Furniture Terms Explained

A leaf decoration originally used as classical ornament in the capitals of Corinthian columns. Often found in mahogany furniture from the Georgian period onwards.

A type of wood used for veneers and furniture. Native to south East Asia typically orange or reddish-brown with a curled and mottled grain.

Situated below the seat rail of a chair or settee, for show rather than function. Also found below the frieze of cabinets and tables.

Arch like carving often used on chair-backs and panels.

French wardrobe, originating from the late 16th century

Native hardwood having a variety of shades. Mostly used in the construction of the hidden parts of furniture or for entire country pieces.

A small moulding, frequently used for glazed panels in furniture.

Cloth used for lining, card tables etc, often green in colour.

A furniture foot formed as claws or talons grasping a ball, indicative of English 18th-century furniture.

A fore runner to the Ball and Claw foot, used in late 17th century furniture.

Turned wooden verticals supporting the rail of a staircase or splat of a chair.

Wood turned to simulate the natural appearance of bamboo, usually painted.

A decorative, inlaid border or broad edging of contrasting wood or woods. E.g Satinwood against mahogany.

A style of architecture, art and decoration, which originated in Italy during the late 16th century and spread throughout Europe. Characterised by over scaled, bold details and sweeping curves.

A moulding, resembling a string of beads, or a small, plain moulding of semi-circular section.

A decorative border found in the form of inlay in the 16th and 17th centuries.

A native hardwood light coloured without a pronounced grain.

A type of turning used for furniture legs and pedestal supports shaped like a conventional bell. Common in the William and Mary style.

Style of the later part of the 19th century and early 20th century, combining Victorian eclecticism and the flowing forms of Art Nouveau.

French design of armchairs and couches with upholstered sides from c.1725. Early models were caned, later ones upholstered.

The edge of any flat surface that has been cut at a slant to the main area. May refer to glass, mirror or wood.

A style of furniture produced in Austria and Germany during the first half of the 19th century. Inspired by French Empire and German painted peasant work. Simple marquetry patterns were used with pressed brass ornaments. Woods used were mainly fruitwoods, maple, mahogany and birch.

American hardwood with a close grain and a deep tan colour. One of the strongest cabinet woods.

Patterning in timber ( especially maple) formed by small depressions in the outermost growth ring of the tree, with the later growth following the contours. When cut it forms a series of small concentric circles reminiscent of birds' eyes.

Furniture carved in and around Bern, Switzerland, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, commonly identified by its use of carved bears and other creatures of the forest, such as deer and birds. Lime was preferred as it is easy to carve, but walnut was also widely used.

Blackamoors are carved figures from Venice. The first from the late 17th century. Blackamoors ranged from life-size figures in the form of torcheres to diminutive table top figurines used as candleholders.

Richly carved woodwork used as panels, especially French 17th and 18th century.

A small, French light lady's writing desk first made in 1760s. With a central drawer in front, tiered shelves and cupboards to the back.

Decorative type of marquetry in which tortoiseshell, brass, copper and tin are cut and pierced into elaborate floral or curving designs. Originally a 10th century Italian process, Boulle marquety developed in 17th century France and was perfected by Andre-Charles Boulle (1642-1732).

Used on chests, cabinets etc. A straight corner edge and curved inner edges.

Description of furniture with one or more projecting portions e.g bookcase or dresser

A jacquard weave fabric, with pattern in low relief, usually on a satin background.

Ornamental coating of gold leaf or gold dust also known as gilding.

Base of leg resembling a slightly flattened ball or sphere. Commonly used in William and Mary case furniture.

Desk popular in late 17th-century England and France distinguished by its sloping fall-front. The flap is hinged at the base and rests on loppers when open, folding up at an angle when closed. ( In America, used to describe a bedroom chest of drawers.)

A curly-grained wood surface or veneer cut from irregular outgrowths of the tree, such as the roots or crotches. Very common in walnut.

An oval motif bordered by ornamental carving, found in particular on the knees of chair legs.

A furniture leg with a double curve, a stylised form of animal's hind leg with elongated "S" shape; upon club, hoof, bun, paw, claw and ball or scroll feet. Popular in late 18th and 19th-century.

The shape of a chair or sofa back of late Chippendale or Hepplewhite style. The top rail is in the form of a serpentine curve with two humps downward and three humps upward.

A woody stem of rattan or sugar cane used for wickerwork, seats of chairs, summer furniture, etc.

A draped covering of fabric suspended over a piece of furniture and supported by four posts.

A surface which is bevelled, chamfered, or obliquely faced.

Ornamental stand having divisions for papers, portfolios, magazines etc.

The body of a piece of furniture.

A cartouche is an ornamental motif, typically oval in shape with curved or scrolling edges, often containing a coat-of-arms, ornamental monogram or inscription.

Furniture which provides storage space.

A prominent cornice in large furniture and a hollowed moulding forming in profile the quadrant of a circle

A portable chest, case, or cabinet for storing bottles, decanters and glasses, dating from the 18th century.

A long chair designed for relaxing and semi-reclining, usually upholstered. Adapted from the French 18th-century style, when it was often made in two parts: a deep bergere and large stool, which when put together, formed a daytime sofa.

A surface or edge which has been smoothed off, bevelled or cut away from the square.

An inlay of light and dark woods forming a pattern of squares like that of a chess board.

A chest of drawers with two parts, one mounted on top of the other. Similar to a tallboy.

An overstuffed sofa of large size with a continuous straight back and upholstered ends.

A large full-length mirror, floor standing within a framework. Thus enabling it to be tilted.

A sideboard, or cabinet, introduced during the late 18th century with open shelves for books and a cupboard or drawers below.

Thomas Chippendale 1718-1779 was one of the great cabinet makers of the 18th-century England. His work shows a refinement of Georgian styles, influenced by the Gothic, Chinese and French Rococo. The first of his era to extensively use mahogany rather than walnut, ( the prevailing wood in the Early Georgian period.)

The most common terminal to the cabriole leg also known as pad foot.

Small moulding applied to the edges of drawer fronts. (see Astragal moulding)

French form of low chest-of-drawers, originally intended for the drawing room, dating from the mid 17th-century and very popular in the 18th century. Became a term for bedroom cupboards in the 19th century.

A small table that can be attached to the wall in the back having only two legs in front or can be free-standing against the wall.

Horizontal moulding at the top of bookcases and cabinets.

A very hard wood similar to ebony.

Sideboard with doors surmounted by drawers, used for storage.

Thin strips of decorative cross-grained veneer.

The highest moulding on a door, window, or cabinet.

A linen, cotton or silk fabric with a reversible jacquard weave and a lustrous surface.

Small writing desk with a sloping top, brass galleries, a set of drawers on one side and false drawer fronts on the other. It is believed that the famous furniture making firm, Gillows of London, first created the desk around 1790 for a Captain Davenport.

The under moulding of a cornice consisting of a series of small rectangular shaped blocks or "teeth".

A method of joinery with a tenon or tongue that flares outward in the shape of a dove's tail that interlocks with alternating similar grooves or projections from another piece of wood. Frequently used to join corners of drawers and cabinets.

Headless pin of metal or wood which fits into a corresponding hole on another piece, forming a joint fastening them together.

A top or front of a desk hinged at the bottom that drops to a horizontal position, forming a surface for writing. Also called a drop-lid.

A leaf, hinged to the side of a table, which drops at the side when not in use.

A round table with a deep apron resembling a drum.

A serving table, consisting of three or four graded circular trays on a central shaft with the smallest at the top and the largest at the bottom. Also known as a tier table.

The staining of wood to black to simulate ebony.

The name given to several different woods that are very dark in colour.

A native, uniform, fine textured wood with a light brownish-red colour tinged with darker brown ring marks.

A period of Neo-classic design during the reign of Napoleon 1804-14. Greek, Roman, and Egyptian motifs were widely used.

Metal plate fitted around a keyhole for protection and decoration or to which a handle or knob can be attached.

French arm chair with upholstered seat and back.

A panel with bevelled edges, enclosing a flat central field.

A knob or crowning, on the top of cabinets and the top of pole screens.

A conventionalised iris flower in France as a decorative motif symbolizing royalty.

A table having two leaves, one on top of the other.

Decoration formed by making parallel, concave grooves. In classical architecture they are commonly seen on column shafts and run in a vertical direction.

A durable finish of high gloss created by applying successive layers of shellac varnish to wood. The name is used because it is believed to have been first used in France in the late 1600s.

Furniture style created by craftsmen in the French provinces. Local woods were generally used for pieces that were practical for the home.

Elaborate form of pierced decoration in wood created by using a fretsaw.

Carved ornamental edging of repetitive forms, concave or convex, upright or twisted. A popular ornament during the oak period.

The ornamental metal or wood railing around the edge of a table or desk.

A period of design in English furniture from 1714 to 1795. Among the best known designers were Hepplewhite, Sheraton, Chippendale, and the Adams Brothers. Mahogany and walnut were the chief woods used.

A prepared plaster of chalk and white lead, which may be cast to make repeating ornamental forms in relief to be applied to wood panels, plaster surfaces etc.

The decoration of an object with a thin layer of gold, gold leaf or gold foil.

Founded in 1703 by Robert Gillows, the Gillows firm operated successfully as a family-owned business well into the 19th century. Operating from Lancaster, England, Gillows was especially noted for their quality and innovative designs.

A tightly stuffed, upholstered cushion used as a footstool or seat.

An English designer in the18th century who frequently co-operated with the Adams Brothers. He wrote "The Cabinet Maker and Upholsterer's Guide".

Also known as feather banding. A decorative border of inlay characteristic of furniture of the walnut period. Distinct from crossbanding in that two strips of veneer are laid together at an angle of approximately 90 degrees, forming a herringbone pattern.

Hair cloth used for covering chairs and in its raw form used for upholstery filling.

A pattern or carving produced by cutting into a stone, wood, or other hard surface. (The reverse of relief carving.)

Form of decoration used in furniture and ceramics, inlay is when part of a solid is removed and replaced with a contrasting material.

A decorative technique in which a design is cut into a hard surface. Intaglio is also the Italian word for carving.

Period in English design from 1603 to 1688, characterized by practicality and a tendency toward Baroque. Early American furniture is based on this period. Box-like and architectural in style.

Term used for European techniques to imitate designs from the Far East.

The craft of assembling woodwork by means of mortise and tenon, dovetail, tongue and groove, dowels, etc. as opposed to using nails or screws.

A Brazilian wood, also called violet wood from the colour of its markings, used in fine cabinetwork. Name because it was preferred by the kings of France in the 18th century.

Desk with a solid lower portion but with an opening for the knees of a person seated at it.

Oriental varnish obtained from the sap of the lacquer tree. Gave a high-gloss finish to furniture in Europe in the 17th century. Mother-of-pearl, coral, and metals were often inlaid in the lacquer to create a decorative effect.

Used as a panel decoration in the form of linen folds.

Carved ornamental feature, most often found on the knee of the cabriole leg, also in the form of brass handles.

Chest of drawers mounted on short legs. Usually about three feet high.

Design commonly used on the backs of chairs. A representation of lyre figures carved from wood with brass wires used to represent the strings.

Straight grained hard wood with silky texture, ranging in colour from salmon-pink through bright red and when newly cut, changes to a golden or deep brown red.

The projecting shelf surmounting a fireplace.

Light reddish-brown wood with uniform texture. Grain is usually straight except when different veneers are used.

A flush pattern produced by inserting contrasting materials in a veneered surface. Rare, grained, and coloured woods are usually used, but thin layers of tortoiseshell, ivory, mother-of-pearl, and metals are also seen. If the pattern is of a geometric nature, it is called parquetry.

A circular or oval frame having within it an ornamental motif.

Sofa with one arm higher than the other.

On mouldings, framing a panel, each of the edges being cut at an angle of 45 degrees.

A term used to reference the hard, iridescent inner lining of certain mollusc shells such as oyster and mussel. Used as a decorative inlay in furniture and objets d'art.

Refers to the second revival of classic design for interior decoration in the 18th century.

Group of tables, usually three, constructed so that one fits under the other.

A hardwood varies from light tan to deep leathery brown with black spots. Variations due to differences in climate and soil.

Generic term for decorative, small tables such as end tables, coffee tables, lamp tables etc.

Derived from French for ground gold, the term refers to gilded bronze or brass mounts.

A low, upholstered seat without backs or arms. Sometimes used as a foot-rest.

A technique indicative of William and Mary furnishings, achieved by slicing the smaller branches of trees such as walnut or olive. These small, rounded veneers, with their circular striations, resemble the inside of an oyster and when pieced together produced a most dramatic effect.

Club foot resting on an integral disc.

Inlay of geometric design.

Desk large enough to seat two people facing each other with working drawers on both sides.

Round or oval medallion motif frequently incorporating fluting leaves or flower petals in its design. Often carved or inlaid.

Term used to designate a mellow sheen formed on the surface of furniture, due to wear, age, exposure, and hand-rubbing. Also a film usually greenish, formed on copper or bronze after long exposure.

Tall, narrow base which supports a statue, lamp, vase or any decorative object. Usually treated with mouldings at the top and a base block on the bottom. Without mouldings it is called a plinth.

Broad triangular or curved space above a portico, doorway, window or cabinet. Can have segmental, scroll and broken forms.

A drop-leaf table.

Tall, narrow framed mirror originally placed between two windows to enhance light coming into a room. Often an accompaniment to a low table or consol.

A raised decoration of scalloped form resembling the outer edge of a piecrust - commonly found on tables. Common in 18th-century English tables

An Italian phrase which means "hard stones," pietre dure is often used to describe sculptural or decorative use of hard stones. This technique was used to decorate furniture, cameos, vases and decorative panels.

Architectural term for a flattened column attached to a facade for decoration rather than structural support.

Wood that is uniform in texture but sometimes strongly marked with annual rings. It dries easily and does not shrink or swell greatly with changes in moisture content.

The low square base of a column; a foundation supporting the body of a piece of furniture.

Even-textured and straight-grained wood, it is available in lumber as well as in thin stock suitable for cross-banding and face veneers.

Peasant-like and naive in style.

Cupids or cherubs commonly used as a decorative motif.

A period in English furniture design from 1702-1714, characterised by adaptation of Baroque and the extensive use of the cabriole leg. Walnut was the dominant wood.

The reverse of fluting, convex raised ornamentation in the series of pipes or reeds, found on table legs and chairs.

Period of severe neoclassicism from 1810-1820 influenced by the French Empire.

Forms of moulded, carved or stamped decoration raised from the surface of a piece of furniture forming a pattern.

Revival of interest in classical design, beginning in Italy during the 14th century and continuing to spread throughout Europe until the 17th century. Design is simple in structure with a generous use of classical ornament, such as the acanthus leaf, animal forms and pilasters.

Period in French design originating in the 18th century following the Baroque era. It was often overly ornamental. The name is derived from the French words rocaille (rock) and coquille (shell), which are prominent rococo decorative elements.

Prized for its exotic and beautifully figured appearance, rosewood was a favourite with top cabinet makers of the 18th and 19th centuries. It is exceptionally dense, rich in colour and very receptive to a high polish. From tropical forests of India and Brazil, rosewood got its name not from its appearance, but from the aroma of the freshly cut trees.

Complete set of matched furniture for a specific room. Also called a suite.

A rectangular, coffin-shaped box tapering to a smaller size at the bottom. Can be used as a cellaret or tea caddy.

Popular in Britain during the 1770s, replacing mahogany as the wood of choice for smaller pieces of furniture. A brilliant yellow wood with a high lustre, satinwood often has a rippled or quilted feature from which its name is derived. Typically, used as a veneer, it remained popular in England throughout the late 18th and 19th centuries.

Broken pediment with each half shaped in the form of a reverse curve, and ending in an ornamental scroll. Usually a finial is placed in the centre between the two halves.

Furniture decoration shaped like an s-curve

Winding and curving design often used in furniture legs or the front of cabinets & desks.

Sheraton 1750-1806, an English cabinetmaker who name has been given to a school of design in English furniture. Using mahogany as his dominant wood, he followed the classic, simple design in the wake of Adam and Hepplewhite.

A chair back fashioned in the shape of a shield. Common in Hepplewhite designs.

A long, large piece of dining-room furniture with a flat top and sometimes a superstructure for displaying china and glass. The body is a storage unit, composed of drawers, sometimes flanked on each side by cabinets with doors.

The flat central support on a chair's back or between the seat and the top-rail.

Strengthening or stabilising rail which runs horizontal between furniture legs, often forming X, H or Y shapes.

A decorative inlay in the form of fine lines.

Called a chest-on-chest until the 18th century, this high chest-of-drawers has more drawers below than on top.

The Tantalus is a cellaret with decanters tucked inside, their contents visible but not obtainable without a key. The name derived from the Greek myth of Tantalos, son of Zeus and King of Lydia

A heavy hand-woven fabric panel, often used as a wall decoration.

A decorative box created for storing tea leaves, many with two compartments one for black tea and the other for green tea.

Wood from Burma, Java, the East Indies, Siam, French Indochina, and has been planted successfully in the Philippines. A strong, tough wood, it ranges in colour from light tawny yellow to dark brown. Slightly oily.

Often used as an inlay or a decorative overlay on wood surfaces, tortoiseshell is, nutty brown shell of turtles with a spotted, striped or sometimes even speckled pattern.

The affixing of a thin layer or strips of fine wood to the surface of a piece of furniture.

A spiral scroll.

The sack like strapping used to support upholstered seats.

An orange to dark brown wood with variegated stripes and a straight, fine grain. Used for high-quality veneers and available only in small quantities.