Glossary of Furniture Terms

Jump to the first letter of the term: A  /  B  /  C  /  D  /  E  /  F  /  G  /  H  /  I  /  L  /  M  /  N  /  O  /  P  /  R  /  S  /  T  /  V  /  W Apron - part connecting legs; directly under table tops, chair seats, cabinet bases. Also called "skirt." Armoire - from the French, a cabinet originally used for storage of armor; now a tall wardrobe, often painted or carved. ↑ Back to Top Bachelor's Chest - small scale chest with drawers or doors. Bail - reverse arch handle or drawer pull hanging downward from pins attached to a backplate. Bambook Turning - a wood turning to simulate natural bamboo that originated during the 18th Century. Beading - classic ornamentation using small, half-round molding. Bentwood - wood softened by steam for bending into curved shapes. Bergére - a French armchair with closed upholstered sides and back. Bombé - a surface that swells outward; typical of French chests and commodes of Louis XV. Bouile - a French cabinetmaker who developed a special inlay technique called Boulle Work, utilizing tortoise shell, silver, brass or pewter. A sheet of metal and a sheet of tortoise were glued together, and a design was cut out of both at the same time. The cut-out piece of one material was then reinserted into a corresponding opening in the other material. Bracket Foot - right angled foot, with each inner end curved. Buffet - French term that refers to a sideboard for china, silver, linens, with a top surface used as serving counter. Bunching - Furniture pieces that fit flush with each other to create unified wall arrangements. Bun Foot - a foot that resembles a slightly flattened ball. Bureau - low chest of drawers usually for a bedroom, often with a mirror, originally a desk or table with drawers. Burl - beautiful mottled veneer, produced by slicing cross-section of abnormal tree growths. ↑ Back to Top Cabinet Wood - fine quality wood that is used for exterior surfaces Cabriole Leg - an S-shaped curve, bowing out at the knee and in at the ankle. Campaign Chair - from British chairs used by officers, a sling seat supported by a collapsible scissor structure. Campaign Chest - from originals used on fields of battle, a fairly low, small chest with metal corners and flush hardware. Canted - a piece with an oblique surface, slanting backward at the sides from the central section. Casegoods - non-upholstered furniture such as tables, dressers and bookcases. Chest-on-Chest - a chest of drawers in two sections, usually a smaller one on top. Cheval Mirror - free-standing mirror swung between footed posts. Claw-and-Ball Foot - a bird or dragon claw grasping a ball. Club Foot - a flat, round pad, usually at the bottom of a cabriole leg; also known as a spoon or pad foot. Cocktail Table - a short-legged table usually positioned in front of a sofa or within an arrangement of chairs and a sofa or loveseat. Commode - a low, small chest, usually with drawers or doors. Corestock (or Core) - the center layer of a veneered wood. Credenza - in the home office, a long piece used behind the desk with a knee hole space; often used for a computer and monitor. Crossband - layer of wood between the core and the face ply of a veneer. Its grain is at right angles to the grain of the face ply in order to strengthen the veneer. ↑ Back to Top Deck - the surface directly under the cushions of an upholstered chair or sofa. Director's Chair - named for its long use by Hollywood directors, a folding armchair with sling seat and back. Distressing - a treatment sometimes called antiquing, designed to make new woods look old by means of markings. Drape - the way a fabric hangs; this influences its ability to shape well, particularly in an upholstery skirt. Drawer Guide - strip of wood, plastic or metal under a drawer that serves as a guiding track for opening and closing. Dresser - from the French term, dressoir, originally a table used to dress meats that evolved into a cupboard for utensils and dishes. In the United States, the word describes a chest of drawers with a mirror. Dry Sink - a low, Early American two-door cupboard with a sink or with an open top lined with zinc or copper. Etagére - from the French, a series of open shelves for displaying books or objects. Egg-and-Dart - a classic carving motif of ornamental molding in which an egg shape alternates with a dart. ↑ Back to Top Figure - the pattern or design in wood created by the growth of the tree; abnormal growths produce unusual figures. Finial - terminal decoration used on upright posts, often of metal. Flitch - any part of the log which is sliced into veneer. Fluting - parallel channels, usually cut vertically; used for columns and legs. ↑ Back to Top Gesso - a plaster-like material used to make a raised design on furniture; it is often painted or gilded. Gilding - ornamenting with gold leaf or gold dust. Grain - the fiber arrangement in wood, giving the appearance of markings. ↑ Back to Top Hand - the way a fabric feels, refers to its resilience, drapability, and flexibility. Hardwood - a general term for wood from broadleafed trees. Highboy - very high chest of drawers, taking its name from "haut bois" meaning "high wood" in French. ↑ Back to Top Inlay - a design is cut out of the surface and a piece of another material cut exactly the same size is inserted. ↑ Back to Top Ladder Back - back posts joined by horizontal cross-rails in ladder effect. Also called Slat Back. Laminate - the process of bonding or gluing together layers; the final product may also be referred to as a laminate. Linenfold - a carved motif that looks like a scroll of linen. Low Relief - a form of decoration in which the design is only slightly raised from the surface. ↑ Back to Top Man-Made fibers - this term refers to all synthetic fibers. Marquetry - a decorative pattern made by inlaying unusual woods, mother of pearl, etc., into a veneered surface. Modulars or Modular System - a collection of multi-purpose units. Molded Components - sections of furniture such as decorative panels or legs that have been molded of plastic. Molding or Moulding - a narrow, decorative strip, recessed into or projecting from, a flat surface. Motive or Motif - the theme or dominant feature of a design. ↑ Back to Top Natural Fibers - all fibers that occur in fiber form in nature. Nesting Tables - set of occasional tables, in graduating sizes so that one slides under another. ↑ Back to Top Overlay - decorative veneer that is appliqued rather than inlaid. ↑ Back to Top Patina - soft, mellow color and texture of a wood surface resulting from age, wear or rubbing. Pedestal Table - top supported by one or more heavy, wide-based columns. Pie Crust Table - a small table with carved or molded scalloped edges. Pile - a fabric with a surface of upright ends, cut or looped, like velvet. ↑ Back to Top Reeding - close, parallel rows of convex moldings. The opposite of fluting. ↑ Back to Top Scroll - spiral-shaped ornamentation. Secretary - combination slant front desk and bookcase. Serpentine Front - chest, dresser, etc. with undulating front surfaces. Settee - the forerunner of today's sofa, a long with side arms and back, sometimes upholstered. Slub - a thick, uneven nub in yarn for a textured effect. Sofa Table - a long table as tall as the sofa to place behind it. Softwood - a general term for the wood of trees that remain green all year. Spade Foot - rectangular, tapered Foot seperated from the rest of the leg by a slight projection. Stacking Furniture - pieces designed so they work together and can be super-imposed on each other for unified wall systems. Stretcher - crosspiece connecting and bracing legs of tables, chairs, chests, etc. StriZ - a streaked or striped effect produced with yarns of varying tones. Synthetic Fibers - manufactured fibers resulting from chemical synthesis. ↑ Back to Top Texture - the feel and appearance of a surface; also refers to the grain of wood. Turning - an ornamental or structural part of furniture made by rotating a cylindrical piece of wood on a lathe and shaping it with cutting tools. ↑ Back to Top Veneer - a thin slice of decorative wood applied to another wood surface. ↑ Back to Top Welt - a strip of fabric, resembling a cord, sewn between two pieces of upholstery fabric to give a more finished appearance to the seem; usually made by covering a cord with a tube of fabric. Windsor Chair - a country-style chair with a solid, shaped seat connected to the legs and chair back with round or flat shaped spindles. ↑ Back to Top