Furniture Facts
Box Cushion A cushion with sharp angles that is box shaped.
Skirt A strip of fabric which carries the sofa or chair design down to the floor and hides legs or casters. Can be ruffled, pleats, tailored, etc.
Nailhead trimming Used to secure heavier coverings such as leather to framework. The nails are aligned to emphasize the lines of the furniture piece.
Button Tufting Buttons secure the outer covering and filling in a deep indentation in a 3D pattern.
Up-the-bolt Orientation of fabric to the furniture it covers.
Railroad Orientation of fabric to the furniture it covers.
Welting Inserting fabric-covered cord into the seam. The fabric cover can be the same as the other upholstery fabric or a contrasting fabric.
Futon Refers to the frame and soft mattress of a dual-use piece of furniture used for seating and sleeping.
Sofa Bed An upholstered sofa with a mattress concealed under the cushions.
Sofa A long upholstered seating form with arms.
Settee A seating piece that can be either upholstered or not, and usually accommodates two people.
Loveseat A long upholstered seating form with arms that is shorter than a sofa and accommodates two people.
Camel Back Sofa A sofa with a gracefully curved and humped back.
Récamier A reclining couch for one person.
T-Cushion A chair/sofa cushion shaped roughly like a "T" to accommodate arms.
Arm Caps Fitted or unfitted protective covers for furniture arms in matching fabric.
Club Chair An upholstered chair with a low back.
Armchair Any chair with arms. Can be very stiff and formal, or quite floppy and comfortable.
Side Chair A more formal, less upholstered, light chair, often used as dining chairs.
Recliner A chair that does just what the name implies - reclines. All have built-in ottomans or footrests.
Wing Chair A traditional chair with wing-like projections from the side of the back, first used as protection against draft.
Coffee Table A style of long, low table which is designed to be placed in front of a sofa to support beverages, magazines, books, and other small items to be used while sitting.
Side or End Table A small table usually the height of a sofa arm that is intended to be placed next to seating furniture.
Bedside Table or Nightstand A small table used in a bedroom. It is often used for convenient placement of a small lamp, alarm clock, glasses, or other personal items.
Gateleg Table A gateleg table has one or two hinged leaves that can drop vertically to contract the table surface area.
Chess Table A chess table is a type of game table that integrates a chessboard.
Refectory Table A Refectory table is a long dining table designed to seat many people during dining.
Pembroke table A table that features a rectangular or oval top with folding or drop leaves on each side. Most examples have one or more drawers and four legs.
Sofa Table Sofa tables evolved from Pembroke tables and usually have longer and narrower tops. They were specifically designed for placement directly in front of sofas for serving tea, writing, dining, or other convenient uses, but are now used against a wall or against the back of the sofa.
Slipcover A loose or fitted cover that encases a piece of upholstered furniture. The slipcover may be taken off for washing or changed for decor change.
Knock-down Furniture Unassembled or self-assembled furniture that is assembled by the end user.
Loose Pillow Construction A style of sofa or chair which features separate detachable pillows for back support.
Pedestal Base Base placed under the center of a piece of furniture. Commonly used on tables, recliners and swivel rockers.
Spindle A round piece of wood, usually turned or carved, used as exterior wood trim on chairs and tables.
Étagère A piece of furniture consisting of a set of open shelves for displaying small objects and sometimes having an enclosed cabinet as a base.
Miter Miter joints are made by cutting the ends of the pieces on an angle equal to one half of the angle of the finished product, so a square 90° corner is made by cutting each piece at a 45° angle.
Butt Joint Two flat pieces are butted together and joined.
Dovetail Joint Blind dovetails are often used in drawer construction because of the strength the locking design provides.
Finger Joint Finger joints are long tapered fingers that interlock to join two pieces lengthwise as in commercial molding or side by side in panels.
Mortise & Tenon Joint Simple and strong, the mortise and tenon joint is used to join two pieces of wood, most often at an angle close to 90°.
Box Joint Box joints are square interlocking fingers to join two pieces at a right angle.