Lumbar Support
The curve on the lower front of a seat back that is shaped to fit into the users lower back. This shifts the upper body weight away from the lower spine onto the seat back giving comfortable support to the user.
M
Mantel
The complete facing around the opening of a fireplace, including any shelf used above it as well as any part that projects from the wall.
Marquetry
Heavy use of inlays over a large surface to create a panoramic picture.
Medallion
A round or oval ornamental motif.
Media Cart
Media Carts are configured to transport Audio Visual Equipment and Computers. They are used for meetings, classes and lectures.
Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF)
This is made by breaking down wood chips into fibers, mixing glue, and fusing the resulting mixture under heat and pressure to produce a board.
Mesh Chair
Herman Miller Company developed and alternative to foam padding and fabric for office chairs. This mesh material is flexible, very durable, cleanable and help keep the body cool. Many companies use various types mesh material for seats and backs for office chairs.
Miter
A surface slanted to another surface, it is called a miter when the angle is 45 degrees.
Miter joint
A diagonal joint formed by two pieces of wood. A miter joint is a simple joint type, and can be used in a variety of wood constructions.
Mobile Pedestal
Drawer sets are also called pedestals and they can be fitted with castor wheels. They make moving and reconfiguring modular furniture faster when they are not bolted to the furniture parts.
Modesty Panel
This runs left to right, under the worksurface, works to give the furniture shear strength for stability and privacy from others looking at the user under the work surface.
Modular
Furniture constructed in units that can be arranged in different configurations.
Monitor Arm
Flat panel computer monitor screens can use adjustable arms to hold them above worksurfaces and move to the best position for each user. Also, know as monitor mounts.
Moire
Fabric, usually silk, with a rippled, wavy pattern that gives a watered appearance or wood grain. It has a very traditional appearance.
Molding
Decorative strips of wood applied to furniture for visual effect.
Monochromatic Scheme
A color scheme limited to one color in various tones. The value and intensity of the hue are used to provide contrast. This color is often simple and sophisticated.
Mortise and Tenon Joint
Method of joining two pieces of wood where the projecting tenon of one piece fits into the opening (mortise) of the other. Also called Tongue and Grooved.
Motif
A decorative design or subject.
Motion Furniture
Any furnishing that feature movement or mechanisms that allow for motion is a motion piece. Recliners, swivel chairs, rockers, gliders, lift chairs, sleeper sofas, futons, and folding pieces are each examples of motion furniture. Motion pieces can be power or manually operated, and vary in complexity.
Mount
Ornamental metalwork applied to furniture – usually cabinet pieces, sometimes chairs.
Muslin
This is a plain-weave fabric that may be bleached or unbleached. Usually used as undercovering on upholstered pieces to tie in the stuffing and padding materials prior to putting on the final upholstery fabric.
N
Nail head trim:
An ornamental trim of metal tacks that gives the illusion of nail heads. It is often found on the edge of leather and upholstered sofas, chairs and ottomans. Nail head trim is popular across various styles, and adds an industrial feel.
Knee Swing Space
The space need under the worksurface for the users legs and knees.
Neoclassic
A revival of the classic style and form.
Nesting tables and chairs
Tables and chairs that are designed to store nest inside each another. The tops and seats flip up vertically, they roll on castor wheels. Nesting tables and chairs store in a space-saving way, and can be separated as needed for entertaining, and use.
Nightstand
Occasional table, sometimes with cabinet, drawer, or shelf, used beside a bed to hold such items as a lamp, clock, or telephone. May also be called a night table or bedside table.
Non-woven
Fabrics that are produced by the bonding or interlocking of fibers, or both. The non-woven fabric is made by mechanical, chemical, thermal, or solvent means, or with an adhesive, or any combination of these, as distinct from weaving, knitting, or tufting.
O
Occasional Furniture
A generic term used to describe small pieces of furniture such as lamp tables, coffee tables or magazine racks.
Olefin
A synthetic fiber that is extremely light, soil resistant, and an excellent insulator. This is often used to produce outdoor carpets and sturdy upholstery fabrics resistant to abrasion, pilling, and aging.
Ottoman
A long, low upholstered seat with no back: used with a chair as a footrest. If over scaled, can be used in place of a cocktail table.
Overhead Storage
General term used for storage elements that are above the worksurface level, like stack on, hutches, binder bins or open shelves.
Overlay
A piece of decorative trim applied to a flat surface. An overlay can be a veneer, and is an aesthetic addition to enhance the look of a surface. Overlays can be found on refurbished or reclaimed pieces, or on new furniture as a design touch.
P
Palette
A term used by artists and designers to describe a range of colors.
Pallet Racking
Pallets of materials or finished goods all need a efficient and space saving storage systems. Heavy gauge steel uprights and held together with very strong crossbeams. They may be used with cantilever racks for long products such as lumber or pipes. Smaller items for manufacturing can be made available on slated gravity flow racks. For larger facilities a conveyor system may be designed to help get product worked through the buildings.
Panel Base
A surface set off from the surrounding surface by being raised, recessed or framed.
Parquetry
Furniture inlaid with geometrical designs similar to parquet floors.
Parson’s Table
A square or rectangular table with wide, straight legs.
Particle Board
Panels that are manufactured by bonding wood particles with synthetic resins under heat and pressure. Used as the core for many plywood panels, as panels to be printed (engraved), or other uses in furniture construction. Also called fiberboard, chip core, hardboard, and medium density fiberboard.
Patina
A luster or shine that develops with use over time, characteristic of antique furnishings. Burnishing, or rubbing, a surface creates a patina over time. Antiquing and faux finishes can add patinas to a piece of furniture to give it a timeworn look. Metal, wood, and leather can have a patina.
Pattern
A repetitive component to a surface that can be used to modify scale, color or texture. They can be used to unit or clash with other items. Be very careful when working with multiple patterns.
Pedestal Table
A table supported by one or more cylindrical columns or “pedestals”.
Perspective
A means of showing a solid object on a surface so as to make it appear to have a third dimension. To make it convincing to the eye, sizes of distant objects are reduced; parallel lines tend to converge.
Pickled Finish
The result of rubbing white or off-white paint onto previously stained and finished wood.
Piercing
Decorative detail achieved by cutting shapes through thin wood such as chair splats.
Pilaster
A flattened column-like detail applied to furniture, bookcases, etc. as a decorative feature.
Pile
This is cut or uncut loops that stand up on the face of a fabric, making it thick and three-dimensional, in contrast to flat-woven cloth.
Pivot Arm Rests
Office chair arm rests that pivot left and right that support your arms as they come together for data entry.
Plain Weave
This is a basic weave in which the warp and weft are the same size and alternate under and over each other in a regular manner.
Platform Bed
A mattress that sets on the top of a wood or plastic platform or pedestal. Sometimes the mattress may recess into a frame on the top of the platform, and there is a shelf that may go partially or completely around the perimeter.
Pneumatic Gas Lift
When the gas lift cylinder was modified to work under a chair to help adjust the height, it quickly became the industry standard. This type of seat height adjustment was faster than spinning the chairs around on a threaded spindle.
Plywood
A structural material made of very thin layers of wood bonded together with the grain of each layer, or ply, at right angles to that of the next.
Pocketed Coils
Cylindrical innerspring mattress coils, individually enclosed in separate flexible fabric pockets, attached together to create support. Pocketed coils are common in sofas, chairs, and other upholstered seating pieces. They add durability and lasting firmness to furniture.
Podium
Small standing height table used by presentations, to hold small items or laptop. Adjustable table angle, keyboard tray, cup holder, wheels and electric height adjustment available.
Polyester
Parts made from pressed wood and sprayed with polyester material.
Polyfoam
This is a synthetic resin that simulates latex foam rubber and is used for upholstered furniture, pillows, mattresses, etc.
Polyurethane
The ingredient of synthetic foam used in seat cushions. It is used to create the high-density foam associated with top quality furniture, and is known for durability. Made to wear well over time, polyurethane is a man-made material common in a variety of high-end upholstery and furniture.
Pouf
A low upholstered stool of solid construction.
Presentation Cart
A mobile equipment stand for audio visual presentations and many time carried a projector.
Primary Colors
Red, blue and yellow, from which all other colors are derived.
Print
A surface having a pattern imposed with ink or dye by means of stencils, rollers, blocks, or screens.
Privacy Screen
Finished flat panel used for visual, acoustic or medical privacy. They can be floor standing with feet, ganged together or worksurface mounted for an acrylic sneeze guard.
Pull
A handle to open drawers or doors of cabinets.
Profile
The style of an edge.
Proportion
An agreeable or harmonious relation of parts within a whole; balance or symmetry
Q
Queen Anne Leg
A table or chair leg with a gentle “S” shape which curves outward at the top and then curves inward while tapering gradually. Named after an early French term for “goat” (literally “goat’s leg”) it is common on Queen Anne and Chippendale style furniture. Occasionally referred to as a Queen Anne leg.
Quilted Fabric
Two layers of fabric that has padding between the layers, held in place by stitches that usually follow a definite pattern.
R
Rabbet Joint
A joining technique for supporting shelves or drawer bottoms in vertical units. The edge of the vertical piece of wood fits into a groove in the horizontal piece. Also known as a dado joint.
Rail
A generic term used to describe a long section of wood serving a functional purpose in furniture. Examples are the top rail in the back of a chair and the rails, which connect the headboard and footboard of a bed.
Rain or Bubble Glass
Glass with air bubbles throughout the piece. Rain or bubble glass is common in home accent pieces for its visual interest and design appeal. Rain or bubble glass is common in vases and decorative bowls, and adds texture.
Random Match
In veneering and decorative surfacing, a casual, unmatched effect with no attempt at a symmetrical or a repetitive pattern.
Reception Station
A large counter unit for the receptionists to greet visitors and answer in coming calls. These were normally very elaborate, impressive and with company branding. After 2008, they became a place to make incoming calls to employees and had directory lists. With the popularity of the cellphone, even the directories have become less popular.
Reeding
Close, parallel rows of convex moldings. The opposite of fluting.
Relief
A carved decoration, which stands proud of the surface on which it appears.
Reproduction
New furniture which is a copy of an antique.
Restoration
Work carried out on furniture to bring it back to its original condition.
Retro
A setting, furniture pieces or decorative element that revives a style or look of the past.
Return
The part of an L-shaped desk that is at right angles to the main work surface, providing additional workspace.
Reverse Box Match
A decorative veneer technique similar to a reverse diamond match, and aligned to create a cross-patterned center with right-angled patterns going off in four directions.
Reverse Diamond Match
Four wedges of wood or veneer set together to form an X at the center with consecutively smaller V’s radiating out from the center in all four directions. May also be called butterfly match.
Rolled arms:
The flared arms of a chair or sofa that “roll” back in to meet the sides. Rolled arms are traditional, but found across a variety of styles. Rolled arms, or scrolled arms, are comfortable as arm rests.
Roll Top Desk
Desks with a tambour cover which rolls back to reveal the writing surface.
Rotary-Cut Veneer
A slice of veneer made by cutting a log in a circular manner around the circumference. A bold, variegated grain is then produced because the cut follows the log’s annual growth rings.
Runner
A rail used to support additional leaves on an extending dining table.
S
Sateen
A strong, lustrous, satin-weave cotton fabric. May be bleached, dyed, printed, or made with woven patterns.
Seat Adjustment
The office chair seat has become very adjustable. Seat height, sliders for depth away from the back, free rocking, forward and back tilt. Also, the amount of pressure or tension needed to move the seat when in a free floating setting.
Scale
A term referring to the size of objects in relation to each other.
Scatter Back (or Scatter Pillow Back)
An upholstery furniture piece in which the back pillows are loose and can be arranged in any manner. This adds design and style versatility to sofas and couches, and loveseats. As opposed to a traditional loose back pillow piece, scatter back pieces have more back pillows than seat cushions, and the back pieces can be moved and removed.
Sectional Furniture
Furniture composed of complementary sections that can be grouped in a variety or arrangements or used separately.
Secondary Colors
Colors produced by mixing two primary colors, such as yellow and blue to form green; red and yellow to form orange; and red and blue to form purple.
Self-Assembly Furniture
Also called KD, flat-pack or self-assembly furniture. Refers to furniture that is to be assembled by the end user.
Serial Numbers
Numbers that identify product (i.e., identifies vendor and manufacturer).
Serpentine Front
An item of furniture that has a curved front that is first concave, then convex before becoming concave again.
Serving Table
A long narrow table with drawers.
Settee
Another word for a sofa.
Settle
A rustic wooden bench having a high back and solid arms. The seat is often hinged to reveal storage space beneath.
Shade
The darker values of a color obtained by mixing the color with black.
Shaker Design
Furniture made by the Shaker religious sect, noted for its functional simplicity, austere beauty and fine workmanship.
Shaped Back (or Conversational Sofa)
An upholstery furniture piece that has a curved back, making the two outer seats face slightly towards each other. Shaped back sofas and couches, loveseats, accent chairs, and other pieces are visually interesting and stylish. The shaped back feature is a deliberate design and accent feature.
Sheaf back
Inspired by the shape of a sheaf of wheat, this style of back is common to dining chairs. The spindles on the chair’s back gather in the middle, join at a connecting plank, and flare at either or both ends. This style of chair back is found across a variety of chair styles.
Sheen
In wood finishing, this is a degree of luster of a dried film.
Shield Back Chair
A chair in the Hepplewhite style having a back in the shape of a shield.
Short Rail
Displaying a bed’s headboard and footboard using 6 inch rails.
Sideboard
A buffet or a credenza. A long, waist high piece of furniture used for serving food. The most common arrangement is cupboards below and drawers above.
Side Chair
A chair with a small seat (15 to 18 inches wide) and no arms.
Sinuous Springs
Steel wire bent into a continuous “S” shape used for the support system in upholstered furniture. These h5, sculpted springs provide resilient support, and enhance the durability of upholstered pieces. From sofas and couches, to loveseats and accent chairs, sinuous springs are an important structural support
Sisal
A strong natural fiber originally used for rope; now often used to make rugs; sometimes blended with wool in carpet.
Skirt
A fabric valence around the base of an upholstered chair, sofa, etc., to hide the legs and wood construction of the seat.
Slat
Any thin, flat section of wood. Examples are bed slats which are used to support a mattress and horizontal back slats in a ladder back chair.
Sled Base Chair
When the a four leg base, connects the front and back legs at the bottom along the ground to make sled type construction. This is a very strong design and makes for easy to handle chairs.
Sleigh Bed
A popular French Empire-style bed having a high scrolled headboard and footboard, creating the impression of a sleigh or a boat (also called “lit bateau” or “boat bed”).
Slip Cover
A removable fitted cover made to protect upholstery fabric, cover worn upholstery or to provide a change for a new season.
Sofa
Also called a couch; it is an upholstered seat typically for more than one person.
Softwood
Wood from an evergreen tree such as the pine with needle-like, scale-like, or coniferous leaves.
Solution Dyed Fabric
This is a special wet-spinning process that injects the pigment into the fiber during the fiber making production and provides very high UV protection.
Space
Interior space is the shaped volume defined by various architectural forms such as ceiling, floors, walls and other architectural elements. A Designer will evaluate and use tools to define structure and alter it.
Spindle Back
A chair having vertically arranged spindles in the back.
Splat
A flat, vertical piece of wood found in the center of a chair back.
Standing Desk Converters
Designed to sit on top of your existing desk, with a platform for your monitor and separate keyboard tray. The whole unit adjust up and down to allow for standing work on your existing furniture. Monitor arm mounts and electric height adjustment available.
Staining
For wood finishing, this is the process of applying coloring matter to the outer surfaces of wood to enhance the grain, provide uniform overall color, or to imitate or match other cabinet woods.
Steel Band Base:
Trademarked by Flexsteel, these durable steel bands are an advanced support system for your upholstered furniture. Flexsteel steel band bases provide unmatched support for reclining chairs, motion sofas and couches, and other upholstered pieces.
Storage Tower
About 60″-72″ high cabinet with swing doors, with a coat rack on one side and adjustable shelves on the other. Made to match the casegoods in style, color and height of the overhead storage.
Stretcher
A horizontal arrangement of rails used to connect the legs on tables and chairs to provide structural strength. Common stretchers include the “H,” “X,” boxed, serpentine and arched forms.
Synchronized Knee Tilt Chair
This type of chair has a mechanism that makes the chair recline with the pivot point at the front of the seat under your knees. The synchronized control makes the back of the seat lower than the front and the top of the back recline more than the seat at a 2:1 ratio. This makes the angle at the seat and back to open up for greater blood flow through your legs and body. The pivot point at the front of the seat allows you to keep your feet on the ground and pressure off the back of your knees. This type on mechanism is very highly rated for blood flow, back support and comfort.
Stylized
A design that has been done according to the rules of a style rather than according to nature.
Sunburst
Figured wood grain in which rays radiate outward from a central point. Also called pie match.
Support Column or Post
Used to hold up the worksurface at any place, a common use is 4 posts and each corner and one single post on the opposite side of the user, in the back middle section of the work surface.
Symmetry
Formal balance created by arranging objects so they form mirror images on either side of an imaginary line that goes through the middle of a grouping of objects.
T
T-Leg Base
An inverted T shaped worksurface support seen in many hospitality tables. There are also, C-Base or L-Base supports with the longer flat side on the ground. They all allow for knee swing space while working at a worksurface.
Tambour Door
A flexible door that can be concealed by rolling it into a piece of furniture.
Tapestry
Thick woven fabric with pictorial design.
Task Chair
Simple office chair for short temporary tasks
Task Lighting
Lighting needed to perform a specific task. i.e., desk lamp.
Tassel
A pendent ornament consisting commonly of a bunch of threads, small cords, or other strands hanging from a round knob or head, used on clothing, in jewelry, on curtains, etc.
Texture
The characteristic of a material that can be felt or seen. You can achieve the perception of texture by lighting and the surface materials of the items. Smooth, shiny surfaces make objects clean and brighter in color. Those surfaces also emphasis the outline of the object. Rough surfaces tend to absorb sound and light and tend to give off a warm feeling.
Ticking
A striped cotton or linen fabric, originally used for mattress covers but now used decoratively, as well.
Tilt Top Table
A small, often round table with a hinged top, which can be raised when not in use.
Tint
The lighter values of a color obtained by mixing the color with white.
TOB
An abbreviation for Top of Bed. TOB sets usually contain a comforter, pillow shams, and a bed skirt.
Tone
The darkness or lightness of a color; different colors may be of the same tone.
Tongue and Groove
A flush wood joint in which a long, straight projection of one board fits into a corresponding groove in another board.
Track Arm:
A straight, squared off arm, usually found on more contemporary sofas and armchairs. Described as sleek, track arms are lower-profile and scaled down. Various styles of sofas, loveseats, accent chairs, and other pieces feature track arms. Versatile and contemporary, track arms are a common design feature.
Trestle Table
A rustic rectangular table with a top supported by two wide boards or “trestles” at either end. The two trestles are joined by a single stretcher..
Tufting and Buttoning
A classical, traditional technique for securing stuffing to upholstery by pulling out material through the fabric at evenly spaced intervals, then securing those material pulls with upholstered buttons. Frequently used on sofas, chairs and headboards, button tufting is a romantic, traditional accent to home furnishings. Leather and fabric can be tufted.
Turning
An ornamental or structural part of furniture made by rotating a cylindrical piece of wood on a lathe and shaping with cutting tools.
Twill
Tightly woven with a diagonal ridge such as denim or herringbone fabrics.
U
Unity
The combination of elements to support a concept. It is achieved through the repetition of elements such as color, pattern or shape. Unity is a narrower definition of harmony.
Upholstery
Generic term used to describe any item of sitting furniture that is covered in fabric.
Uprights
Term used to describe any vertical structural component i.e., “The uprights in the back of that chair”.
V
Velour
This is a soft pile upholstery fabric, generally woven in a satin weave or plain weave, resulting in a short, thick pile.
Velvet
Formal elegant fabric with fur-like feel and a cut pile.
Velveteen
A pile fabric often of cotton or rayon with a short, nappy surface.
Veneer
A thin layer of wood cut from a log in such a way as to maximize the beauty of the grain pattern. Veneers are then glued onto a solid substrate, which is then made into furniture. The result is sturdy furniture with a decorative outer appearance.
Veneer Cuts:
- Rotary – Log is cut or “peeled.” It can yield full sheets of veneer with broad grain pattern and no plain or quarter sliced appearance.
- Flat Slicing – The log is cut in half. Then cuts or slices are made parallel to the center cut of the log producing a variegated figure.
- Rift-Cut – Cut from oak, a 15% angle from the centerline of a quarter piece generates the even lines of grain.
- Half Round – Using a similar technique to the “peeling” of a Rotary cut, but only starting with half of the log, this results in a cut slightly across the growth rings that creates a grain with characteristics of both flat slicing and rift cut.
Veneer Matching:
- Slip Match – Adjacent veneer sheets are joined side by side, matching sides up, for a uniform grain pattern.
- Whole Piece – One single piece of veneer is used, with continuous grain characteristics running across the sheet.
- Pleasing Match – Veneers are matched by color or similarity, not necessarily by grain characteristics.
- Random Match – Veneers intentionally do not match at the joints, providing a causal effect.
- Bookmatch – Every other piece of adjacent veneer is turned over, resulting in identical, but opposing patterns.
- V Match – Veneer cut and butted together to form a decorative pattern in which the wood grain radiates from the centerline to form a pattern resembling a series of V’s set one over the other.
Veneer Types:
- Burl – Characterized by a swirling, highly figured grain.
- Quarter Sawn – Displays a subtle wavy ribbon-like pattern across the grain.
- Sunburst – Grain pattern that seems to grow out and expand from a center point.
- Wood Plug – Veneer cut to look like a wood plug is holding two pieces of wood together.
- Bow Tie Joint – Veneer cut to look like a bowtie shape piece of wood is holding two other pieces together.
Vinyl
Another type of laminate that is thicker and more durable than paper laminate (see also “laminate”).
W
Wainscoting
Wood paneling applied to walls from baseboards to the desired height, usually about one-third of the way up a wall.
Wall Hugger/ Zero Wall Recliner
Also known as a wall saver or space saver, wall huggers are recliners that can be placed minimum of 3″ of clearance between the wall and the back of the recliner. The reclining mechanism will flow away from the wall to avoid damaging contact with the wall behind the chair.
Weave
A process of making fabrics by interlacing warp threads with weft or filling yarns.
Webbing
Strips of tightly woven plastic, nylon, rubber, elastic, or metal used in upholstery construction as a support for, or in place of, springs under the cushions.
Welting
A material covered cord typically used to decorate the edge of a sofa arm; often made with contrasting fabric. Welting in a formalized finish to the defined edge is needed as for a box shaped cushion.
Wicker
Strong woven matting of willow, reed, or polyurethane cut into different diameters then used to construct furniture, often for outdoor use.
Windsor Chair
A popular 18th century wooden chair having a solid seat and a back formed from a bent wood hoop and vertical spindles.
Wing Chair/ Wingback chair
This is a traditional style of chair that’s often overstuffed, and fully upholstered. “Wings” come from the back of the chair, and extend above the arms on both sides to protect the sitter from drafts. In current design, the wing is purely aesthetic and is commonly used to mimic classic or vintage pieces.
Wire Management
Most equipment is powered by electrical wires, it is helpful to keep them in an organized way. Grommet holes, cable troughs and zip ties are part of wire management.
Wire Shelving
Wire shelving is an industry standard, finished with chrome, stainless steel, metallic epoxy, clear epoxy or powder coating provides many years of service. These different finishes work great in many residential, agricultural and industrial conditions. For: Clean Room, Food Service, Health Care, Industrial and Warehouse. It is modular, with add-ons, mobile or reconfigurable.
Y
Yarn Dyed
Fabric where the yarn is dyed before it is woven or knitted.
I am an Etsy, Fiverr Affiliate, Shelving.com, StandSteady.com, SwimOutlet.com, ZumaOffice.com, GameFly.com, cambriabike.com, Quictent.com, Crandall Office Furniture, Jackery, The New Alpha, Coinbase, RVT , Industry West, Eternity Modern, Walrus Oil, Antique Farm House furniture, Casa Gear promotor and have Bookshop.org/shop/Local831Furniture, and get a small commission from each sale.
Local831Lifestyle.com and Local831Workstyle.com
Get Cash Back with Rakuten
Thank you for your support.