Faceted: Decorative surface cut into sharp-edged planes in a crisscross pattern to reflect light.
Fall Front: The flap of a bureau or secrétaire that pulls down to provide a writing surface. Find home office furniture.
Fan Patterned: The description of a chair back when fitted with ribs or channels that resemble the stalks of a half open fan.
Fancy-Faced Veneers: Veneers that are cut into exotic patterns, which are usually used in more visible areas of wooden furniture such as door fronts and table tops.
Fanlight: A window, which is usually semi-circular, with radiating glass sections that make it look like an open fan. Commonly found above doors.
Farthingale Chair: An armless upholstered chair for ladies wearing enormous skirts of the early Stuart era.
Fauteuil: An upholstered French armchair with open spaces between the arms and seat. Find a living room chair.
Faux: A simulation of something else. An example of this would be faux marble, which is a marble-like surface painted onto walls or other surfaces (see trompe l'oeil).
Feather Banding: Two narrow bands of veneer laid in opposite diagonals.
Feather Bed: A quilted mattress topper stuffed with feathers or goose down. Find a feather bed.
Federal: Design period following the American Revolution and running roughly through the early 1800's. Federal styles incorporate the neo-classical influences of Sheraton and Hepplewhite including straight and delicate lines, tapered legs, and contrasting veneers.
Felt: A cotton material commonly used for cushioning or lining the inside of a piece of furniture such as a jewelry armoire or the drawers of a buffet.
Feng Shui: Literally translated as wind and water, it's an ancient Chinese scientific practice based on selecting or configuring a site, structure or interior so as to harmonize with the spiritual forces that inhabit it.
Ferrule: Normally a metal cap attached to the end of a slender shaft for strength or to prevent splitting.
Festoon: A length of garland, foliage, flowers or branches that are entwined or bound together, usually hanging in a curve between two points.
Festoon Blind: Similar to an Austrian blind, but with gathered scallops throughout the length of the blind.
Fiber: A natural or synthetic substance such as cotton or polyester that can be separated into thread-like filaments and be spun, woven or matted.
Fiberboard: A board made of compressed wood fibers and glue.
Fiddle Back: A backsplat in the shape of a violin (fiddle) that is typically seen on Queen Anne chairs.
Figuring: A pattern made by the natural grain of wood.
Filament Lighting: Light that's produced by heating a small filament inside a bulb, as with a common light bulb.
File Cabinet: A piece of office furniture used for storing files. File cabinets normally consist of one to four drawers. Find a file cabinet.
Filigree: A decorative ornamentation that's often produced with fine wires of gold or silver in the form of scrolls and arabesques.
Fill (or Weft): Visible yarns in a fabric that are woven through the less visible foundation of the warp yarns. The term "fill" can also apply to how an item is stuffed such as a 100% down-fill pillow.
Filling: A step in the manufacturing finishing process where the filling of natural pores in wood allows the surface to become smoother and more reflective.
Finger Joint: A joint in which two pieces of wood are cut in an elongated zigzag pattern and joined together with glue.
Finger Plates: Narrow rectangular panels, often made in the same material as the door knob, which are fixed to the door to protect against dirty finger marks.
Finial: A decorative detail that's carved or shaped to ornament the top of an upright piece such as a bedpost. Finials are commonly found in the opening of a broken pediment or on the topping a lamp. Common motifs include flames, urns, and pineapples.
Finish: The surface coating of an item, which can include paints, stains, varnishes, fabric treatments, etc. Wood, metal, fabric, stone and many other materials require a finish for reasons such as coloring, texture, and protection from moisture.
Finnish Style: Finnish furniture designers used bent and laminated (layers of solid wood) woods to create organic, humanistic forms and lightweight open shapes. These designers were also the first to experiment with tubular steel in furniture design.
Firmness: A sought after quality by many in upholstered furniture and mattresses, which is usually interpreted to mean support. Firmness for some is a comfort term synonymous with hardness, and for others it is a structural term associated with support.
Flambeau: A carved decoration in the shape of a flaming torch.
Flame Stitch: A wavy angular pattern that looks like the shape of a flickering flame, normally found on brocade fabrics.
Flange: An erect, projecting flattened ridge such as the top and bottom horizontal projections of an I beam. Also refers to a decorative finish sewn into a seam.
Flare: The outward concave curve of a furniture leg.
Flax: A plant from which linen is derived.
Flemish: Flemish furniture was a product from master craftsmen of Flanders (Belgium). Flemish is usually included in Dutch Renaissance furniture and is not necessarily defined as a period of furniture, but more as an influence in design. Flemish furniture is famous for its distinct and careful carving and the Flemish foot. Flemish furniture is a product of French influence.
Flemish Scroll: A baroque form with the curve broken by an angle.
Fleur-De-Lis: Term for a decorative French emblem in the form of a conventionalized floral design.
Flock Wallpaper: Wallpaper that has a raised fabric pattern. Find wallpaper.
Floor Lamp: A tall lamp with a base that stands on the floor. Find a floor lamp.
Flow: A smooth continuity achieved by design and decor elements being arranged harmoniously with some sense of shape, style and color.
Fluting: A series of carved out semicircular grooves usually found on columns, molding or wooden legs.
Fly Rail: The folding bracket that supports the drop leaf of a table.
Foam: Padding material used in upholstered furniture and mattresses. Common types of foam include polyurethane, latex, and Viscoelastic ("Visco" or "Memory Foam").
Foam Core: A cardboard-like material with a foam center available in varying thickness; commonly used to mount photographs and display materials.
FOB: "Free on board" at named port of export. A pricing term commonly used in the home furnishings industry indicating that the quoted price covers all expenses up to and including delivery of goods upon an overseas vessel provided by or for the buyer.
Focal Point: An area to which the eye is drawn. This could be a part of a room, a view, landscaping, etc.
Foliated: Decorated with leaf designs of an intricate pattern.
Footboard: The piece at the foot of a bed of a headboard and footboard set. Find a headboard and footboard.
Foundation: The bottom part of a mattress set that gives the mattress its support and durability. Find a mattress foundation.
Four Poster: A bed with posts that are tall enough to hold a canopy. Find bedroom furniture.
Frame: The wooden framework of an upholstered piece of furniture.
French Bed: A bed with ends that roll outward. It has no posts. Commonly referred to as a sleigh bed today.
French Classic: French Classic design was largely base on a complete avoidance of the curved line in furniture. This type of furniture is usually quite straight and simplistic in design. French Classic is considered an influence rather than a defined style and was influenced by an Italian flavor of styling. Decoration depends on fluted and grooved accents, geometric patterns and marquetry. Mahogany is the favored wood of French Classic designs, however rosewood, tulipwood, and ebony were used though less frequently. Most popular during the later 1700's.
French Empire: Style of the early 1800's that expressed the imperial ambitions of Napoleon and was created at his command. Greek and Roman influence is apparent and though somewhat ostentatious, many pieces are considered quite exquisite even today. French Empire has simple construction with a deep rich varnish. Empire-wreaths. Roman eagles, lions, sphinx, and the letter "N" (for Napoleon himself of course) are the emblems that are familiar to this design. This style of furniture has mostly straight lines and often will have metal feet. Tabletops have marble tops. The most commonly used woods were mahogany, rosewood, and ebony.
French Polishing: Treating a wooden surface with French polish to give it a highly reflective, smooth finish.
French Provincial: Rustic versions of formal French furnishings of the 1600's and 1700's, such as the Louis XIV and Louis XV styles. Early French Provincial pieces were considered as peasant furniture.
French Regence: Popular in Europe during the early 1700's. French Regence' furniture designs have many similarities of Louis XIV furniture but definitely had its own styling. Rococo decoration is familiar in this style. Pieces from this era are very curvy and are intensely decorated. Many pieces from this period are somewhat whimsical and different. French Regence' also introduced commodes, secretaries, and chiffoniers.
French Renaissance: Style dating from the mid 1400's to the early 1600's. French Renaissance spans through many rulers, Francis I, Henry II, and the most noted Henry IV. French Renaissance was mostly inspired by Italian taste but the pieces are much smaller in scale. This period is famous for its exquisite woodcarving. French Renaissance is also noted for its betterment in tapestry weaving. Early pieces are mostly manufactured of oak. Later pieces are made of walnut. Later pieces are also known to be a bit more elaborate in decoration.
Fresco: A durable painting technique for walls and ceilings, created by blending water-colors directly into wet plaster.
Fretwork: An open or pierced woodcarving with an oriental influence, primarily used as a decorative element in Chippendale-style furniture.
Frieze: A decorated horizontal band attached or painted along the top of a wall, building, mantle, etc.
Full Bed (or Double Size): Refers to a bed for a mattress that measures 54"x75". Was once the standard or most popular size bed. Sometimes referred to as a double, full or standard. Find a mattress set.
Full Extra Long (or Double Extra Long): A full/double mattress that measures 54"x80". Find a mattress set.
Full-Forward Arm: An arm extending continuously from the back to the front of a piece of furniture.
Full Grain Leather: A top-grain leather without any corrections or alterations to the natural grain pattern. Find leather furniture.
Functionalism: A form of design based on use rather than on ornamentation.
Futon: A Japanese-style mattress placed on a folding frame, which can be used as both a seating piece and a bed. Find a futon.
Futon Cover: Basically a giant pillowcase that pulls over a futon mattress, that has a zipper or Velcro-type of closure. Find a futon cover.
Note: Some terms in this glossary may no longer be in common use and are posted for reasons of historical interest.
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