The Nest

Thursday, June 07, 2007 8:44 AM

Decor Tricks Glossary

Decorating Glossary

Contractor or interior designer using words you don’t know? Here’s a cheat sheet.

 

Acrylic coated: Fabric that is coated with resin so that it’s waterproof

 

Adirondack chair: An outdoor armchair that has an angled back and seat made of wide (usually) wooden slats

Alcove: A recessed area, typically enclosed on three sides, originally used for sleeping quarters

Americana: Patriotic décor with red, white, and blue accents

Antique: Items, including buildings, sculptures, furnishings, art, accessories, over 100 years old

Arabesque:  A repetitive style using flowers, foliage, animals, or fruit, often found on the walls of mosques

Armoire: A tall cabinet that houses equipment for entertainment or computer centers, but was originally designed to hold clothes

Art Deco: A decorative and architectural style of the 1925-1940 period, characterized by geometric designs, bold colors, and the use of plastic and glass.

Backsplash: Typically measuring 4" to 18" high, this is the area behind a counter, like the kitchen sink.

Balloon Shade:  Fabric shade which creates a gathered bottom edge when raised

 

Barcelona Chair: A trademark used for a wide armless chair with leather cushions on a double X-shaped frame formed of gently curving stainless steel bars

 

Baseboard:  Trim placed along the intersection of the floor and wall, usually wooden

Bay Window:  Typically composed of three windows joined together at an angle to each other, projecting out from an exterior wall

Bentwood: Most famous in chairs (the Bistro Chair), this style of furniture uses wood that is steamed and then shaped.

Beveled Glass: Individual panes of glass with a decorative edge polished at an angle. It can also be a decorative window composed of multiple pieces of glass leaded together.

Box Pleat: Seen on curtains and dust ruffles, this is an evenly spaced fold, stitched and flattened into box shapes.

Broadcloth: Tightly woven cotton fabric with a smooth finish (think: dress shirts)

 

Brocade: Jacquard fabric embroidered design with raised contrasting threads, usually floral

 

Brownstone: A vintage row house constructed of brown or reddish-brown sandstone, up to six floors with a front stoop, verandah or porch leading up to the front door

 

Candelabra: A decorative stand with multiple candle holders

 

Canopy Bed: A bed with a fabric ceiling

 

Chaise Lounge:  This long reclining chair or sofa can be comfortable in a living room or bedroom …as well as by the pool

 

Chandelier:  A ceiling mounted light fixture that has at least one arm branching out from a central support

 

Chippendale: An 18th-century English style of furniture characterized by flowing lines and often elaborate designs

 

Color Fastness:  Typically a good thing, this is the ability of a material to resist color change from exposure to sunlight

Color Washing:  Decorative faux painting treatment that gives a “weathered-look” by layering a solid base color and a topically applied secondary color or light glaze

Coverlet:  Another name for a bedspread or blanket

 

Crown Molding:  Decorative molding installed where the wall and ceiling meet

 

DAR chair: (Dining Armchair Rod): A plastic scoop-seat arm chair reinforced with fiberglass (it also has metal legs). It was first introduced in 1948 at The Museum of Modern Art

Damask:  Firm, glossy jacquard-patterned fabric, similar to brocade, but flatter and reversible. It can be made from linen, cotton, rayon, silk, or a combination of fibers

Decoupage:  The art of using glue, paper and varnish to surface an object

 

Distressing: Also called antiquing, this process makes wood, paint, or metal appear worn and aged.

 

Double-Hung Window:  Window of two sashes operating to slide past one another in a wood track

 

Eames Chair: Is composed of three curved plywood shells with a form that relates directly to the human body: low-slung, with an expertly crafted molded plywood seat and back that cradles the user

 

Euro Shams:  Square pillow shams, usually used decoratively or for support combined with a softer bed pillow

 

Feng Shui:  Not just a decorating style, this is an ancient Chinese practice of arranging objects and creating space that achieves harmony with the environment. The literal translation is “wind and water”

 

Georgian: 18th and early 19th century architecture characterized by proportion and balance and usually defined by reddish brick exteriors with white window trim

 

Glaze: A transparent top coat used to protect paint - can have a glossy or matte finish

 

Heather:  Multicolored effect created by blending fibers of different colors

 

Hue: Color gradation (brightness, lightness, saturation)

 

Inside Mount:  Blinds or shades installed inside the window frame

 

Inverted Pleat:  Reversed box pleat with fullness turned inward

 

Louis Chair: A chair in the style of Louis XV with richly carved rococo ornamentation and a dynamic, curvilinear design. It is often upholstered in patterned fabrics.

 

Marbleized:  A painting technique used to create a faux finish that imitates real marble

 

Monochrome: A color scheme composed of colors within one hue

 

Mosaic:  Broken fragments of tiles combined with grout to create intricate patterns

 

Natural Fibers:  Textiles from animal or vegetable sources (cotton, linen, silk, wool)

 

Neutral: A color that blends well with several others, such as beige or cream

 

Organdy:  Cotton cloth that is thin, transparent, stiff and wiry. Bonus: it retains its stiffness after repeated laundering

 

Panel: One section of draperies or curtains

 

Parquet:  Wood floor laid in geometric patterns

Polished Cotton:  Combed and carded fabric in a satin construction which has been calendared to produce a high-luster surface finish

Portico:  Covered entrance to a building which can be large enough for cars to drive under

Recessed Light: A ceiling fixture installed into a hollow opening in the ceiling.

Roman Shade: Fabric window treatment with horizontal pleats that raise and lower

Sconce: A wall-mounted light fixture or drapery holder

Sectional Furniture: Modular furniture that can be used separately or together to create different looks (often in reference to sofas)

Sheraton:  A style of English furniture that originated around 1800, characterized by straight lines, thin legs and classic design.

Sisal:  Strong fiber from sisal leaves used to create rugs

Softwood: Flooring made from easy-to-saw wood, such as pine, spruce, or fir

Spring Tension Rod:  Adjustable drapery rods housing a spring to compress tightly into a window frame or opening

Square Feet:  Width multiplied by length, also referred to as area (example: 4 ft w x 3 ft = 12 sq. ft)

Thread Count:  The number of threads contained in one square inch of fabric, including both the length (warp) and width (weft) threads. Note: This is often a misleading judge of quality since one yarn that is made by twisting together two finer threads could be counted multiple times.

Townhouse: One of a row of houses of uniform style connected by common side walls; can be single or multi story.

Track Lighting: Adjustable ceiling fixtures mounted along a electrified metal track

Valance: A shallow drapery treatment placed at the top of a window to hide the hardware

Varnish:  A liquid protective coating

Vaulted Ceiling:  Ceiling forming an arched canopy

Venetian Blind: Horizontal pieces of wood or plastic that can be raised or shut to block light from coming through windows

Victorian: This is an English decorative style circa 1837-1901. Usually consisting of many different styles, but the most commonly known are brick “gingerbread houses” with elaborate exterior details such as pointed tower-like gables.

Wainscoting:  Decorative paneling or other materials applied to the bottom third of a wall

Wassily chair: A modern design also known as the Model B3 chair, which was considered revolutionary for using a combination of bent steel tubes and leather.

Windsor chair: Your classic college insignia wooden chair with a spindle-back, turned legs and a saddle seat

Wing Chair: High-backed, wing-shaped, upholstered chair with upholstered arms

Sources: http://www.homedecorexchange.com/DecoratingTerms/WDecoratingTerms.htm; www.thefreedictionary.com; en.wikipedia.org, designmatcher.com