geometrical designs similar to parquet oors.
Parsons Leg: A relatively long fully upholstered leg, such as those found on a parsons dining room chair.
Parsons Table: A simple squared table with legs and apron of equal widths. The name is derived from the
Parsons School of Design where the table was developed during the 1950's.
Passementerie: Fancy decorative trimmings such as tassels, tiebacks and ribbon.
Pastel: A light, soft color.
Paterna: A dish link ornamentation often worked in bas-relief on a frieze.
Patina: A luster or sheen that develops with use over time, usually associated with ne antiques, vintage
furniture and leather furniture.
Patio Furniture: Furniture that is specically made and nished for outdoor use.
Pattern: The decorative or ornamental design of a fabric, veneers, etc.
Pattern Repeat: The interval between the repetitions of the same pattern.
Pedestal: The supporting base for a table, vase, sculpture, etc.
Pedestal Desk: A at desk, usually with a leather top, that stands on two banks of drawers. Pedestal
Table: A table that's supported by a single center base or column.
Pediment: An ornamental crest running across the top of tall piece such as a highboy chest, curio cabinet,
grandfather clock, etc.
Pegged Furniture: Early joined furniture constructed by a system of slots and tenons, held together by
dowels.
Pelmet: A wooden or fabric edging used to conceal the top edge of a curtain or blind.
Pembroke Table: A drop leaf table with leaves that almost drop to the oor. Named for Lady Pembroke.
Pencil Pleat: A tightly gathered drapery heading.
Pencil-Post Bed: A bed with four slender posts generally rising from six to eight feet in height. The design is
normally very simple with straight lines. These beds can be used alone or with a canopy.
Pendant: A hanging ornament, usually in a matched or parallel series.
Pennsylvania Dutch: Furniture style produced through the late 1600's to mid 1800's by
German families settled around New York and Pennsylvania. They were commonly miscalled Dutch for
"Deutsch". The styling is simple with a sense of rustic utilitarianism and is normally squared with minimal
rounding or turning. Decorations predominately include paintings of owers, fruit, animals, human motifs
and German script. Most popular woods were walnut, maple, fruitwoods and pine.
Percale: A nely woven cotton fabric that's usually used for bedding.
Persian Rug: A hand-tied Oriental rug made in Iran. Examples: Kirman, Kashan, Shiraz, Tabriz.
Pickling (or Pickled Finish): A term for a piece of wood that's been limed. Also a method of painting
furniture and then wiping o the paint before it has completely dried leaving some on the edges.
Picture Rail: A molding that runs along the top of the wall a short distance from the ceiling, from which
pictures are hung with hooks.
Pie Crust Table: A round occasional table on a three-legged pedestal base that features an ornamented
edging resembling a crimped piecrust.
Pier Glass: A large window height mirror suspended above a table between two windows.
Pier Group: Normally two tall, narrow chests (pier cabinets) which sit on either side of a bed that are
joined by a headboard assembly often consisting of a mirror, or shelves and light bridge.
Piercing: A cutout or carved decorative detail seen in chair splats and other furniture originating from the
1700's.
Pigment: A substance that gives color to paint, stain, dye, etc. Pigments are derived from both natural and
synthetic resources.
Pigmented Leather: A leather nished with a pigmented coating for consistency of color and texture.
Pigments may be used to cover imperfections in the hide, as well as to add protection to leather used for
furniture
Pilaster: A attened column-like detail applied to furniture such as bookcases, grandfather clocks, etc. to
serve as a support for a cornice or pediment.
Pilling: A condition that can aect textiles such as fabric and carpet. Pilling occurs when bers become
entangled with one another, creating hard masses of bers in the form of knotted tufts. Some materials can
be more prone to pilling than others.
Pillow Top Mattress: A mattress with extra foam and padding on top of the mattress. Better quality pillow
tops will have the pillow top on both sides of the mattress. There are also fake pillow tops that do not have
extra foam or padding.
Pinch Pleats (or French Pleats): Where individual drapery pleats are equally divided into smaller pleats
and sewn together at the bottom of the pinched pleats.
Pineapple: A carving detail commonly used on 19th Century furniture and home decor items (and today's
reproductions) as a symbol of hospitality. Found frequently on 19 Century bed posts.
Pinnacle: A carved ornament at the top or crest of a piece of furniture.
Piping (or Welting): A cord wrapped in fabric, which is used to trim upholstery seams and places where
the fabric meets with exposed wood.
Plaque: Term refers to a at, thin ornament, usually made of metal or porcelain and inserted into wood.
Platform Base: Three, or four, cornered at table bases supporting a central pedestal and standing on
scrolled or paw feet.
Platform Bed: A bed whose base consists of a raised, at horizontal surface meant to support a mattress.
Platform Foundation: Normally a mattress base made of wood with no metal wire.
Foundations are usually covered with a layer of foam and fabric to look like a box spring.
Plinth: The base of a chest or other furniture that rests on the oor, opposed to sitting on legs.
Plush: Fabric in a velvet weave with a long pile.
Plywood: Layers of wood attached in a cross grain method to assist in preventing the contraction and
swelling of wood surfaces from humidity changes in the air.
Pole Top: A channel running along the top of the curtain/drapery between the double sides of fabric that
allows for a pole or rod to be inserted along the top for hanging.
Poly Dacron Wrap: A cushion construction method in which a soft resilient polyester material is wrapped
around a polyurethane foam core. Poly Dacron wrapping is a feature commonly found in many of todays
upholstered furniture designs.
Polyester: A synthetic polymer derived ber that's often blended with other materials such as wool, cotton
and rayon. Polyester is famous for its durability and wrinkle resistance.
Polyester Batting: A synthetic ber wadded into rolls or sheets used for stuing furniture and mattresses.
Polyurethane Foam: A synthetic material used for cushions in upholstered furniture such as sofas and
chairs; better upholstered furniture uses high-density polyurethane foam.
Pop: Term meaning popular, used to describe design and artwork developed in the 1950's and 1960's that
drew its inspiration from commercial art such as product packaging, comic strips, etc. (think Andy Warhol).
Poppy-Head: The decorative nial of a bench or desk end as in ecclesiastical woodwork.
Portieres: Hinged metal curtain poles from which a curtain is hung to eliminate drafts. Find curtain rods
and hardware.
Post-Modernism: A reaction against Modernism that began during the 1950's and promoted the
reintroduction of bright colors and decorative components to furniture and home decor related designs.
Posturized: A word created and used by the bedding industry to describe additional support in the center
of a mattress or foundation unit.
Poudresse: A small table with a mirrored lid covering space for cosmetics.
Press: A broad, tall, enclosed, and doored structure comparable to a wardrobe.
Pressboard: A strong, high density board used for case backs, dust proong or as the underlying structural
base for veneers or vinyl wrap. Also known as composition board or particle board. Pressboard is
commonly used by even the best furniture manufacturer's today because of its proven strength and
stability.
Prie-Dieu Chair: A high-backed chair of Italian origin with a narrow shelf, rail or pad upon which the user
may rest his arms while kneeling in the seat.
Primary Colors: Three colors; red, yellow and blue.
Printing: Producing patterns and designs of one or more colors on fabric. Methods include Application
Printing, Block Printing, Blotch Printing, Direct Printing, etc.
Prints: A fabric with a pattern. The term is also applied to lithographed reproductions of original paintings,
drawings, etc.
Provincial: Furniture from the hinterlands inspired by designs from the major centers of a country, which
have been adapted to local tastes, materials and ways of living.
Pub Table: Term conventionally refers to a round table about 40" in height designed for small spaces and
intimate dining. It is common for people to also refer to pub tables as bistro tables.
Pull-Up Chair: Term refers to a small and light weight arm chair. Sometimes called an "occasional chair".
Pull-Up Leather: A full grain, aniline dyed leather that is oiled or waxed. When pulled, the oils or waxes
cause the coloring to migrate and become lighter in the pulled areas. A look commonly associated with
better quality leather furniture.
Pure Aniline Leather: A top-grain leather that's aniline dyed and receives no additional coloring. Also
called full aniline.
Quatrefoil: An ornamental gure, which is divided into four foils, leaves or lobes.
Queen Anne: The major furniture style/period of the 1700's, which is noted for being rich and innovative in
design. This design is elegant and characterized by graceful curved lines such as cabriole legs and broken
scroll pediments.
Queen Mattress: The mattress size between a full (or double) and a king. Queen mattresses measure
60"x80".
Quilt: A bed covering that is composed of two layers of fabric and a layer of batting in between.
Quirk: A narrow groove channel molding sometimes called a sunken llet.
Rabbet Joint: A joint used in furniture and home decor construction that's formed by tting together boards
into which rectangular grooves have been cut.
Ragging O: A paint eect caused by rubbing/wiping a painted surface with a rag or piece of leather.
Rail: The horizontal piece running across the top of a dining room chair back. Term also applies to the
horizontal piece in framing or paneling.
Rail Joints: The places where the horizontal members of an upholstered frame meet.
Railroaded: A fabric that's been applied with warp (length) running horizontally across the piece of
furniture and from front to back along the arms.
Rake: The angle or slant of a chair back or non-vertical furniture leg.
Rattan: A type of climbing palm with very long and tough stems that are often used in wickerwork.
Rayon: A synthetic ber that's derived from the cell wall of plants. Rayon is famous for its rich luster, pilling
resistance and absorption of dye colorings.
Ready-Made: Standard sized draperies that are factory-made.
Récamier: An elegant sofa or chaise popularized in the Victorian and Empire eras of furniture design. Often
called fainting couches.
Receding Colors: Colors that appear more distant, such as blue, gray or bluish-greens.
Recliner: A chair or rocker that reclines back.
Reclining Furniture: Furniture that has a mechanical system allowing the user to adjust into a reclining
position. Also called motion furniture.
Reeding: Basically the reverse of uting in which beaded lines are projected onto a surface. Commonly
used by Sheraton, Adam and Phyfe.
Refectory Table: A narrow long table design that was originally used in the dining rooms of religious orders.
It was later shortened in length and provided with underleaves.
Regal: Generically, a traditional furniture style characterized by majestic forms. Many especially European
furniture styles are further characterized by the name of the specic monarch or monarchical dynasty
during the style's time period, such as William and Mary and Tudor style furniture.
Régence Style: This furniture style spanned from about 1715 to 1723, when France was ruled by a regent.
This style of furniture design was a transition from massive straight lines to graceful curves.
Regency: Neoclassical style of British furniture popular during the rst half of the 1800's. This style
spawned adaptations and true reproductions of Greek and Roman furniture and coincided with Directoire
and Empire furniture styles in France.
Relief: Any sculptural ornamentation raised above its surface or background.
Renaissance Style: This furniture design movement began in Italy in the 13th Century and continued
through the 17th Century. It often features ornamentation inspired by Michelangelo and Raphael. The
furniture is true to the purpose of the piece and often incorporates mythological or biblical gures. Walnut
is often the wood of choice.
Rep: A plain-woven fabric that has a heavy ller thread, which creates a corded eect.
Reproduction: New furniture that's a copy of an antique style or period.
Republic: A variation of the Federal furniture style.
Resiliency: Term used to describe the property of foam, ber, fabric or a spring unit to spring back to its
original form.
Restorations: Antiques or collectibles that have been brought back to their original condition through
reconstruction, renishing, and/or the replacement of parts. Restoring a signicant piece can considerably
decrease its value, which is important to consider before doing, or when buying a piece of furniture that
may have been restored.
Retro: A contemporary retrospective view, which reinterprets some of the best-loved furniture looks from
the 1930's to 1980's. The mood of these pieces is playful and ironic. The classics have extra emotional
punch because you recognize such items as exaggerated Hollywood sofas, 1950's boomerang tables or
wacky 70's chairs.
Return: The piece of an L-shaped desk that is perpendicular to the main desk unit, which provides extra
working or computer space.
Revival: Reproductions of classic American furniture styles from the 1700's, although not always accurate
in detail. Revival pieces were popular from the late 1800's through the early 1900's. Also known as just
"Revival".
Ribbon-Back (or Ribband-Back): A chair with a back resembling entwined ribbon.
Ribbon Band: A narrow trim of fabric around the edge or base of a sofa, chair, pillow, drapery, etc.
Rice Carved Posters: Tall heavy bedposts that are carved with decorative details such as rice or tobacco
plants. They are symbolic of the wealth of plantation owners in northern Georgia and the Carolinas where
the style originated.
Rick-Rack: A waved braid used for trim.
Rietveld Style: In the early 20th Century, the Rietveld furniture style grew from the Dutch Arts and Crafts
movement with a strong Frank Lloyd Wright inuence. Machined forms and manmade materials gured in
this furniture style, which sought to preserve the integrity of Arts and Crafts while embracing the modern
world.
Rinceau: A classic ornamentation composed of intertwining stalks of acanthus or other foliage.
Rising Sun: When a fan shaped ornament is carved half-circle and the resulting spray of stalks suggest sun
rays.
Rocaille: An ornament style from the Rococo Period consisting of an abstract shell or leaf motif.
Rococo: A very elaborate style of European furniture design originating in France during the early 1700's.
Ornamentations imitated rockwork, shells, foliage and massed scrolls.
Rococo Revival: A very ornate Victorian furniture style originally popular in the mid 1800's, which is best
known for elaborately carved rosewood parlor furniture, balloon-backed chairs and triple-crested sofas.
Rod Pocket: The hollow space in the top or bottom of a curtain through which the rod is inserted.
Roll-Together: The result of a worn-out or defective mattress that sags in the center, which causes your
body to want to roll towards the center.
Roll-Top Desk: A desk with a slatted panel front that rolls down to hide its writing surface.
Rolled Arms: Arms appearing to have ruled eect that are out and down, and return to meet the sides of
a sofa or chair.
Roman Shade: A tailored fabric window shade that folds sideways.
Romanesque: Early medieval furniture with crude Roman inuences. Characterized by arches and curves,
simple geometric arrangements, coarsely rendered animal and plant forms, and painted in decorative
hues. Found throughout Europe, the Romanesque style preceded Gothic and Renaissance furniture styles.
Romayne: Term refers to a Renaissance ornamentation that featured human heads on medallions.
Rosemaling: A Scandinavian/Norwegian folk art rose painting.
Rosette: An ornament resembling a rose. A painted or sculptured architectural ornament with parts
circularly arranged like rows of leaves in a circle around a bud.
Roundabout Chair: A corner chair with a triangular front and usually a circular back.
Roundel: Circular ornament enclosing sundry formal devices on medieval and later woodwork. Ruching: A
narrow gathered/pleated strip of decorative fabric.
Ruled Pleat (Sheer Pleat): A skirt treatment in which fabric is gathered to achieve a ruled eect.
Rug: A thick, heavy fabric usually with pile and commonly made of wool, mohair, synthetic, nylon or
mixtures.
Rule Joint: A knuckle joint as between a table top and drop leaf that leaves no open space when the leaf is
down.
Runner: A rocking chairs curved rocker, the piece that allows the chair to rock.
Rush Seat: A seat that's woven with a series of rushes. Used in America since the earliest times, generally
on simple furniture.
Rush Seat Chair: Traditionally a rustic American or French chair with woven rush seats.
Russian Style: The Russian furniture style is a blending of styles from throughout Europe. The production
of metal furniture can be considered a purely "Russian" phenomenon since the production of metal
furniture was not found elsewhere in Europe at the time.
Saber Leg: Term describes a sharply curving leg in the classical style; also commonly called a scroll-
shaped leg. Sabre legs are generally reeded.
Sabot: A French term for the gilt-bronze "shoe" at the bottom of furniture legs.
Saddle Seat: A wooden chair seat which has been hollowed to the sides and back to resemble the
pommel of a saddle.
Saltire: A straight, X-shaped stretcher used on chairs or tables.
Sateen: A cotton fabric that's made to mimic satin with a smooth silky nish on one side.
Sauvage: A two-toned or contrasting color eect applied to leather furniture.
Sawbuck Table: A table with an X-shaped frame either plain or scrolled.
Scale: The size of an object, or comparisons between a drawing size and the actual size of a piece.
Scallop: A curved case piece ornamentation, commonly in the shape of a scallops shell.
Scandinavian: At the 1930 Stockholm Exhibition and the 1939 World's Fair in New York, the larger world
was rst exposed to the simple, clean, and lightweight forms of Scandinavian furniture. Quality craft
combined with mass production where appropriate are hallmarks of the style. Bent plywood is a
commonly used material.
Scatter-Back Sofa: A sofa with back loose back cushions that can be rearranged.
Sconce: A light xture xed on a wall. Commonly sconces are tall and narrow and are often made to hold a
candle.
Scoop Seat: A wooden chair seat that has been hollowed out to t the body.
Scotchgard: Registered Trademark of the 3M Company for fabric protector that repels against staining
from water and spills.
Scroll: Scrolls are the supportive and decorative members shaped like a scroll or curl which are connected
to posts, rails, and each other on many brass (especially traditional) headboards and footboards.
Scroll Foot: A foot in the form of a spiral line. It is not fully articulated with part above it.
Seat Rail: The framework that supports the seat of a chair and holds the legs together.
Secondary Color: Orange, green, and violet are secondary colors.
Secrétaire à Abattant: A type of writing cabinet with a fall front and resting on a chest-ofdrawers or small
cupboard.
Secretary (or Secrétaire): A drop-leaf desk normally sitting on a base of drawers, usually with slots and
cubbyholes for organizing papers.
Sectional: Similar to a sofa but in several sections. Sectionals may be curved or straight and have two, one
or no arms. The sections may be used in combination or in some cases separately.
Seersucker: A lightweight textile with a puckered surface and striped pattern.
Segmental: A less than semi-circular, unbroken pediment with an abruptly ending curve.
Seignorail Chair: An imposing highback chair for the master of a house.
Self-Deck: To cover the frame area of an upholstered piece of furniture beneath the seat cushions with the
same fabric as the body as opposed to using a muslin or other neutral fabric.
Normally seen only on better furniture.
Self Storing Leaves: Leaves that store within an extension table.
Selvage: Finished sides of a lengthwise grain that prevents raveling.
Semenier: A tall narrow seven-drawer chest, the term is often used in reference to a lingerie or similar type
of chest.
Semi-Aniline Leather: A top grain leather that is aniline dyed and coated with matching pigment and, or,
other topical nishes to add protection and even out the color. Also commonly referred to as aniline-plus
or protected aniline.
Semi-Attached Back: Back cushions that are attached with a zipper or seam to the inside back of a piece
of upholstered furniture such as a sofa or chair.
Serpentine: Two curves reminiscent of a serpent's movement; commonly found on fronts or tops of case
pieces.
Serpentine Front: A waving curve on the front of a desk or chest.
Serrated: A saw tooth or zig-zag ornament that is one form of a notched dentil.
Serving Table: A long narrow table with drawers for items such as silver and linens.
Settee: A long seat or bench with a back and arms that can seat two or more people, originally popular in
the 1600's.
Set-Back Arm: An arm that is set back from the front edge of the seat.
Settle: A wooden bench with a high back and solid arms, often featuring drawers or a hinged seat that
covers storage space, originally brought to America by the pilgrims.
Shaker: A simplistic furniture design including features such as straight, tapered legs, and woven-strap
chair seats. Style originated in the mid 1770's from an American religious sect (Shakers). The Shaker style
is renowned for exceptional design and craftsmanship combined with functionality and beauty.
Sham: Historically a cover that lay on top of a pillow, today the sham is a decorative cover that fully
encases the pillow.
Sheaf-Back Chairs: Chairs with spindled backs that come together in the middle-back through a piece of
wood and are out again to the bottom of the chair; the style resembles a sheaf of wheat.
Sheet Set: Sheet sets include at and tted sheets, standard pillowcase pair. Twin has one pillowcase,
king and California king have king size pillowcases.
Shellac: A resinous varnish obtained from the lac insect and used in japanning.
Sheraton: A formal style of design that developed from Hepplewhite. Sheraton features include delicate
straight lines, tapered legs that are usually turned opposed to being square and skilled inlay and veneer
work.
Shield Back: A chair with a back shaped like a shield.
Shirring: A method of gathering wide fabric along both long sides to create a soft eect. Often used to
emphasize the curve of a sofa or other upholstered piece.
Shoe: A projecting piece rising from the back rail of a chair seat into which the base of the splat is xed.
Shoji Screen: A freestanding Oriental style screen, often used as a room divider.
Shutter: Typically a louvered or ush wood or vinyl frame in the shape of a door placed at each side of a
window. Shutters are made and used for many purposes including protecting windows from storms,
ltering or obscuring light, and for nonfunctional decorative accents.
Side Chair: Term normally used to refer to an armless dining chair or a small-scale, armless chair designed
to stand against a wall when not in use.
Sideboard: A serving piece with drawers and, or, open shelves for displaying plates, crystal, silver, etc.
Silk: A natural ber derived from the silk worm. Silk is famous for being soft, smooth and lustrous. Hence
the saying, "smooth as silk".
Sinuous Springs: Also known an "S coils" and "Zigzag wire". Sinuous springs are used in place of coil spring
units in upholstered pieces such as sofas.
Sisal: A natural, durable ber that's frequently used in rugs.
Size (Sizing): A solution used as a nisher for fabrics, which stiens the surface and helps protect against
wear.
Skirt: A piece of fabric at the bottom of a sofa, loveseat or chair that hangs in a way resembling a woman's
skirt. On case-goods the term refers to the panel connecting the surface and legs of a table or chair.
Slant-Front Desk: A frame or chest of drawers with a top section as an enclosed desk for writing, with the
hinged lid sloping at a 45 degree angle when closed.
Slat Back: An early American chair incorporating horizontal slats.
Slats: Wooden boards used as the bottom structure to support box spring units within their frames. Also
used in headboard and footboard sets with wood rails and in bunk beds to support the mattress in place of
a box spring. Slats can also be used as a feature in furniture construction. Slatted construction is
commonly seen in mission and arts and crafts furnishings.
Sleeper (or Hide-A-Bed): A sofa, loveseat, or chair that converts into a bed. Also available in some
sectionals.
Sleepy Hallow Chair: A large upholstered chair with a hollowed seat, high back and solid low arms.
Sleigh Bed: An American adaptation of a popular French Empire design. Sleigh beds have a high scrolled
headboard and footboard resembling the front of a sleigh.
Slip Match: An eect produced by slipping sheets of veneer side-by-side to form patterns, such as
diamond, sunburst, herringbone and checkerboard.
Slip Seat: A removable upholstered chair seat.
Slipcover: A fabric cover used on cushions, or on complete upholstered pieces such as sofas and chairs.
Slipper Chair: A low armless upholstered chair, often featuring a skirt.
Slub: An uneven section in a yarn which gives fabric a rough texture.
Sofa: A long upholstered seating piece with a back and arms, which can seat three or more people.
Sofa Table: A table normally used behind a sofa or loveseat that has been positioned away from the wall or
that's in the middle of a room.
Soft Wood: Wood from a conifer trees such as pine and cedar.
Southwestern: Contemporary style which is highly inuenced by Native American Indian traditions. Light-
colored woods, light and bright color palettes, rich patterns and desert scenery characterize the style.
Spade Foot: A tapered to the base leg design, usually found in Hepplewhite styles.
Spandrel: An arch bounded by a horizontal and vertical frame such as was used by Sheraton in some chair
backs.
Spanish Renaissance: Style during the 1500's to 1700's, which had a huge Moorish inuence.
Decoration relies heavily on patterns that have elaborate geometric carving. Spanish
Renaissance pieces often have decorative metal accents and brass nails. Familiar upholstery is red and
green leather. Chairs and tables can have iron or heavy wood stretchers. Spanish Renaissance blends well
with other Renaissance furniture, as the favored woods were walnut, oak, and cedar.
Spattering: Painting eect created by icking a brush with wet paint.
Spindle: A slender turned and shaped column, which often swells out in the lower half and is usually used
in rows such as the back of a Windsor chair.
Spinet Desk: A writing desk that was designed using a musical instrument of the colonial period. After the
instrument wore out, the keyboard was removed and the cabinet was modied to be used as a writing
desk.
Spiral Leg: A leg that's carved, or turned, into the shape of a rope twist or spiral.
Spiral Turning: A column twisted like strands or laments of rope.
Spiral Wave: A series of turning, wave-like scrolls used as decoration.
Spiral Welt: A decorative welting trim that features one or multiple colors arranged in a spiral pattern.
Splat: A at, vertical piece in the middle of an open chair back, which is often carved or ornamented.
Splayed: A pitched spread or slant; a surface canted outward, beveled or angled.
Splayed Leg: A leg that slants outward from a piece of furniture.
Splint Seat: A seat made of oak or hickory strips interlaced. Used in country furniture throughout the 18th
Century.
Split-Back Sofa: A sofa that's made with vertical seamed indentations in the back, which usually divides
the surface in three.
Split Leather: The bottom layers of the hide, which have been split from the top-grain leather and then
pigmented or sueded.
Split Queen Box: Two queen size foundation units that measure 30"x80" each. Designed to accommodate
the passage of a single-piece foundation.
Spool Bead: A continuous turning having the form of a series of connected beads.
Spoon Back (or Spooning): A curved chair back designed to t the sitter's form. Common on Queen Anne
chairs.
Spring Down: A type of cushion constructed of coil springs, which are wrapped in polyurethane and
covered with down batting.
Spring Edge: An upholstered seats front edge that's supported by springs rather than the frame.
Springs: The most commonly used springs for upholstered furniture are coil springs and sinuous springs.
Squab Cushion: A loose at cushion on the seat of a chair.
Square Leg: A four sided leg of equal dimensions on all sides (resembling a fence post) that supports a
piece of furniture such as a coee table or dining table.
Stacking: The wall or window area that's required for draperies when they are completely opened.
Staining: The step in the nishing process where coloring (stain) is applied to a piece of wood furniture.
Stamps: Various names and letters are often found stamped on French furniture made in the 18th Century
or later. These stamps are an important means of identifying the makers of individual pieces of furniture.
Steam Bend: A method of bending a single piece of wood (bowback chair, bowed splat, etc.) into a
furniture part.
Stenciling: Method of creating patterns by covering an area of a surface and applying color to the
uncovered area.
Stereo Cabinet: A cabinet used for housing stereo components and related media such as a CD player,
AM/FM stereo receiver, audio CDs and related items.
Stickley: Furniture designed and built by Gustav Stickley who pioneered the American Arts and Crafts
movement, also known as Mission style, which is known for clean straight lines and durability.
Straight-Back Sofa: A sofa style with the back top being straight, narrow arms extend forward. Some
variations have set-back arms and T-cushions for the seat.
Strapwork: A narrow band folded, crossed, and sometimes interlaced. Also an ornament consisting of a
narrow band in convolutions similar to those of a leather strap thrown at hazard.
Straw-Work: Method of decorating furniture in the 17th Century with tiny strips of bleached and colored
straws to form landscapes, geometrical patterns, etc.
Stretcher: A horizontal brace in an H or X shape connecting the legs of a table or chair. Often decorated
with carving or turning.
Stripping: Removing the old surface or nish from a piece of furniture.
Student Desk: The term normally applies to a small pedestal type of desk or smaller writing table
constructed for use by a child or teenager in their bedroom. In most cases these desks are a bit shorter in
height than conventional adult desks. Student desks are most commonly made of wood or metal.
Style: The decorative design of an object, room, home, etc.
Suede: A leather that's produced from a fresh split hide, which has a velvet like nap.
Suite: A complete matched set of furniture, such as a bedroom suite.
Suspension: The combination of components such as coils and foam in an upholstered piece of furniture
that provide the support and comfort for the seating and back areas.
Sussex Chair: A chair with an ash frame and rush seat, based on a traditional country design.
Swag: A fabric that's draped in a looped garland eect or any imitation of the same.
Swan-Neck Handle: A curved handle popular in the 1700's.
Swing Leg: A hinged table leg (as in a gate leg) which swings out to support a drop leaf.
Swivel Chair: A chair that swivels, such as a swivel oice chair or swivel recliner.
Symmetrical: A formal, mirror-image balance in design or decorating.
Table Ambulante: A French term for a small, portable occasional table.
Table Lamp: A freestanding lamp designed to be placed on a surface such as an end table or nightstand.
Table Runner: A narrow decorative strip of fabric running down the middle of a dining table.
Tabouret: A stool or small seat that can also be used as a stand.
Taeta: A ne plain-woven fabric that's smooth on both sides.
Tailored Upholstery: A furniture frame which has fabric tted and permanently attached.
Tallboy: A tall chest with a larger chest of drawers that supports a slightly smaller chest.
Tambour Desk: A roll-top desk's exible draw-down cover made of "tambours," which is made up of a
succession of narrow strips of at wood glued to a sti backing such as canvas.
Tape Edge: The cord-like seam that is stitched around the perimeter of a mattress to join its tops and sides.
Find a mattress.
Tapered Leg: A leg that becomes incrementally smaller towards the bottom.
Tapestry: Traditionally a "heavy" woven fabric featuring decorative designs or pictures to be hung on a wall.
Today, the term commonly refers to highly decorative fabrics with a woven design.
Tavern Table: A small, sturdy rectangular table on four legs, usually braced by stretchers.
Generally features a drawer or two in the apron. Commonly used in taverns of the 18th Century.
Tea Table: A small portable table, which is frequently used in place of a coee table. Traditionally the top
has raised edges like a tray and side pullouts for candles.
Teapoy: A small piece of freestanding furniture designed for holding tea.
Tee Cushion (or T-Cushion): A loose seat cushion with the outside front edges extending laterally in front
of the arm of an upholstered piece.
Teen Bedding: Bedding such as comforters and sheets designed in themes that are generally less elegant
or as expensive as adult bedding sets, yet not childish like children's bedding.
Tertiary Color: Color created by mixing of two secondary colors.
Tester: A wooden frame for supporting draperies or a canopy at the top of a poster bed.
Therm Leg: Term refers to a square or four cornered tapered leg used on chairs or tables.
Three-Way Switch: A type of switch commonly found on lamps that allows three dierent degrees or
levels of light.
Throw: A lightweight fabric item meant to be used as a light blanket or as a decorative element commonly
placed at the foot of a bed or draped over the back of a sofa. Throws usually measure about 64" x 72" in
size.
Throw Pillow: A small, decorative type of pillow usually placed on couches or armchairs. Throw pillows
also come in various sizes and shapes.
Thrown Chair: A chair constructed from turned pieces of wood.
Thumbpiece: A ange attached to a hinged lid, which when pressed by the thumb raises the lid.
Tieback: A decorative fabric, cord or metal hook used to hold a drapery open.
Tight-Back Sofa: A sofa with a back that is totally smooth with no indentations
Tight Seat: Upholstered furniture which has the fabric pulled directly over the springs, with layer of padding
in between, and padding over the springs.
Tilt Top: A small occasional table with a hinged top that can stand vertically when not in use.
Toile (Toile De Jouy): A plain-woven cotton fabric printed with a repeat pattern of country settings,
animals, people or other objects printed on a solid background of one color in another color.
Tongue & Groove (or Matching): Wood pieces that join on edge with a groove in one piece and a
corresponding tongue on the other to interlock. Commonly used on furniture doors for example.
Top Grain Leather: The uppermost layer of a hide, which is the highest quality part of the hide and the most
preferred for leather upholstery.
Torchiere Lamp: A oor lamp that directs light upward from a reective bowl or inverted cone shade.
Traditional: Traditionally styled furniture is available in both original antique pieces and quality
reproductions. This type of furniture usually follows a particular period style such as Georgian, Tudor,
Regency or Louis XV.
Traic Pattern: The ow or direction in which people move through a room.
Trail: Undulating bands of formal looking leaf, berry or oral patterns.
Transitional: A style of design that blends inuences from various style categories.
Traverse Drapery: A drapery that opens or closes across a window by means of the traverse rod from
which it is hung.
Tree-Of-Life: Term refers to a carved tree or vine design with fruit and often birds or animals in foliage.
Trefoil: A three-leaved or three-cusped ornament usually contained within a circle.
Trespolo: Elegant three-legged tables usually designed to stand against a wall.
Trestle: A braced frame, forming the whole support for a table top.
Trestle Table: A long narrow table with two T-shaped uprights that are joined by a single stretcher for
added support.
Tri-fold Mirror (or Tri-View): A mirror that sits on or hangs above a dresser and features a center mirror
panel and two mirrored side panels that produce three images of the person looking in the mirror.
Trim: Decorative elements such as fringe on an accent pillow or moldings on a bookcase.
Tripod: A small table or stand with a round top supported by a three-legged pillar, originally made for
serving tea. Adam and Chippendale favored it.
Triptych: A large three-part hinged mirror, panel, or screen.
Trivet: Traditionally a three legged stand or small table that normally anked a replace. Term today often
refers to a wall decoration or accessory for placing a hot dish on a table.
Trompe l'oeil: French term meaning "fool the eye". Trompe l'oeil is usually a two-dimensional painting
designed to look like a three-dimensional object or scenery.
Trumpet Leg: A leg that's shaped like a trumpet and having its characteristic ared prole.
Trundle Bed: A low bed that can be rolled under another bed for storage when not in use.
Trunk: Commonly a rectangular container like open chest with a hinged top for holding clothes or other
personal belongings. Trunks are commonly used for extended periods away from home such as a long trip
abroad. However, they can also be used for home decorating in entryways, as coee tables, etc.
Tuckaway Table: A hinged leaf gate-leg table with cross legs which fold into each other as compactly as if
tucked away.
Tudor-Elizabethan: This phase of the English renaissance covered the 1500's on up to about 1603.
Furniture shapes are straight and sti (like Gothic), and feature elaborate carving and decoration. All pieces
of this style are massive and normally constructed of oak. All chairs, tables, and cabinets of this style
feature sturdy underbracing.
Tudor Rose: A decorative motif compounded of the white rose and red rose.
Tufting & Buttoning: A method of securing the lling of an upholstered piece of furniture by pulling stitches
through the material and securing them to the frame. The evenly spaced tufting is then nished with
buttons, which are usually upholstered.
Tulip: A decorative design in the shape of a tulip that's carved or painted on American furniture, especially
Shaker.
Turning: The lathing to shape table and chair legs, etc.
Tuxedo: A sofa or chair design with a square frame created by the arm and back rests being equal in height.
Tuxedo Arms: Arms found on upholstered pieces that are slightly ared and are the same height as the
back.
TV Armoire: An entertainment center made to hold a TV in the style of an armoire.
TV Stand: A small, low cabinet used to set a TV on. TV stands often have shelves or doors for additional
storage.
Twill: A fabric that is diagonally ribbed, therefore a strong weave.
Twin Bed: A bed made for one person, sometimes called a single. Twin mattresses measure 38"x75".
Twin Extra Long: A twin mattress that measures 38"x80".
Under-Drapery: A lightweight, usually a sheer drapery that hangs behind the heavier overdrapery.
Unnished Furniture: Furniture made from wood that hasn't been treated with any type of nish, which
allows the buyer to stain or nish the furniture to their particular taste.
Upholstery: Furniture such as sofas and chairs covered in fabric, vinyl, leather or other materials.
Uprights: The outer vertical posts of a chair.
Urethane Foam (Polyurethane): Flexible polyurethane foam is used as a cushioning material in
upholstered furniture seats, backs and arms. For seat cushioning, foams that have a density of 1.8 pounds
per cubic foot or higher oer the best support and durability.
Urn: Term refers to a vase shaped decorative ornament, commonly found as the nial of a broken
pediment.
Valance: A horizontal feature used as a header for draperies, which can be made of fabric, wood, metal or
other materials.
Value: The lightness or darkness of a color.
Vanity: The countertop and cabinet used to support a sink in a bathroom.
Vanity Table: Normally a small table with a drawer and mirror for use in a woman's or girl's bedroom for
doing their hair, applying makeup, etc.
Vargueno: A fall or drop front desk of Spanish origin. Popular in the 16th and 17 Centuries.
Vase: A decorative container of urn, commonly used for owers.
Vasselier: A traditional French style china cupboard/hutch and buet.
Vegetable Dye: Dye colors that are derived from the natural pigments of plants and botanical products.
Velvet: A luxurious fabric that is soft in texture and features a thick pile.
Veneer: Thin sheets of wood applied to a furniture surface to create decorative inlay patterns of wood
grain.
Venetian Blind: A window treatment consisting of a series of horizontal slats that can be turned or raised
to control light or privacy.
Verdigris: A greenish blue patina that forms on copper, brass, or bronze surfaces. Faux verdigris (or verdi)
nishes area common on the metal work of coee tables, etc.
Vertically Run: A fabric that's been applied with the warp threads (bolt length) running top to bottom over
the furniture's back, front and arms.
Victorian: A furniture style named after England's Queen Victoria, which was very popular through the
latter half of the 1800's. Victorian furniture was usually constructed of mahogany, walnut and rosewood in
dark nishes, which were often highlighted with elaborate carved oral designs. Common elements of this
style include oval chair backs and marble tops on tables and dressers.
Vinyl Wrap: Flexible vinyl wrapping applied to underlying wood solids or particleboard to produce a
surface that most often resembles wood.
Vis-A-Vis: A tete-a-tete chair in which two sitters face oppositely.
Viscoelastic Foam: Heat sensitive, polyurethane foam. Often referred to as visco or memory foam.
Vitrine: A china or curio cabinet with a glass-front for displaying collectibles or other ne pieces.
Voile: A sheer lightweight fabric used to make sheets, pillows, shams, duvet covers, and draperies for
canopy beds.
Volute: A spiral, scroll-like ornament on Iconic and Corinthian capitals.
Wabi-Sabi: Representing a Japanese worldview, it's a style of perceiving art and beauty that pervades all
things imperfect, impermanent and incomplete.
Wainscot Chair: An Elizabethan oak chair with a back that's paneled like wainscoting on a wall. These
chairs are quite massive and ornately carved with strap work.
Wainscoting: An application of wood molding up to the middle or lower half of a wall.
Wall Clock: Any type of clock that's made specically for hanging on a wall.
Wall Mirror: Any type of mirror that's designed to be hung on a wall.
Wall Sculpture: A decorative wall hanging made from any material including wood, metal and synthetic
materials.
Wall Units: Large free-standing or wall hung units which can have drawers, shelves, cabinets, desks,
entertainment centers or other features.
Wallpaper: A decorative material which is used to cover and decorate the interior walls of homes, oices
and other buildings. Wallpaper is usually sold in rolls and is put onto a wall using wallpaper paste.
Wardrobe: A tall upright cabinet with a door or doors. Designed for storing clothing.
Warp (or Weft): The yarns running lengthwise in a piece of fabric, i.e., perpendicular to the woof (or welt).
Wash Stand: A cupboard or chest of drawers on four legs with a basin sunk into the top. These were
specially adapted for bedroom use after 1750.
Waterfall Skirt: A skirt on an upholstered piece of furniture that falls from the top of the base below the
cushion line to the oor without interruption.
Webbing: Interwoven strips of material attached to a frame; used for support in upholstery pieces in place
of traditional spring systems.
Wellington Chest: A tall, narrow, relatively plain type of chest named after the Duke of Wellington.
Welsh Cupboard: A cabinet with a large enclosed storage base and upper area with open shelves.
Welting (or Piping): A cord wrapped in fabric, which is used to trim upholstery seams and places where
the fabric meets with exposed wood.
What-Not: A mobile stand/cart with open shelves. In use after 1800 for books, decorative accents, etc.
Wheat: Term refers to carved ornamentations representing three ears of wheat. This motif was extensively
used by Hepplewhite.
Wicker Furniture: Furniture woven from materials such as willow, reed, and rattan.
William & Mary: This style is named after the 17th Century English King and Queen. This style came to
America in the early 1700's. Common pieces of this style included high-backed upholstered armchairs,
highboys, lowboys, etc. The elements of this design include features such as curved lines, marquetry, bun
or ball feet, inlay and oriental lacquer-work.
Williamsburg Style: A style of decor inspired by the early colonial settlement of Williamsburg, Virginia.
Windsor Chair: A style of wooden chair originating in the early 1700's, which is still very popular today that
features a spindle back shaped in fans, hoops or combs. This style was named for Windsor Castle but
gained true popularity in America. Woods used included birch, pine, hickory, ash, maple and oak.
Wine Rack: A rack for storing bottles of wine. Wine racks can vary in size from a small rack used on a
kitchen counter to something as large as a big bookcase.
Wine Table: Traditionally a horseshoe shaped serving table for serving wine and hor d'oeuvres.
Wing Chair (Wing-Back Chair): A high backed upholstered chair featuring rolled arms and wing shaped
protrusions that extend over the arms at the head level. Introduced in America around the early 1700's.
Woof: The yarns running crosswise on a piece of woven fabric that interlace with the warp (or weft).
Worm Holes: Small holes found in wood, considered a defect in many instances and a character-providing
element in others such as rustic furniture pieces.
Wrap Group: Bedroom furniture that's usually designed for children's bedrooms to go against the walls so
it can wrap around a room. Wrap groups often include small chests, dressers, student desks and hutches.
They make a great use of limited space and provide a lot of storage.
Writing Desk: A smaller sized desk or table commonly used for personal use such as writing letters or
paying bills.
X-Chair: An "X" shaped folding chair. X-chairs date back to ancient Egypt, Rome and the Middle Ages.
X-Stretcher: A crossed stretcher at the bottom of a chair or table.
Yorkshire Chair: An oak chair featuring turned front legs and stretchers. Native of Yorkshire, England during
the 17th Century.
Yorkshire Dresser: A dresser or cupboard, of oak or deal with a low back.
Zenana: Furniture that was reserved for the part of a home in which women and girls were secluded in
ancient Persia.
Zigzag: A molding or stitching with a series of frequent sharp turns from side to side.
