Shopping for furniture can be overwhelming, especially with all of the technical language used in the furniture industry. Familiarize yourself with these terms to gain knowledge that will help you make informed decisions about your purchases and create a pleasant shopping experience (More terms here).
Case Goods: A furniture industry term for pieces made of wood (not upholstered), especially those used in the dining room and bedroom.
Distressed: A surface that has been artificially aged with sanding, punctures or gouges.
Dovetail: Manufacturing technique of interlocking wedges used on wood furniture, frequently in drawer construction, to increase strength and stability.
Dowel: A round wooden pin, peg or rod fitted into holes in two pieces of wood to strengthen joints.
Embossing: A process of altering the natural grain of the leather by using etching, engraving, or elector typed plates or rollers creating a very uniform grain pattern.
Gliding: The application of a thin layer of metal to a surface.
Gold Leaf: A thin foil or sheet of gold measuring 0.1 micrometers in thickness. Gold leaf is generally used in decorative or gliding applications. Gold leaf can be applied to picture frames, furniture, paintings, walls and even other metals.
Hand: The touch or feel of a fabric to the hand; its tactile qualities including softness, resilience, firmness, and delicacy.
Hand-Rub: Process of using cloth, pad or felt with rottenstone or pumice and oil to smooth topcoat wood finish by hand.
Hand-Tied: In upholstery construction, the process by which single-coil springs are hand-tied to each other and the frame to control seat elasticity. In this popular technique, individual seat springs are tied to the frame with twine (or a similar material) running vertically, horizontally and diagonally. The more ways the spring is tied, the higher the construction quality, with eight-way hand-tied being prevalent in high-quality construction.
Inlay: A design formed of contrasting woods, grains, metal, tortoiseshell, mother of pearl, or other material inserted to be flush with the furniture surface.
Knock-Off: Expression used within the furniture industry to refer to an obvious copy of a popular design that has been reproduced for sale at a lower price than the quality original.
Miter Joint: Corner joint of moldings framing a panel; each edge of the joint at a 45-degree angle.
Occasional Furniture: Small furniture items such as cocktail tables, end tables, nightstands, pull-up chairs, etc.
Open Stock: Furniture regularly kept in stock and often available for quick delivery. Does not include custom-made or specially finished furniture.
Repeat: In fabric, a single complete unit of a pattern as it repeats on a fabric.
Veneer: A thin sheet of wood glued to a piece of furniture for decorative effect.
Welting: A fabric-covered cord sewn into upholstery edge seems to firmly define an edge, adding strength and finished appearance to seams.