Interior Design Terminology

Accessory – Decorative objects of art, lighting, plants, area rugs, wall decorations added to the interior to enhance and reinforce the design style.

Accordion fold – Tailored, pleated fabric with uniform exterior & interior appearance. (zigzag configuration)

Acetate – Manufactured cellulose acetate textile fiber with fast drying, wrinkle & shrink resistance

Acrylic – Plastic resins to make synthetic fibers as coating or to bind pigment

Acrylic Coated – fabric coated with resin for waterproofing

A&D – Architecture and Design

Advancing Colors – warm or dark colors that make surfaces appear closer or larger

Adhesive – tacky material, glue like, mastic, paste, cement to secure one object to another.

Alligator Skin – printed or embossed fabric simulating the alligator skin

Anodize – a chemical process where a coating is etched onto metal

Anthropometric – The study of human measurements

Antique – All items that exists within or over 100 years (items, buildings, furniture)

Applique – decorations sewn onto or added on an existing surface; section of a wood that has been pre-cut, then glued and tacked to the main body parts of the furniture

Apron – Horizontal member or decorative band mounted below a work surface, attached to side vertical elements for stability and support; raised panel below a window seal

Arabesque – a pattern with multiple interlaced flowers, foliage, fruits, urns, and scrolls, often symmetric plaster castings adhered to wood doors and framed wall panels

Armoire – a large cabinet or wardrobe; can be converted to entertainment or computer center

Astragal – small convex molding, like a repetitive beaded details

Aubusson – named after a French village, these are handmade area rugs & tapestries for walls, featuring figures & scenic landscapes

Bachelor’s Chest – small, low, wooden cabinet w/ drawers & a top surface for writing

Backsplash – a vertical area behind a counter w/ or w/o sink, 4″(partial splash) -18″ (full backsplash)

Baker’s table – English marble-topped table, w/ decorative open iron base use for cooking pastry, 32-33″ high

Baluster – Small, heavily proportioned pillar used for vertical support of a railing. (vern: balustre, barandilla)

Venetian balcony – a column form of turned wood, twisted or tapered form or vase-shaped column

Balustrade – a railing composed of a series of balusters, bottom rail or top handrail; also used in smaller scale for furniture embellishments

Balloon Shade – fabric shade when raised, has a gathered bottom edge; it forms like a balloon

Banding – inlay or marquetry technique producing a contrast on the surface of the wood furniture

Banquette – a built-in or free-standing upholstered bench

Batting – thin layers of natural or synthetic cloth used to line cushions, pillows, quilts, & crafts

Bauhaus – a 20th century design school; promotes practical, theoretical, and influential art, craft, and architecture

Bead – small round ball made of a variety of materials with a center hole; that can be sewn or strung onto a cord

Bedding – a custom handmade or manufactured materials used on a bed for utilitarian purposes

Bed sheet – square panel of fabric w/ or w/o elastic edge used to encase the top mattress on a bed

Bed skirt – fabric bedding treatment, which spans bet. the upper & lower mattress beginning beneath a comforter to touch the floor. (to cover the bottom part of a bed with sewn fabrics)

Bedspread – fabric bedding treatment that covers a top mattress

Bench – long seat for several individuals, w/ or w/o a back support; workable for machinery

Bench-made – one artisan creates a piece of furniture from start to finish

Bench seat – built-in bench

Bentwood – wood steamed and bent to form a structural member of a furniture

Bergeré chair – overstuffed French upholstery chair with exposed wood frame; an armchair with closed arms; a chair with curvy wood frame or “bones”, & with soft padded cushions

Bevel – the slopping on the edge of a material (mirror) that diminishes the apparent size of the surface; it provides play of light and shade on the material

Beveled edge – slanted and polished edge detail used on wood, stone, glass, etc.

Bibliotheque – a cabinet that stores literary and artistic materials

Board and Batten – barn like exterior siding constructed of 12″ wide vertical boards joined side-to-side with smaller 1/2″ – 1″ boards covering the joints

Bobeche – glass ring added at the base of a candle to gather was or on the base of an electrified chandelier candle-cover to dangle prisms

Bolster – a cylindrical shaped pillow (w/ or w/o tassels, & trims)

Bombé – outward swelling of a commodes, bureaus, and armoires

Bookcase – a chest constructed with several open shelves to hold books and accessories

Book match – a method for a veneer, glued together to create a mirror image pattern

Bow front – convex cabinet front

Bowed – a board that does not sit flat, warped

Box spring cover – fabric sleeve constructed to hide box springs, often gathered with elastic on the underneath side

Box springs – wire coils connected to one another with an outer metal frame, often padded and encased in quilted fabric

Boulle work – applied to form a marquetry, veneer of tortoiseshells and brass, sometimes with other materials

Bracket – a decorative or structural (upside-down L-shape) projection of wood, iron, marble, polyurethane, or other materials to support overhangs, cantilevered objects; corbel

Breakfront – a large cabinet where the center section projects beyond the two side sections

Brushed finish – fabric finishing process using an abrasive surface creating a raised nap on the surface

Buffet – a linear furniture piece with storage for flatware; can also be use as a counter for serving

Bullion fringe – long, twisted, heat-set, multi-ply fringe often used on upholstery

Bullnose edge – thick, round edge detail usually for counter tops or other areas with edges

Bun foot – a furniture leg shaped like a bun or series of flatten balls

Bureau – American dresser or French writing desk

Burled wood – a hardwood w/ swirling growth patterns, used as a veneer for inlays

Burn out – a fabric composed of 2 fibers chemically printed to dissolve one of the fibers, leaving a see-through design or a positive/ negative appearance

Butt joint – woodworking joint for decorative purposes; 2 pieces of wood are joined together

Cabinet – a free-standing / built-in furniture w/ shelves & drawers for display and storage

Cabinetry – combination of built-in cabinets

Cabriole leg – a carved wood furniture leg that resembles an animal’s hip, thigh, & ankle, curving outward at the knee & tapering inward at the ankle (finished w/ foot, claw or a rounded pad)

Camelback Sofa – Sofa style with a hump or a large rise that resembles a camel’s back

Candelabra – decorative candle holders, can also be electrified

Cantilever – a projecting structural member supported on a fulcrum, held in a place by a downward force behind the leverage point

Carpentry – a process by w/c woodwork materials are manufactured and produced

Carve – adorn objects by cutting wood w/ sharp handheld instruments

Case goods – furniture pieces primarily constructed of wood

Casement cloth – semi-sheer, translucent, or opaque novelty fabric, in neutral color ways

Casework – custom woodwork of all parts that constitutes a finished case (e.g. cabinet)

Cast Iron – molten iron poured into a mold to create multiple castings (vern. pundido)

Chair – an individual seat constructed w/ a backrest, w/ 4 supporting legs or so

Chair rail/ Dado – any material in a horizontal trim installed on the wall in a room, usually 30″ / 762mm off the floor; used in large walls, further adorned with bead board, trim, wallpaper, or contrasting colors below and above

Chaise lounge – long reclining chair or sofa

Chifferobe – a large furniture wardrobe with drawers

Chinoiserie – a style of art depicting Asian/ Chinese motifs popular in France and England

Chiseled – stone shaped by a sharp hand tool

Classic – designs having withstood the test of time; classical proportions in architecture; classy or sleek

Claw foot – carved end of a furniture leg resembling an animal’s claw

Closet – a free-standing furniture, sheetrock enclosure or custom made cabinetry implemented to store belongings, fitted with drawers, rods, & racks

Coffee table – a low table placed in front of a sofa for coffee

Collage – patterns, images, and textures joined together in a surface to show another image, decoupage contrasting

Combing – a faux painting technique the teeth of the tool is dragged onto wet paint creating striations

Comforter – a bedcoverwith 2 fabric layer stitched down filled with a down or synthetic fiber fill

Commode – a cabinet or chest, typically raised off the floor with a legs, w/c can hold a wash basin or chamber pot

Concealed hinge – a hinge attached to a frame and door from the inside, making it invisible from the outside

Console – a carved decorative bracket; a control panel for monitoring electrical equipment usage

Console table – a table supported by ornamental consoles

Contemporary – Design style with simple lines, curves and geometric patterns

Continental pillow – 24″ European square decorative pillow, often used in sets of 3 on a king bedding as a backrest for a bank of pillows

Cording – machine-made or handmade decorative binding

Corner cabinet – built-in or independently crafted cabinet designed to fit tightly into the corner of a room, often symmetrically flaking 2 sides of a room

Couch – upholstered furniture used for seating or reclining; sofa

Counter – a horizontal work space that can be built-in or free-standing; 29″ for seat ht., 36″-39″ for standing ht.

Coverlet – decorative bedspread or bed covering

Crackle – surface finish creating a glaze of fine cracks; a fake crack texture

Craft – a handmade object; or hand-fabricated

Credenza – a linear wood chest, may have shelves and drawers, usually used in commercial spaces as other work space for computers, or sideboard or buffet in residential spaces

Cremone bolt – French surface mounted finish locking hardware with a sliding knob, operated by the center knob, in which the rod goes opposite directions to lock

Crown molding – molding installed between the wall and the ceiling, applied at the top of case goods

Curio cabinet – a slender display cabinet with glass shelves

Curly – undulating (wave-like) grain in wood, ribbon spiral

Curve – a smooth continuous line deviating from a straight line (arch, wave, etc.)

Cushion – a soft pillow or padding

Custom – made-to-order

Cut glass – a clear glass ornamentation cut by a diamond wheel to create decorative pattern on the glass, sometimes combined with etched glass patterns. Note: the art of creating hand-cut glass ornamentation on a curved glass surface has been lost; a method where a large curved glass panel is manipulated, suspended in a sling, over a diamond cutting wheel to create patterns

Dacron wrap – wrapping foam cushions with synthetic polyester layers for padding

Dado – a decoration on the lower portion of the wall, between the baseboard and the chair rail; section of a column pedestal above the base

Dado joint – woodworking joint where a groove is cut across the grain and another board is fitted into the groove

Decoupage – the art of decorating a surface with cut-outs, papers, memorabilia, that are sealed with lacquer or varnish for protection

Decoration – embellishment, ornamentation

Dentil – a molding pattern that is rectangular/ square blocks that are equally spaced along the surface creating a “teeth” motif

Depth – the overall measurement of an object from front to back

Design – executing, creating artistic arrangement skillfully

Desk – a horizontal or slanted working surface with storage, most often 29-30″ high (736mm)

Detail – a drawing in a larger scale, showing a portion or a part of a drawing, indicating the components all in all; specified markings

Diagonal cabinet – is a corner wall cabinet

Dimension – spatial qualities; measurements or height, length, width

Distressed – a finish technique creating an aged patina, uneven or worn appearance

Dobby – a mechanical attachment on a loom to weave geometric patterns

Dobby weave – a small symmetrical pattern repeats, formed by adjusting the harness attached to on a plain loom

Dovetail joint – a furniture joinery technique of interlocking “wedge” shaped finger cut-outs

Dowel – a round wood or metal pin used to reinforce furniture construction

Drawer – a wooden box, upper side open with a handle, function to be pulled out horizontally w/in a cabinetry or furniture

Dresser – a horizontal cabinet with drawers and usually with back paneled mirror, designed to store clothes, & personal items (bureau)

Drop match pattern – patterns where every other repeat (side to side) is dropped down one half of its length

Dust ruffle – a custom fabric bedding treatment applied between upper and lower mattress, touching the floor. (bed skirt)

Duvet cover – a fabric casing for a comforter or soft fill

Eclectic – a design style that utilizes elements from multiple style sources

Eight-way hand-tied – coiled springs used in furniture construction, knotted with twine from front to back, side to side and diagonally, interlocking adjacent coils

Embossed – raised ornament work/ 3d like design impressed on a surface; fabric created by rolling goods between engraved cylinders

Embossing – the act of creating raised effect on the surface

Enamel – a hard, glossy surface finish

End lap joint – a strong woodworking joint where two boards are rabbeted and joined

Engraving – a block, print or surface made from an etched or engraved plate

Entertainment center – cabinetry designed specifically to house for TV and audio items

Epergne – a decorative centerpiece having a stand that holds branches where dishes and flowers can be displayed

Ergonometrics – Study that deals with space planning in relationship with man’s activities, behaviors, and movements

Ergonomic – Products, methods, equipment, designed by scientific analysis of human function to enhance and improve health, safety and welfare

Escritoire – A writing desk (vern. eskritoryo)

Escutcheon – A protective plate installed behind door knobs, or as a key hole cover

Étagère – a tall, open shelving unit to display accessories, a hanging or standing shelves that is open in all sides

Etch – a design on metal, glass, etc. using wax or film created by revealing specific areas with a special needle/ tool; applying an etching material for frosted appearance

Etching – etched plate, drawing or design (etched glass)

Euro shams – square pillow shams, 24″x24″ used in combination with other bed pillows

Exposed hinge – a visible hinge attached to the door, and frame

Extruded – materials forced through a machinery die to form a specific shape (i.e. synthetic fiber)

Fabricated – an item created; produced

Fabrication – the process of creating or producing an item

Faux bois – reproducing or re-interpreting a painted wood grain finish, and furnishings; objects imitating wood logs, branches, and bark textures

Festoon – carved stone/ wood garland of fruit and flowers; folded window treatment

Fiber saturation point – refers to the limit reached of a wood when hygroscopic water remains

Fiberboard – a board compressed of wood shavings and glue

Figure pattern – refers to the design of timber produced on smooth longitudinal surfaces; rays, growth rings, change in color and texture

Finial – a decorative finish hardware of any material, used to cap drapery rods, newel posts, furnishings; used as a crowning ornament for furniture/ architecture

Finish – refers to the final material outcome or treatment on a surface

Finishes – different types of final treatments, coatings, stains, etc. on a surface

Finishing – fabric manufacturing process including weaving, printing, bleaching, dyeing, heat setting, napping, embossing , pressing, calendaring, or coating for fire-retardant/ waterproofing

Finish schedule – documents detailing doors, windows, furniture, room finishes, and other components for clarification for construction purposes

Finish hardware – refers to hardware such as hinges, locks, catches, that has finished appearance, functional fittings for doors, windows, cabinetry

Fitting – pertains to either pipe part, window hardware, decorative or functional hardware, or to building components that are fixed but not built-in

Flooring – synonymous for floor covering

Fluting – decorative parallel grooves, concave, and semi-circular in section on classical columns and friezes

Foam back – product with a laminated polyurethane foam backing

Foam core board/ foam board – a stiff Styrofoam sealed on front and back w/ laminated paper

Fret – a classical geometric ornamentation pattern that is repeated within the border

Fretwork – a Victorian machine-made wood work panels with different shapes that are intricate, openwork design; a Chinese lattice work

Full-sizing – a drafted elevation or pattern of an item in its actual size for comprehensive production guide

Furnishings – are what you call for all items including accessories, cabinets, furniture, window treatments, lighting, upholstery, etc.

Furniture – any free standing or built-in object that is constructed to be functional, it may be for seating, writing, storing, and other parts of human life

Furniture layout – is the positioning and arrangement of furniture, accessories that are space planned

Futon bed – a convertible frame with a mattress that can be use either as a sofa or a bed

Gate-leg table – a table with a drop leaf and a movable leg that supports the leaf when swung into, and retracted to let the leaf stay down

Gilded – an object that has a very thin gold overlay

Gilding – the act of overlaying thin gold film in an object ; or applying coating of gesso with gold leaf

Gingerbread – a term with elaborate lathe-turned or carved wood that adorns victorian structures, including brackets, posts, fretwork, pilasters, etc.

Girandoles – an embellished mirror with a pair of sconces installed permanently

Glazed chintz – a resin finish applied through a heat pressure process to chintz creating a polished surface

Gold leaf – a thin gold that is used to for gilding; usually applied over a red primer to increase vibrancy and luster

Greige, gray, grey goods – are unfinished and unbleached woven goods

Grommet – two round metal sleeves that protects an eyelet; another term for “hole”

Guilloche – a decorative pattern of interlacing curves

Half-lap joint – a woodworking joint that one end is rabbeted and the other board is dadoed somewhere in the middle

Hand forged – an iron heated and formed by means of hands e.i. wrought iron

Hardboard – a generic term for panel manufactured from interfelted lignocellulose fibers consolidated under hot press with heat and pressure

Hardware – any material that is added to mechanize the opertion of cabinetry, drawers, doors (ie cremone bolt)

Hardwood – a wood plank from a dense and strong slow-growing tree

Heartwood – it is a part of a tree trunk used to produce lumber, usually darker in color when it goes old and harder

Highboy – a tall queen anne style chest of drawers with legs

High low – a multi-level pile heights

High-style – any fashion or style that is up-to-date and costly

Inlay – it is a an ornamentation process whereas to set one material into the surface of another creating a pattern; inserting any material like ivory, stone, or shells to a surface; is a decorative technique of inserting pieces of contrasting, often coloured materials into depressions in a base object to form patterns

Interior trim – refers to the linear objects like baseboard, railing, molding, window and door trim

Ironwork – Decorative hand-forged iron and cast grilles and etc.

Jacobean – a 17th century embroidered crewel work imitating a stylized floral pattern

Japanning – a finishing method of succesive application of lacquer to an item from Japan and China

Joinery – a various method of connecting a material to another: butt, dovetail, dowel,mortise;
A craft assembling woodworking joints

KD – Kiln dried specification of a wood

Knock-down – also refer as KD, a furniture sold in parts to be assembled

Lacquer – a synthetic coating dried to form a protective film

Laminated – a cloth and synthetic layers bonded together to improve appearance and performance

Lamination – a method/process of bonding one layer to another under heat or pressure to be united

Lap desk – a wooden hinged box that when flipped open, provides a slanted writing surface; usually with leather or tooled inset

Lattice – a crisscross diagonal pattern

Leather – it is a preserved and tanned hide of an animal

Leather-like – a reproduction of material emulating an animal hide

Leatherette – is a man-made leather and has a different kinds of colors

Linen fold – a Tudor carved wood detail representing fabric folds on paneling

Loveseat – an upholstered seat with arms and back rest that is for two

Marbleized – faux finishing technique imitating a real marble

Marquetry – is the art of inlaying different woods, and other natural materials to create a picture.

Matte finish – a finish that is not glossy or shiny

MDF – Medium Density Fiberboard

Miter Joint – two boards are cut at a 45 degree angle and joined e.i. photo frame

Measurement – a specific unit of measure to compute for length, area, distance and etc.

Metal Finish – is a real or imitated metal finish including brass, bronze, chrome, steel, zinc, etc.

Metallic Finish – a metal finish with iridescent and reflective qualities

Millwork – a ready-made woodwork manufactured at a lumber mill

Mirror – a glass panel with mercury backing that reflects anything, it is often framed

Mitered corner – any material, wood, fabric folded or joined to create a 45 degree angle

Modesty Panel – a panel used on furniture to conceal view

Moisture content – refers to the water present in a wood and is expressed as a percentage of weight of oven dry wood

Mold – it is a form that when used reproduces multiple work of the same patterns from it; plaster, cement, plastic, etc.

Molded – it is the result created by a mold

Mortise – a slot cut into a piece of wood; it is where the tenon fits snugly into it to create a strong joinery

Motion upholstery – a soft seating offering swivels, recliners, and incliners

Murphy bed – a framed mattress that can be folded, or raised up to be concealed in a wall or a cabinet

Nail-head trim – upholstery detail using a series of decorative tacks

Niche – a crevice or recess part of a wall

Occasional table – a generic term used for any small table

Ogee edge – an edge detail with a “S” profile

Opaque – it is what you call any material or surface that the light can’t pass through

Ormolu – a cast brass, chiseled and gold-gilded decorative mountings for furniture

Ornament – a decorative object or a design added to an object

Ornamentation – the act of applying purely decorative details on an object

Ottoman – a heavy fabric with pronounced crosswise ribs; it is a foot stool

Padding – a fabric or material used for creating cushion

paint – is a tinted liquid agent that coats a surface making it opaque

Painted – a surface fully or partially coated with paint

Painting – the act of applying and coating of a surface with paint; an object of art created with various types of paints

Paisley – an intricate interlocking curvilinear pattern from India

Parquetry – a geometric wood patterns inlaid in flooring and furniture

Particle board – is also called as chipboard, it is a sheet that made up with wood chips glued and pressed to form under a high pressure and temperature

Partition wall – a non-structural dividing wall

Patina – a green film that forms in an aged copper or bronze due to the exposure of chemicals

Pattern – a repetitive or random arrangement of designs

Pattern repeat – increments between horizontal or vertical patterns repeated in fabric, wallcoverings, etc

Pedestal – is a support or stand for an object of art

Period – a specific time in history

Pillow – a stuffed cushion object that is made in various shape and sizes

Pillow sham – a fabric cover designed to protect a pillow

Plastic – a molded or extruded compounds formed through a chemical process

Plyboard – a manufactured sheet of wood from a thin pile of veneers and solid slats on the middle core

Plywood – a several layers of thin wood veneers glued together one top to another forming a wood sheet

Polyester – a synthetic polymer fiber manufactured from coal, water and petroleum, and has a shrink, stretch, and wrinkling resistant properties

Polymer – a synthetic material composed of monomers

Polyurethane – a synthetic resin manufactured from polymers joined by urethane used in adhesives, carpet padding, plastics, etc.

Pouf – a fabric gathered into a puff; a round upholstered tufted ottoman seen in the dressing area

Primer – the first application of paint to seal or prepare the wall surface

Proportion – is the comparative relationship between elements or objects in ratio, balance, degree

Prototyping – refers to the production of a 3d sample design, either full-sized or re-scaled

Quarter-sawn – logs cut in quarters lengthwise to reveal intricate wood grain patterns

Rabbet joint – a cut into the edge of a board (w/c can be joined to another board w/o notches)

Reeding – a carved wood detail combining a series of thin, parallel, convex lines used as inlay or applied carving

Relief – a raised ornament

Repoussé – a decorative metalwork outlined and embossed, hammered or punched on the back side

Retro – a term used for the style or fashion during 1940’s-1960’s

Ribbon – a thin band of fabric with finished edges used to tie, trim or embellish

Rocaille – a french origin shell-covered rock work ornamentation

Sapwood – the younger and softer sap-containing and usually light colored portion of the woody stem

Scallop – a curved shapes repeated along the edge of an object

Seconds – woven cloth with errors and flaws

Secretary – is a cabinet hinged surface opening forward onto pull-out supports revealing chubby holes for writing materials with a bookcase, often with glass door cabinet above

Sectional – is an elongated seating created with multiple connected units

Server – a furniture utilized in a dining area for storing and table services

Serpentine – winding and curving back and forth like a serpent

Set match – patterns set side by side on the same level

Settee – a light scaled, medium-sized or long bench

Shade – is the quality of difference of any color from its original color

Shading – is an effect, w/c appears along a seam of the same product, when ink is unevenly applied during the dying or printing process

Shoji screen – is an oriental, geometric, wooden screen with rice paper panels

Sideboard – is a case goods, often 36″ high, used for serving food and storing china

Sidelight – is a stationary, vertical windows flanking an operating exterior door

Slipper chair – a low arm less upholstered chair with skirting usually used in a bedroom

Sofa – is an upholstered seat usually with back and arm rest that can accommodate 3 or more people

Specification – a detailed outline with important notes that is necessary for the implementation or construction of a design

Spindle – is a shaft that connects to a knob in a lockset; is a vertical post that supports in a stairway; is a decorative sticks in a wooden furniture

Straight-edge – a long metal ruler or tool used for trimming selvage edges, or marks and cuts straight lines

Suede – a tanned leather animal hide with the exterior layer removed and napped surface

Suede cloth – a synthetic woven textile with a brushed nap surface imitating a suede

Surround – opening enclosed with decorative trim in all sides

Tabletop – a top surface of a table that can be of any material

Tambour – it may be a solid wood, wood veneer, metallic face laminate, or cork, laminated to a tempered hardboard core with brown fabric backing

Technical working drawings – is a set of visual presentations made through technical drafting for details and specifications

Tenon – a narrow piece of wood custom cut to fit in a mortise

Tete-a-tete – is a specialty seating for two for an intimate conversation, it is often “S” shaped, but can be seen side by side

Throne – a chair foe the kings, cardinals for ceremonial occasions

Tongue and grove – is a wood joinery with an extruded edge on a flat board which slips into a corresponding groove on an adjacent board

Torchier – a standing lamp with indirect upward lighting

Tortoise shell – a hard, black-brown mottled shell of turtles and tortoises used as inlay or imitated in other surface

Translucent – it is what you call a semi-opaque surfaces, w/c diffuses light and partially obscuring a view

Transparent – it is what you call on any material w/c light passe through, and completely see-through it

Trim – is a decorative textile bands used for edging fabric or upholstery panels

Trumeau Mirror – is a french mirror with decorative carvings and oil painting above it

Trundle bed – is a daybed twin bed with a pull-out mattress

Upholstery – materials used to make soft seating furniture

Varnish – is a liquid coating applied to wood forming a protective thin sheet on the surface when applied

Veneer/ wood veneer – is a paper-thin wood sheet that is installed on the surface of an object for decorative purposes

Veneer match – patterns created by placing thin slices of wood together featuring the grain in various combinations

Verdigris – a greenish patina found on aged brass, bronze or copper

Vermicelli – a random pattern of curving, squiggly lines

Vinyl – a fiber made w/ a compound polymer

Vitrine – a glass-sided display cabinet with glass shelves to highlight special collections

VOC – acronym for Volatile Organic Compound

Wainscoting – a material applied to the bottom third of an interior wall

Wardrobe – a free standing or built-in cabinet for storing clothes

Windsor chair – a spindled-back, turned legged chair with rush seat

Wing-backed chair – a high back chair with protruding wings on sides of it, often with exposed carved cabriole legs

Wood furniture – hand-crafted, or manufactured wooden case goods

Wood grain – Refers to the general alignment or direction of fiber wood to the axis of the tree trunk

Woodwork – is called a handmade cabinetry or casing out of wood

Work station – Floor areas and furniture used by employees to do their tasks

Work surface – is any surface designed for accomplishing a task

Wrought iron – is a heated, hammered, bent iron

Xenon – An elemental gas used in flash lamps and arc lamps.

Yin and Yang:  Chinese philosophy terms used to describe how polar or contrary forces are interconnected in the natural world. In the design world yin

and yang are often used to explain the motivation behind Feng Shui principles.

Yucca plant – A genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the agave family. Found in hot, dry climates, and notable for long, spiky leaves. The yucca flower is

the state flower of New Mexico.

Zebrawood – Wood that resembles the striping of a zebra, with dark stripes on a light background. Found on contemporary furniture pieces and decorative wall paneling.