Furniture & Interior Design Glossary Terms - J

Jacobean: This furniture period spans almost the entire first half of the 17th Century from James I to Charles I reign. Many furniture specialists claim that all furniture of the 17th Century is influenced and encompassed by this design. Pieces are large, square or rectangular. Carving is intricate and done in a tasteful low relief style. Seats of chairs are flat and stretchers sit low on the frame. Stretchers are usually rectangular and show up on most tables and chairs. Oak is the dominant wood.

Jacquard: Intricate fabrics such as tapestries, brocades and damasks whose patterns are woven with yarns of different colors.

Japanese Style: Japanese domestic usage required little furniture. Chests and cupboards were built in with sliding doors. Usually finished with highly polished lacquer flecked with gold and decorated with fine-scaled flower, animal and landscape motives. Thin mats made of rice straw covered the floors and were used for sitting. Cloth cushions were also used, as were small tables of wood and lacquer. The folding screen was an indispensable adjunct to the other furnishings as it could be moved to change the entire aspect of the room. Japanese furniture forms have changed very little for centuries.

Japanning: A European and American technique of painting that requires several coats of heat-hardened lacquer, commonly used in creating chinoiserie designs.

Jewelling: Ornamental carving in the shape of jewels. Very popular during the Renaissance period.

Jute: A plant that's used in natural fiber flooring.