FURNISHING AND INTERIOR DESIGN GLOSSARY

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BACHELOR'S CHEST - small wooden chest with three drawers
BACKSPLASH - vertical area behind a counter, with or without a sink typically measuring 4" to approximately 18" for a "full" backsplash
BAKER'S TABLE - English marble-topped table, typically with a decorative open iron base used for cooking pastry, typically 32-33" high
BALANCE - well-proportioned or equally distributed arrangement of elements
BALCONY - landing over 4'0" above floor projecting from the wall of a building enclosed by a railing
BALCONY RAILING - railing enclosing a balcony, typically made of wood, stone or metal
BALUSTER - vertical support with soft, rounded edges in a profile shaped like a vase, typically made of wood or stone SEE SPINDLE
BALUSTRADE - railing composed of balusters, bottom rail and top handrail, also used in smaller scale to embellish furniture
BANDANNA - cotton fabric with a printed design of white and a contrasting color
BALLOON SHADE - fabric shade creating a gathered bottom edge when raised
BANDING – inlay or marquetry technique producing a contrast with the surface of a piece of wood furniture
BANQUETTE - built-in upholstered bench: straight-run, back-to-back, L-shaped, island, U-shaped, octagonal, circular, radius-U, saw-tooth, serpentine Configurations
BARREL VAULTED CEILING - semi-cylindrical ceiling treatment
BARK CLOTH - fabric made from or created to simulate the bark of trees
BASEBOARD - trim, often wood, used where the floors and walls meet
BARRIER FREE - no access or egress limitations for handicapped individuals
BASKET WEAVE - plain weave with two or more warp yarns interlaced with filler yarns; the knitting construction resembles a basket weave pattern
BATIK - ancient resist hand-printing technique using wax, which is applied, removed and re-applied for each color layer to create various patterns including a crackled appearance
BATISTE - finely woven, lightweight cottons or blends using long staple yarns
BATTING - thin layers of natural or synthetic cloth used to line cushions, pillows, quilts or crafts
BAUHAUS - practical, theoretical, and influential industrial art, craft, architecture and design school of the 20th century
BAY WINDOW - typically composed of three windows joined together at an angle to each other, projecting out from an exterior wall
BEADED FABRIC - fabric embroidered with beads
BEADING LACE - machine-made lace with openwork to accept decorative ribbon
BEAM - horizontal structural support/large spools used to create woven fabrics
BEARDING - fiber fuzz on loop pile carpets
BEDDING - custom handmade or manufactured bedding materials
---Bedspread (Full-length), Coverlet (To Dust-Ruffle) / Quilted
---Comforter, Coverlet, Duvet Cover (Comforter Cover)
---Bed-Skirt or Dust-Ruffle, (Lined, Split Corners, Gusset Corners) Box Spring Cover
---Bed Pillows, Fitted or Flat Sheets, Blanket (Higher thread counts indicate tighter, softer, finer weave)
---Pillow Shams or Decorative Pillows (Bolster, Continental or Custom with Ruffle, Flange, Banding, Cording, Tassels, etc.)
BENCH - long seat for several individuals with or without a back support, worktable for machinery
BENCH-MADE - one artist creates a piece of furniture from start to finish
BERGERÉ CHAIR - French exposed-wood frame overstuffed upholstered chair
BEVELED GLASS - custom or machine made individual panes of glass with a decorative edge which is polished at an angle or a decorative window composed of multiple pieces leaded together
BIAS - 45-degree angle to the grain of a fabric utilized to create cording or a smoother fit
BIBLIOTHEQUE - Furniture used to store literary and artistic materials
BINDING - handmade fabric edge applied to soft floor coverings to prevent fraying
BISHOP'S SLEEVE - drapery with side panels gathered with tie-backs to create multiple poufs
BLEACHED - application of chemicals to whiten fabric
BLEEDING - imperfection in the fabric printing process where a dye runs over the screen area of one color to the screen area of another color
BLEND - fabric containing a mixture of two or more fibers or yarns
BLIND - slatted or pleated window covering, typically inside mount SEE SHADE
BLOCK-OUT LINING - lining used in window treatments to prevent natural light from entering a room
BLOCK PRINTING - 17th century textile hand-printing technique utilizing natural dyes, wooden, metal or linoleum blocks registered with the imprint of several layers to form complex patterns
BLOTCH - printing technique where a screen fills in the background of the fabric after the main design has been printed
BOBECHE- glass ring inserted at the base of a candle or on the base of an electrified chandelier candle-cover to gather wax or dangle glass prisms
BOARD and BATTEN -
BOLT - rolled length of fabric or wall covering
BOMBÉ – outward swelling on commodes, bureaus, and armoires
BOLSTER - cylindrical shaped pillow, often with decorative embellishments on either end
BOND - patterned mortar joints between bricks, stones or blocks
BONDED - two or more fabric layers held together with adhesive or a fusible layer
BOOKCASE - a chest constructed of several open shelves to hold books and accessories
BOOK MATCH - veneer sliced, opened and glued in place to create a pattern that mirrors itself
BORDER - decorative linear pattern used along outer edge
BOTANICAL - natural depiction of plant forms such as leaves and flowers
BOUCLE YARN - specialty three-ply yarn woven unevenly to create random loops, giving the fabric a knotty surface texture
BOW FRONT – convex cabinet front
BOX PLEATS - evenly spaced pleating technique folded, stitched and flattened into box shapes
BROADCLOTH - tightly woven cotton fabric with a smooth finish
BROCADE - jacquard fabric embroider design with raised contrasting threads
BRACKET - decorative projection used to support projecting overhangs or objects of art SEE CORBEL
BREAKFRONT – large cabinet where the center section projects beyond the two side sections
BROCADE - fabric, often silk, with raised patterns and floating yarns on the back of the fabric, imitating embroidery
BROCATELLE - jacquard fabric featuring low and high relief areas, originally created to imitate tooled leather
BRUSHED FINISH - fabric finishing process using an abrasive surface to create a raised nap on the surface
BUCKLING - carpet not laying flat to the floor
BUCKRAM - stiff woven fabric used as interlining to give shape and form
BUFFET – linear furniture piece often used as a counter for serving
BUILDING STANDARD - standard specifications seen applied throughout a building or complex
BULLION FRINGE - long twisted multi-ply fringe often used on window coverings and upholstery
BUN FOOT – furniture leg in the shape of a bun or series of flattened balls
BUNTING - plain, loosely woven fabric, also known as banner cloth
BUREAU - refers to an American dresser or French writing desk Bureau
BURLAP - coarse open weave jute fabric
BURLED WOOD - hardwood with a swirling growth pattern used for veneers and inlays
BURN OUT - fabric composed of two fibers chemically printed to dissolve one of the fibers, leaving a see-through design