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Armoire
A movable wardrobe or cupboard, usually with one or two doors, originating in late 16th century France.
Ball & claw foot
A design in which the feet of a piece of furniture are carved to like a claw grasping a ball. A hallmark of 18th-century furniture.
Bergere
A large armchair, low standing and meant to be comfortable, with the center area between the arms upholstered.
Bonnet top
An enclosed, hooded top, usually on a secretary or china cabinet.
Burl
A swirl or twist of the grain of the wood which usually occurs near a knot, but does not contain a knot.
Casegood
A broad term that includes most wood furniture: chests, armoires, nightstands, tables, chairs, cabinets, desks, book cases, file cabinets, etc.
Credenza
Sideboard for serving table, with a cupboard below the surface. In office furniture, it refers to a horizontal filing cabinet often placed decoratively behind a desk.
Double doweled
A dowel is a headless pin usually made of wood. In furniture construction, two small holes are cut into two pieces of wood. The boards are then joined by inserting two small round pegs into the holes of one board. The dowels are inserted into the other board and the joint is glued. Double-doweled means that furniture is crated with two dowels in place of one, creating a sturdier piece.
Dovetail drawer
A drawer constructed with a form of locking joints that fit two pieces of wood together.
Eight-way hand-tied
Eight-way-hand-tied coils look like hourglasses tied in place. This coil system is more labor-intensive than other types. The fabric wears better on eight-way hand-tied pieces. The piece also feels more luxurious when you sit on it.
English dovetail
Some drawer fronts have a dovetail-shaped groove going up and down into which the sides of the drawer slide. “English Dovetails” look like interlocking fingers.
Etagere
a piece of furniture that has a set of open shelves for displaying small objects, and sometimes has an enclosed cabinet as a base.
Finger joints
Long, tapered fingers that interlock to join two pieces of wood and create a continuous relationship of the grain. They hold extremely well and are used in most antique furniture.
Foam density
The density rating of foam material is the best indicator of the quality of the foam. The higher the density rating, the higher the quality of the foam—and the longer you can expect it to maintain its shape, loft and support.
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French dovetail
Also called a Through Dovetail, this form of locking joint looks most similar to a puzzle piece. One board has a flared protrusion which fits into a matching flared hole in the adjoining board.
Glued and corner blocked
Corner blocks sit at the corners that join two pieces of wood. They are small blocks of wood cut to fit an exact space—then glued into the corner. This is usually used to reinforce a joint rather than be the only method of joining. Corner blocks are often a sign of the best drawer constructions. They not only hold the drawer together, they also help strengthen the box and make sure it doesn't move out of its original fit.
Lacquer
A clear or colored finish material that dries to a hard, glossy finish. Also provides added strength and protection.
Marquetry
An inlay, generally of wood or ivory, arranged in a distinctive pattern. Found in Arts & Crafts movement. Rare, grained, and colored woods are usually used, but thin layers of tortoiseshell, ivory, mother-of-pearl, and metals are also seen.
Nest of tables
A set of three or four occasional tables that slot into each other when not in use.
No-sag spring
Refers to springs made with heavy-gauge steel parts to ensure durability.
Quarter-sawn
A method of cutting lumber where the annual rings are relatively perpendicular to the face of the board. Quarter-sawn lumber tends to be more dimensionally stable than other forms of lumber, such as plane-sawn.
Red oak
Similar in general appearance to white oak, but with a slightly less pronounced figure. The wood is mostly straight-grained, with a coarse texture.
Settee
A wide chair, for two or more persons.
Sideboard
Also known as a “buffet.” A piece of furniture that stands at the side of a dining room; has shelves and drawers.
Tongue and groove joints
Two pieces are joined by cutting an edge or shape on one piece of wood which fits into a groove cut in the other board. The tongue and groove must be cut in such a way that the boards fit together tightly without gaps.
Veneers
Thin, decorative slices of wood cut or sliced from a log, then applied to a core material of solid wood or particleboard. The technique allows the application of especially attractive grains to furniture surfaces, even when the wood from which the veneer is taken is too rare, expensive or hard-to-work to be used structurally.
Welt
A cord, often covered by fabric, that is used as an elegant trim on cushions, slipcovers, etc.
White oak
The sapwood is light-colored and the heartwood is light to dark brown. White oak is mostly straight-grained with a medium to coarse texture, with longer rays than red oak.
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