Bed slats
Wooden boards used between bedside rails to support the box
spring and mattress.
Beveled
glass
Decorative effect where glass is cut around the edges and polished
at a slant or bevel. Used extensively on mirrors, china cabinets
and curio cabinets.
Bi-fold
doors
Doors that are hinged in the middle so they can
be folded back when open.
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C
Cabriole
leg
A leg that bends out at the knee and then curves back inward.
Case
good
A
piece of furniture that is primarily constructed of wood.
Caster
A pivoting wheel attached to the bottom of furniture that allows
it to move.
Central
locking system
Similar to car locking systems in that it allows you to lock
everything with one keystroke.
Coaxial
cable
A cable typically used for cable or satellite TV. It consists
of a central core enclosed and insulated from a conducting outer
metal tube.
Collection
A grouping of furniture or upholstery that has been coordinated
or matched to blend together in a certain style.
C.O.M
Stands for Customer's Own Material. An option that most upholstery
manufacturers offer that allows the customer to select a fabric
from another source, including fabric stores and interior decorators.
The fabric chosen is then sent to the manufacturer where it
is measured, cut, sewn and applied to the upholstery frame.
The cost of doing this is typically a little higher, but it
enables greater customization.
Corner
blocks
Used
at joints to strengthen the parts of a piece of furniture, such
as seat frames, that must withstand a significant amount of
pressure.
Cutting
Most manufacturers do not produce one piece of furniture at
a time. For efficiency and cost reduction purposes, production
dates are scheduled when the plant plans on making hundreds
of items in a collection. By doing so, plants don't have to
re-tool or change finishes every for each individual piece.
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D
Dovetail corner joint
An interlocking, notched joint used to fasten boards together
to form drawers. Joints are shaped like dovetails, hence the
name.
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E
Eight-way
hand tied
The seat spring construction used in high-end upholstery frames
where each coil is independently tied to ensure durability and
comfort.
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F
Feng
Shui:
A 6,000 yr. old philosophy of living that human
environments can be shaped for optimum health by elements of
nature.
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G
Glides
Wood, metal or plastic slides built into the bottoms or sides
of drawers that keep them properly aligned and allow them to
open and close smoothly.
Grommet
Strategically cut holes in office furniture, entertainment
centers and armoires that allow better management of cords and
cables.
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H
Highboy
A tall chest with long legs.
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I
Inlay
A technique that generally refers to contrasting woods, metals
and/or ivory that are placed just around the edges of a piece
of furniture or in decorative elements such as simple ribbons
or medallions. Inlays are typically set flush with the wood,
so that the surface of the furniture feels smooth.
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J
Joinery
Refers to the areas on a piece of furniture where one piece
of wood is attached to another.
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L
Leveler
Height-adjustable
footed corner braces used on large case goods
(i.e., armoires, entertainment centers and large chests). Allows
furniture to rest flat on uneven surfaces.
List price
Same as MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price). Retail
price set and suggested by manufacturer. Stores often discount
MSRP.
Lowboy
A short table with drawers.
Low
profile box spring
An option offered by some mattress manufacturers. A box spring,
typically 4.5" to 5" thick, that can be used to accommodate
thicker mattresses, sleigh beds or any application where lower
mattress height is needed.
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M
Marquetry
A decorative treatment that is complex in nature and typically
covers the entire piece of furniture. Common examples include
pictures (a spray of flowers or a pastoral scene) made from
different veneers.
Mortise and tenon: One of the recommended ways to fasten two
pieces of wood in which one is inserted and glued into the other.
MSRP
Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price. Same as List Price. Price
set and suggested by manufacturer. Stores often discount MSRP.
Muslin
Plain, woven cotton fabric used often to cover upholstery or
dining chairs before outer final fabric is applied.
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O
Ogee
A classic S-shape curve, often on bracketed feet.
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P
Pediment
Ornamental carved detail, often triangular or scroll-shaped,
used at the tops of chests, highboys and china cabinets.
Pocket doors: Doors that retract within a piece of furniture,
often found on entertainment centers
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S
Scaled
room drawings
Room plans or schematics reduced and drawn to a set scale that
are used for space planning. Most common scale used in interior
design is 1inch=1 foot.
Settee
A wide seat or bench that sits two to three people.
Shagreen
Shark leather.
Side
rails
Wooden
or metal rails that attach the headboard to the footboard.
Sisal
A strong fiber that is commonly used to make rugs.
Spindles
Slender pieces of rounded wood that resemble thin poles. Spindles
are often used to make chair backs, headboards and footboards.
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T
Tambour Doors
A tambour door is made of many separate pieces that are usually
attached to a flexible backer sheet. The tambour is installed
in a track which allows it to slide around a corner or roll
up. They work great on a cabinet where you want to remain open,
such as on an entertainment center.
Trestles
Supporting beams, sometimes used beneath tables.
Turned
leg or post
Legs or posts that have been shaped while spinning horizontally
(similar to pottery).
Turning
Often refers to the legs of a piece of furniture that have been
shaped while spinning horizontally (similar to pottery).
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V
Veneer
A decorative treatment in which a thin layer of higher quality
wood is laid over the base wood.
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