This is a quick and easy to understand guide to learn some popular information about furnitures. If you have a term or phrase that you want to learn more about, click on its beginning letter down below.
This glossary of common furniture terms may help familiarizing yourself with furnitures. It may also help improving your product knowledge on different kind of furnitures, and on furniture construction as well.
Furniture terms
Ball and Claw Foot - The base of a leg is carved to resemble a talon grasping a ball.
Banding - Inlay or Marquetry that produces a color or grain contrast along the perimeter of a surface.
Barrel Chair - A chair shaped like rustic chairs which were originally made from half of a wine barrel. The back is usually upholstered in vertical ribs. Seat has loose cushion.
Beau Brummel - Georgian dressing table for men, named after an English fashion arbiter.
Bedside Chest - A small bed-high chest with drawers. Also known as a nightstand or commode.
Bergere - A French (Louis XIV and XV) occasional armchair with upholstered back, sides and seat cushion.
Beidermeier - A relatively inexpensive, clean lined 19th Century German style of furniture reminiscent of the much more expensive Empire design that utilized light woods and black or gold painted decorations. Popular decorations were wreaths, festoons and stars that were painted rather than carved on the furniture.
Blanket Chest - Colonial storage chest often used as a bench.
Block Foot - Square vertical Foot at the base of any straight, untapered leg.
Bombe - Case piece with an outward swelling towards its base.
Also, a French term for commodes, bureaus, armoires.
Bonnet Top - An arched pediment that covers the entire top of a case piece.
Book Matching - Two adjacent sheets of veneer are opened like a book and glued side by side to produce a symmetrical pattern.
Boston Rocker - 19th Century rocking chair featuring a curved seat, spindle back and a wide top rail.
Bow back - A type of 18th century Windsor chair.
Bracket Foot - A decorative and functional square leg with diagonal piece behind it for stability used in both upholstery and case goods.
Breakfront - A cabinet made of a protruding center section flanked by to two sidepieces that are recessed.
Brocade - A fabric featuring textured patterns woven in contrast.
Broken Pediment - Ornamental design usually found on the top of case pieces or headboards, consisting of a broken triangular design with a finial in the middle.
Buffet - A functional cupboard; can be used by itself or as a base for a china cabinet. In French definition is a "sideboard, a place for keeping dishes".
Bullion - Long corded fringe used in Upholstery or Window Treatments.
Bunn Foot - A rounded leg with a flat bottom (or bun shape) with a slender ankle above, used in upholstery or case goods.
Burl - A knot in a tree that creates a swirled design when used as a veneer on case goods.
Butt Joint - Wood joined together at flat edges.
Butterfly Table - Small folding table with splayed legs generally turned. The top has wing brackets underneath to support drop-leaf wings on either side.
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