Furniture'ology - Furniture Glossary

Confused by some of the terms used in the furniture world? Not to worry! Blue Springs Furniture Gallery has assembled some of the most commonly used terms in the furniture business below.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | R | S | T | U | V | W

A

Accent Furniture: Any piece of furniture placed to add decoration to a room or to compliment another piece (or pieces) of furniture. Accent furniture may be placed simply for aesthetics or the piece may serve a practical purpose, such as an accent chest may store items such as blankets.

Area Rug: A rug intended to cover a limited area of a floor. Area rugs come in a variety of different materials, including wool, leather, silk and more.

Armoire: Another name for a tall, wide wardrobe usually having two large doors behind which clothes can be hung or stored. Armoires originated in France where they were used for the storage of armor.

Arrow Foot: A cylindrical foot which is tapered and separated from the leg by a turned ring.

Art Decor: Any type of artistic medium used to decorate a room. One of the most popular forms of art décor is wall art. Both framed and unframed pieces can add feeling and personalization to a home. Tapestries are also a type of art décor, as are sculptures, bowls, vases, and even chinaware.

Attached Back Pillow: A pillow treatment which cannot be removed from the upholstered piece.

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B

Baby Crib: A small bed with high, usually slatted sides made for ensuring the baby won’t climb or fall out. Baby cribs may be simple, or they may have features such as built-in soothing music, varying speed vibrations, and a mobile or toys hanging overhead.

Baby Furniture: Any kind of furniture made specifically for a baby such as baby cribs and mattresses, playpens, highchairs and changing tables. Popular nursery furniture also includes armoires, dressers, rocking chairs, toy boxes and rugs.

Bachelors Chest: A low chest of drawers, traditionally with a slide that pulls out for writing.

Ball Foot: The rounded end of a turned leg which has a hooded effect.

Barrel Back: A chair or sofa with the arms and back forming a continuous curve.

Bathroom Furniture: Furniture placed in a bathroom, usually to store or hang linens or other bath essentials.

Bedding: Linens such as comforters, sheets, pillow cases, bedskirts and shams are called “Bedding” or “Bed Linens”. Quilts and blankets put on a bed for warmth are also considered bedding.

Bedroom Furniture: Furniture sets that are placed in your bedroom such as bed, dresser, chest of drawers, and nightstand. Some bedroom furniture collections even come with an armoire, chiffonier, or storage chest. Depending on your preference, you may choose contemporary, traditional or transitional styled bedrooms.

Blanket Chest: A low box-like check designed for storing blankets often having a hinged top and a drawer near the base.

Bow Back: A chair back formed by a bent piece of wood fitted with vertical spindles (as in a Windsor chair). The bow or hoop is continuous down to the arms or the seat.

Brass: An alloy of copper composed of copper and zinc. Brass is stronger than copper and has a more yellow color. It is often made into headboards, footboards, frames, lamps, table top accessories and occasional tables. Brass will tarnish when exposed to the air if not coated with a clear protective coating.

Brass Plate: Brass plated furniture usually has steel frames electroplated with a thin layer of brass or nickel and brass. The plated surfaces should be smooth, free from water marks and covered by a protective coating.

Brewster Chair: An American colonial wooden chair with heavy turned posts, many turned spindles and a wood seat. Provincial Jackobean style influences.

Broken Pediment: The space or structure above the cornice in which the side lines or scrolls do not meet in the center or come to a point. Often used on secretaries, clocks or chinas.

Buffet: A small cupboard or sideboard used to store dining implements.

Bun Foot: A flattened ball foot.

Bunk Bed: Two beds that are joined together so that one is placed above the other. Bunk beds are often used in kids rooms and dormitories. Federal safety standards exist for bunk bed ladders and rails which protect children from falling injuries.

Bureau: A chest of drawers used in the bedroom. See dresser.

Butler's Table: An oval wooden tray on legs whose four sides are hinged to fold out flat when set down.

Butterfly Table: A small drop-leaf table whose leaves are supported by a swinging support which resembles a butterfly wing on a rudder.

Button Tufted: Fabric covered buttons are sewn through the upholstery surface and tied down. The placement of buttons and the resulting folds produce geometric patterns.

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C

Cabriole: A furniture leg that curves outward from the structure which it supports and then descends in a tapering reverse curve terminating in an ornamental foot. Often used in Queen Anne and Chippendale dining chairs.

Camel Back: Double curved back, shield shaped; characteristic Hepplewhite style.

Canopy Bed: Canopy beds are beds decorated with a canopy. Sometimes they use four posts that are connected at the top with rails that fabric can be hung from. Other times, a hoop is hung from the ceiling over the bed and the fabric drapes down from the hoop. Originally, they were developed to provide protection from insects but now are more commonly used in a decorative fashion.

Case Piece: Furniture that provides interior space for storage.

Casting: The art of forming metal objects by pouring the molten metal into a mold and allowing in to harden. After hardening, the castings are finished by hand.

Center Glide: A center track that a drawer glides on.

Chair: A piece of furniture made for a person to comfortably sit on. Usually consists of a seat, legs, back and arms. Some types of chairs (such as some dining chairs) do not have arms.

Chaise Lounge: A type of sofa or daybed designed for reclining and resembling an elongated chair.

Chest On Chest: Primarily English and American 18th and 19th Century pieces composed of two stacked chests of drawers. The upper chest usually being smaller than the lower.

China Cabinet: A cabinet which is used for the display and storage of fine china. It is often massive with front and side glass panels.

Chinoiserie: Painted or lacquered Chinese designs.

Chip Core: A board made of chips of wood which are held together with resin and compressed into a strong, warp resistant panel.

Claw and Ball Foot: The terminal portion of a furniture leg (often cabriole) consisting of a carved animal or bird claw clutching a sphere.

Club Foot: A rounded foot that resembles a club resting on a flat base.

Coffee Table: A long, narrow occasional table usually placed in front of a sofa. Also known as a “Cocktail Table”. Coffee tables are used for display or storage of magazines and books and also for the placement of beverages.

Coil Springs: Wire coils used in quality upholstery to give a desired resiliency and firmness to the seat and back. These are often "tied" or incorporated in a "marshall unit."

Comb Back: A Windsor chair having an extension of the back above the arm rail that consists of five or more spindles and a curved top rail that resembles a comb.

Commode: A low chest of drawers and/or doors or a cabinet on legs which usually stands against a wall.

Component: An electrical device such as a cassette deck, compact disk player, graphic equalizer or amplifier. Each is purchased separately and then connected together to make a complete system.

Console: A table that is fixed to a wall and supported by one or more carved legs. Also any table meant to be placed against a wall.

Corner Blocks: Blocks of wood that are placed at major joints in a furniture frame. Usually glued and screwed into place. Triangular blocks which strengthen important frame joints.

Corner Cupboard: A triangular shaped dining room china cabinet made to fit into a corner.

Couch (Lounge): A sofa that has a half-back and only a head end.

Credenza: A sideboard of buffet.

Cupboard: A cabinet, box or closet with shelves designed to hold cups, dishes or food.

Curio: A case piece which has glass doors, panels and shelves, which is used to display collectibles. Derived from "curiosity" cabinet.

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D

Daybed: A sofa with head and foot and/or back pieces, having a twin sized mattress which doubles as a sitting and sleeping surface. Daybeds often have decorative removable covers and matching pillows or bolsters which act as back rests.

Dentil Molding: Ornamental cornice molding consisting of rectangular blocks spaced at regular intervals resembling teeth.

Diamond Tufting: An arrangement of tufting buttons to yield a diamond shaped pattern on the back of an upholstered piece.

Dining Chairs: A chair usually accompanied by a dining table. The most popular style of dining chair is the side chair, a chair with a back but no arms. Although the armless chair is most popular for dining, a chair with arms may also be a comfortable alternative.

Dining Table: A dining table is a table at which meals are served. Dining tables have evolved into many different styles and shapes. The most common shapes are square or rectangular and round or oval. Some dining tables have the versatility of additional leaves that can be added or removed from the table to provide for extra space when needed. Dining Room Furniture Sets are often accompanied by matching chairs, buffets, hutches, china cabinets, or a sideboard server.

Dorm Furniture: Furniture made with space-saving features suitable for a small (sometimes shared) dorm room. Loft beds are a very popular dorm room item, as they combine sleeping space with study space. Other pieces of furniture include desks and desk chairs, sofas, shelving and dinettes.

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E

Easy Chair: Any large chair which is suitable for lounging.

Entertainment Center: An entertainment center is a shelving unit to place a TV and stereo equipment on. The larger TV’s have become, the larger entertainment units have grown.

Entryway Furniture: Any furniture found in the entryway of a home, upon entering the front door. May include benches (for easy removal of shoes), coat racks, umbrella stands, rugs and hall trees.

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F

Fiddleback: Chair back whose splat looks like a violin.

Finger Joint: A joint made with interlocking finger-like projections in two boards.

Finials: The curved cast, turned or stamped decorative piece that adorns the top of bed posts.

Floor Lamp: A tall lamp which stands on the floor, usually including a wide base to prevent the lamp from falling or tipping.

Four Poster: Any bed with four high posts positioned at each corner. Originally, the posts were designed to support elaborate fabric curtains and upholstered treatments which totally enclosed the bed.

Frame: The bed frame supports the mattress and attaches to the headboard and footboard. They often have self locking devices at each corner and are connected to threaded reinforcements inside the bedposts. The wooden skeleton of an upholstered piece.

Futon: A futon is a type of sofa that folds down into a bed. They often have a ‘futon mat’ as a mattress that doubles as a seat cushion when it’s folded up into the sofa position.

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G

Gallery: A small ornamental barrier or railing around the top of a table, cabinet or buffet, etc.

Game Room Furniture: Furniture which is useful in a game room or recreational room. This includes game tables for playing card games or board games as well as pool tables and covers.

Gateleg Table: A table which has drop leaves supported by a leg which swings out like a gate.

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H

Hand Tied: Single coil springs that are attached to the webbing with links and then "hand tied" to each other and the frame with twine to achieve differing amounts of elasticity in the seat. Two, four, and eight way hand ties are commonly used. The more ways the spring is tied, the harder the seat.

Hardwood: Wood derived from angiosperms (broad leafed trees such as oak, beech, maple, mahogany, and walnut). The category consists of some woods that are actually much softer than "softwoods."

Hardwood Frames: Frames which are made from hardwoods such as ash, oak, or birch. These woods are usually kiln dried and resist splitting.

Headboard: An upright structure rising above the mattress at the head of the bed. Common types include the chairback headboard, panel headboard, and bookcase headboard.

High Body: A tall chest of drawers that is often made in two sections - the upper chest is sitting on a table with long legs called a lowboy.

High Pressure Laminates: Synthetic sheet surfacings that are bonded to a core material. Laminates offer heat, soil, and stain resistance. They can be grain and color matched to surrounding woods for use in dresser or bureau tops, or produces in decorative colors used to surface entire contemporary bedroom suites.

Hitchcock Chair: Named for American furniture manufacturer Lambert Hitchcock, the chair has a rush or caned seat, slightly bent back, and an oval turned top rail. These chairs are often painted or stenciled with fruit and flower patterns.

Hock Leg: A cabriole leg having a broken curve on the inner side of the knee.

Hogarth Chair: A 18th Century Queen Anne styled side chair with a hooped back, pierced splat and cabriole legs.

Home Office Furniture: Home office furniture consists of office chairs, computer desks and bookcases that can be used to turn your room into an office at home.

Hoop Back: A chair back formed by a bent piece of wood fitted with vertical spindles. In Windsor chairs a bow back.

Horseshoe Back: The outward sweep at the base of the bow in the back of a Windsor chair.

Hutch: A low cupboard with doors usually surrounded by open shelves.

Hutch Mirror: A mirror incorporated into an open shelved cabinet designed to sit on a dresser.

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I

Inlay: Wood or other materials which are set into corresponding carved out recesses often producing a pattern.

Iron Beds: Term often used to describe beds made of steel that are coated with white or colored protective coatings.

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J

Japanese Platform Bed: Japanese platform beds are known for gently swooping lines, reminiscent of the architectural phenomena of pagodas.

Jewelry Armoire: A tall storage cabinet with drawers and sometimes double doors which open to reveal hooks, compartments and shelves for easy storage of jewelry and valuables. A mirror and felt-lined compartments are also common additions to an armoire.

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K

Kids Furniture: Kids furniture is specially designed for kids. It is usually designed with eye-catching colors and styles that are suitable for children. Some kids furniture is designed with space saving functions like storage drawers and desks built into the beds.

Kiln Dried: Kiln drying reduces the moisture content of the lumber, a process which inhibits checking, splitting and strengthens the finished product.

Kitchen Furniture: May include storage furniture for storing food related items or tableware such as bakers racks, wine racks and pot racks. Kitchen carts and islands are (sometimes moveable) pieces of furniture used for preparing or serving food.

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L

Ladder Back: A chair back which has horizontal cross rails or slats that resemble a ladder.

Lawson: An overstuffed furniture design that has square seat cushion, short square shaped back rests and high square or rolled arms. Variations of the Lawson sofa are often called transitional.

Leather Recliner: A leather recliner is a chair that reclines when the person lowers the chair's back and raises the front. Leather is the material it’s upholstered in and can be found in different leather grades. Some recliners come with complimentary ottomans while others may have drink holders or adjustable headrests, back rests, arm rests, and foot rests. Some swivel while others are stationary.

Library Storage: Drawers, trays, cabinets or racks designed to store cassettes, compact discs or VHS tapes. They often roll or slide out for easy accessibility.

Lighting: Any furniture such as table lamps, chandeliers, floor lamps or wall lanterns which are made for illuminating a room, patio, or walkway in dark environments or at night.

Lingerie Chest: A tall, narrow chest or drawers originally designed to hold women's undergarments.

Living Room Furniture: Living room furniture usually includes couches, sofas, coffee tables, end tables, love seats, and chairs that are placed in your living room. Styles range from traditional to contemporary and transitional, which is a combination of styles.

Loft Bed: Loft beds are similar to bunk beds except there is sometimes only one bed and the lower space is used for storage or a desk. Often the beds are placed perpendicular to each other and the supports for the top bed also container drawers, shelving, or cabinets for storage.

Log Furniture: Furniture crafted from wood logs. Log furniture is known for its style of long, cylindrical pieces and is prized for its rustic sometimes craggy look. Although some prefer the sleeker more finished log pieces. Both types can bring a “natural” feel to a room, as the wood is not usually stained, although still lacquered as a protective finish for durability.

Loop Back: An oval chair back or a Windsor bow back without arms.

Loose Pillow Back: A pillow treatment which can be removed from an upholstered piece.

Loveseat: Double chair or small sofa.

Lyre Motif: Representations of a harp-like instrument are used in many French and English designs. The lyre is used extensively in the chair backs and table supports of Duncan Phyfe.

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M

Marlborough Legs: A heavy strait leg used by Chippendale and others.

Marshall Unit: Coil springs which are inserted in separate pockets and then joined together to form cushions.

Mattress: A large rectangular pad used for supporting a person’s body comfortably while they sleep. A mattress is most often combined with a bed frame and a box-spring although may be used by itself. Mattresses may contain coil springs, foam rubber (or “memory foam”) or air chambers.

Memory Foam Mattress: A Memory Foam Mattress is distinguished from a regular ‘inner-coil’ mattress in the way that it is made. Memory foam mattresses are made only with memory foam, which is made from polyurethane with additional chemicals that add to its viscosity level. Memory foam was initially developed by NASA to protect astronauts from G forces and impact on landing. Different types of memory foam mattresses have different thicknesses and densities of memory foam in the layers of memory foam that provide the support.

Miter Joint: A joint made by fastening two pieces cut at an angle (usually 90 degrees).

Mortise: A hole, groove or slot in wood into which a tenon or tongue fits to form a secure joint.

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N

Nest-of-Tables: Small occasional tables which are graduated in size so that they slide beneath one another.

Night Stand: A small, low table or cabinet which sits by a bed.

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O

Office Chair: A chair used in an office environment featuring a comfortable seat and back and the ability to turn 360 degrees. Comfort and posture are very important in an office chair, as it may be used for a long period of time in a workday.

Online Furniture Store: In contrast to the traditional furniture store, an online furniture store like QualityForLess.com gives you the opportunity to browse our wide selection of furniture directly we can obtain online and request to have it delivered.

Ottoman: An upholstered seat or couch usually without a back or an overstuffed footstool.

Oval Back: The shape of a chairback often associated with Hepplewhite designs.

Overstuffed Furniture: Upholstered pieces in which the wood frame is completely and deeply covered by the upholstery with little exposed woodwork.

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P

Pad Foot: A simple foot treatment at the end of a cabriole leg.

Pad Seat: Upholstered furniture built without springs. The seat usually has a solid or webbed base padded with loose stuffing and overlaid with a sofa material (felted cotton, poly-dacron).

Parquet Top: A table top made by using joinery or inlay which has geometric or other patterns usually made from different colored woods.

Parsons Leg: A relatively long fully upholstered leg.

b Patio furniture is mainly used outside on the patio or around the pool. It’s designed to withstand the elements. Patio or pool furniture is made from teak, cedar, aluminum, or plastic compounds.

Pedestal Table: A table which has a central supporting column or pillar.

Pediment: The usually triangular or rounded structure above the cornice often seen in tall case pieces.

Pier Group: Two very tall, narrow chests (pier cabinets) which sit at the head on either side of a bed.

Piping (fluting): Used on barrel back, fan back, kidney shaped and hollow backed upholstered pieces. Individual upholstered pockets (pipes) are stuffed separately to give a comfortable soft curve in the back.

Platform Bed: Platform beds are beds whose bases consists of a raised, flat, hard, horizontal surface meant to support a mattress. Usually, they have a ‘low-profile’ footboard. You can use them with or without a boxspring, depending on your preference.

Plinth Base: A squared base (sometimes other shapes) which sits on the floor and usually recessed from the outermost outlines of the case piece.

Poly Dacron Wrap: A cushion construction method in which a soft resilient polyester material is wrapped around a polyurethane core.

Pool Table: A table with six pockets, one in each corner and two in the middle on both sides, used for playing the game of pool. Both the playing surface and the cushions (inner sides) are covered with felt of varying colors (usually green). Some tables come with a protective pad used for covering the table when not in use.

Pressboard: A strong, highly glazed board sometimes used for case backs, dust proofing or as the underlying structural base for veneers, engraving or vinyl wrap. Also known as composition board or particle board.

Punch-out Back: Entertainment centers are designed to hold many pieces of audio/video equipment each with separate power plugs, input/output cables, and antennas. To allow these unit's wires to connect with each other, entertainment centers either have fully or partially open backs or backs with removable panels that can be "punched out."

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R

Rail Joints: The places where the horizontal members of an upholstered frame meet. These joints are often screwed, glued and doubled doweled for extra strength.

Rattan Furniture: Furniture made from Rattan, which is the name used for roughly 600 species of palms native to various tropical regions. Rattan features a slender, flexible stem which makes it very easy to craft into furniture items. Rattan furniture is used both indoors and outdoors to create a tropical look, although when used outdoors it may need to be brought out of harmful weather to prevent deterioration.

Recliner: An upholstered armchair which can be put into a reclining position, with the back lowered and the front (foot rest) raised. Usually includes well-cushioned arms.

Recliner Sofa: Just like a reclining chair, a recliner sofa's back can be lowered and its front can be raised so that you can sit comfortably in a reclined position and you can adjust the sofa accordingly to fit your own preferred setting. Reclining loveseats are also available.

Refectory Table: A long narrow table with heavy stretchers positioned close to the floor which was originally used by religious orders in the middle ages. Modern adaptations are shorter and have underleaves.

Rolled Arms: Arms which flare out, then down and return to meet the sides of a chair or sofa - appearing to have been rolled.

Ruffled Pleat (Sheer Pleat): A skirt treatment in which unlined fabric is gathered to achieve a ruffled effect.

Rug: A thick woven piece of fabric used for covering certain areas of a floor, either for aesthetics or comfort. Rugs are highly customizable, using varying materials and colors. Designs may be abstract or displaying a certain image.

Rule Joint: A knuckle joint as between a table top and drop leaf that leaves no open space when the leaf is down.

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S

Saddle: A chair seat which has been hollowed to the sides and back to resemble the pommel of a saddle. Often used in American colonial styled seats.

Scoop Seat: A chair with a seat that has been hollowed out to fit the body.

Scrolls: Scrolls (curls) are the supportive and decorative members shaped like a scroll or curl which are connected to posts, rails, and each other on many brass (especially traditional) headboards and footboards. Scrolls can either be solid or made from hollow tubing.

Sectional: Furniture made up of modular units capable of use separately or in various combinations.

Self Storing Leaves: Leaves that store within an extension table.

Serving Table: A long narrow side table with drawers used in dining rooms for silver storage.

Shield Back: A chair back used by Hepplewhite and Sheraton that resembles a shield, the outlines of which are formed by a double curved top rail with a half ellipse below.

Side Glide: A drawer located on the vertical side faces on the drawer.

Slat Back: Often used in American colonial styled chairs. This treatment uses horizontal rails across the back and looks similar to a ladder back.

Sleigh Bed: The sleigh bed has a high, scrolled headboard and footboard resembling the front of a sleigh.

Slip Seat: An upholstered "loose seat" insert that is dropped into the frame of a dining chair and can be removed for reupholstery.

Sofa Table: A long, thin, tall, occasional table placed against the back of a sofa or against a wall. Original 18th century versions had small, rounded drop leaf ends and drawers.

Soft Woods: Wood from a conifer (cone bearing tree). Pine, cedar and redwood are common examples.

Spiral Leg: A leg having the shape of a spiral or twisted rope.

Spooning: A curved chair back designed to fit the sitter's form. Common in Queen Anne styled chairs.

Spoon Back: To hollow out chair seats as in Windsor chairs. See also Saddle.

Springs: The most commonly used springs for upholstery are coil springs and sinuous springs.

Spring Edge: An upholstered seat front edge that is supported by springs rather than the hardwood frame giving added comfort.

Steam Bend: A method of bending a single piece of wood (bowback chair, bowed splat, etc.) into a furniture part. Since the wood grain is bent instead of cut, this method yields exceptional strength.

Storage Bed: Storage beds are beds that usually come with additional drawers underneath the bed to save space in the bedroom. Some storage beds have hydraulic lifts instead of drawers.

Swing Leg: A hinged table leg lacking a lower stretcher (as in a gate leg) which swings out to support a drop leaf.

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T

Table pad: Dining table pads are pads or covers that are used for protection of a dining table. On one side they are covered in felt so they don’t scratch the table. On the other side they’re covered in a heat resistant vinyl. Table pads are made with seams to allow folding for easy storage when you don’t have it on your table. They can be ordered custom made to fit any style or shape of table and with a selection of colors.

Tapered Leg: A chair leg whose thickness is reduced as it approaches the bottom.

Tee Seat Cushions: A loose seat cushion whose outside front edges laterally in the front of the arm of an upholstered piece.

Television Cavity: Most audio components have standard physical dimensions, but televisions vary widely in height, width and depth. If a customer's television is too deep for the entertainment center, its back will protrude beyond the back of the case and force replacement of the case away from the wall. If a TV's width and height exceeds the physical dimensions of the case, the television will not fit at all. Television tube size is measured diagonally across the front of the tube. Today's sets generally have similar dimensions, but older sets vary widely in height width and depth. Larger tubes are becoming more popular.

Tester Bed: A four poster bed that has a canopy supported by a frame.

Tight Seat Bed: Fully upholstered back designed not to have a cushion.

Trestle Table: A table top supported by a braced frame (divided foot, horse), often consisting of two posts with feet, joined by a connecting member.

Trifold Mirror: A tri-fold or tri-view mirror sits on or hangs above a dresser. It has a central mirror panel and two mirrored side panels that produce three images of a person looking in the mirror.

Trundle Bed: A low or collapsible bed which is stored under another bed.

Turning: The shaping of chair or table legs on a lathe.

Tuxedo Arms: Slightly flared arms that are the same height as the back.

Twist: A chair or table turning resembling a screw or spiral.

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U

Urethane Foam (Polyurethane): Flexible polyurethane foam is used as a cushioning material in upholstered furniture seats, backs and arms. It is an extremely versatile product that can be produced to have practically any "feel" - from very firm to very plush. For seat cushioning, foams that have a density of 1.8 pounds per cubic foot or higher offer the best support and durability characteristics. Several types of polyurethane foam are used in upholstered furniture. Conventional polyurethane is the most widely used. High resilience (HR foam) is used at higher price points because it offers superior support and surface softness. High comfort (HC foam) normally falls between conventional foams or foams containing a variety of materials used to increase density are also used.

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V

Veneer: A thin decorative layer of wood which is applied to underlying wood solids or particleboard. Veneers are used to match and balance grain, create inlay and banding effects.

Vinyl Wrap: Flexible vinyl wrapping applied to underlying wood solids or particleboard to produce a surface that most often resembles wood. It is often used in less expensive furniture applications.

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W

Wall Units: Large free-standing or wall hung units which can have drawers, shelves, cabinets, desks, ban units, entertainment centers or a variety of other features.

Webbing: Interwoven 3.5 inch wide jute (or synthetic) strips that provide a foundations for many upholstered arms, backs, seats and wings.

Welting: Cord wrapped in fabric which is used to trim upholstery seams and places where the fabric meets exposed wood.

Windsor Chair: A wooden chair with a bentwood, fan, hoops or bow back and legs which are pegged into a thick saddle seat. The back is often formed of plain or turned spindles with or without splats.

Wing Back Chair: A comfortable large chair with side pieces (ears, wings) attached to the sides of the back, usually overstuffed.

Wrap Group: Bedroom furniture designed to sit against a wall that can be juxtaposed to "wrap" around a room. Wrap groups often include small scale chests, hutches, student desks and corner desks.