Dictionary of Decorating Terms

ACCENT COLORS - contrast colors used to spice up room color schemes

ACCESSORIES- small objects such as vases, plants, books, lamps, and decorative pieces

ANTIQUES- pieces of furniture, art, decorative objects made before 1900

AREA RUG- a floor covering that covers only part of the floor

ARMOIRE- tall wardrobe or cabinet, with doors, was originally used to store armor.

ANTIQUE FINISH - a paint of stain finish applied to an object and the wiped away to give an aged appearance

ANTIQUE SATIN - one of the most common drapery fabrics - characterized by a lustrous effect, normally composed of rayon/acetate blends.

AUSTRIAN SHADE- a fabric window treatment that pulls up like a Roman shade, but with soft, billowing folds

BALANCE- arrangement of objects around an imaginary central point to achieve a pleasing result - balance can either be symmetrical (where objects on one side of the "point" are mirrored by those on the other) or asymmetrical (in which case they are not)

BALL-AND-CLAW- furniture foot shaped like an animals claw holding a ball.

BALLOON SHADE - a window treatment with shirred or gathered fabric that pulls up into soft, billowy folds

BALUSTER- an upright post or spindle, used in furniture or to support a staircase railing.

BANQUETTE- an upholstered built-in bench.

BAROQUE- type of decoration common in the 17th century, curved ornamentation.

BEDDING ENSEMBLE- either custom or ready made, spread/comforter/shams/bed skirts, etc.

BOLSTER- long narrow cushion.

BOX PLEAT- a tailored fabric fold formed by two folded edges, one facing right and other facing left.

BROCADE - a heavy textile with a raised design resembling embroidery generally made of silk, rayon and nylon yarns with or without metallic treatment

BREAKFRONT- large cabinet or bookcase, usually with a center panel or section that opens out.

BROCADE- rich cloth similar to embroidery, with a raised pattern.

BUFFET- a sideboard used primarily for the holding and serving of food.

BUREAU- chest or desk with drawers.

CABRIOLE- tapered furniture leg, with a double curve.

CAFE' CURTAINS- short curtains hung on a rod.

CAMELBACK SOFA- a type of sofa with a curved (humped) back, typically seen in Queen Anne, Chippendale, and Federal styles

CANE- rattan that is woven in open patterns, usually used for chair and sofa seats/backs.

CANOPY BED- a bed with a fabric cover supported by four posts.

CARVED RUG- a rug with the pile cut to create a three-dimensional design.

CASE GOODS- furniture designed for storage, such as dresser, cabinets, desks, and bookcases.

CASEMENT- a cloth drapery that is of an open-weave material, but more opaque than a sheer.

CENTER DRAW- one pair of draperies which draws open and closes exactly at a window’s center point

CERAMICS- term used for pottery, tile, porcelain, etc.

CHAISE- reclining chair, with upright back, upholstered, long seat area.

CHAIR RAIL- a piece of molding placed about thirty inches above the floor to protect the wall from being marred by chair backs.

CHINOISERIE- Chinese-style motif or ornamentation.

CHINTZ- thin cotton cloth, usually shiny or glazed.

COLOR SCHEME- a combination of colors designated for use through out a room or house.

COLORWASHING- very thin, almost transparent layers of emulsion glaze giving an effect of translucent color.

COLORWAY- a term used by professional interior decorators to describe a color combination.

COMMODE- chest or cabinet

CORNICE- decorative ornamentation, usually wood, used to cover a curtain rod or window area.

CREDENZA- a sideboard or type of buffet.

DADO- the lower section of a wall area treated in a different fashion, with paint/paneling, etc.

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

DISTRESSING- the deliberate aging and weathering in paint techniques to give character to woodwork, paintwork and metal

DRAGGING- a paint effect producing fine stripes in the surface, created by dragging a dry brush or stiff comb through the glaze.

DRAPERY- a draped fabric window treatment.

DRAW CURTAINS or DRAPERIES-curtains or draperies mounted on a horizontal traversed rod so that they can be closed with a cord (traverse).

ECLECTIC- to choose from various sources; not following any one system, but selecting from and using the best components of several styles in combination.

EGGSHELL-paint with a low-sheen satin finish

ENAMEL- a hard, usually glossy finish used for wood or metal surfaces, paint.

FAUTEUIL- an open-sided armchair.

FINIAL- the decorative ornamentation at the top of an object or on ends of curtain rods.

FLOCKED PAPER- a wallpaper that usually has the look/feel of cut velvet.

FLUTES/FLUTING- channels or decorative ornamentation used for furniture pieces.

FOUR-POSTER- bed style usually including corner posts and sometimes a canopy.

GEORGIAN- the period in eighteenth-century and early nineteenth-century England related to the reigns of the first four Georges; popular styles include Adam, Chippendale, Hepplewhite, and Sheraton.

GILT- layer of gold or golden paint decoratively applied to a surface.

GLAZE- thin coats of transparent or semi-transparent paint which can be layered or used to provide a top surface for a paint effect.

GOTHIC- heavily ornamented style, based on medieval Church art.

GRASS CLOTH- type of cloth made of grass or grass-like fibers, usually used for wall covering.

HEADING- the hemmed, usually stiffened, portion across the top of a curtain or drapery above the rod pocket.

HIGH BOY- a tall chest of drawers, usually constructed in 2 parts.

HUE- a color's name, such as red, yellow, blue, or green

HUTCH- a cabinet or chest that has drawers incorporated into it, for storage.

INLAY- the application of wood, metal ivory or other materials flush mounted for decoration.

JABOT- the cascading fabric at each side of a swaged valance

LACQUER- a hard varnish finish, that was originally made from resins, highly polished finish.

LAMBREQUIN- a cornice that completely frames the window; sometimes used interchangeably with valance or cantonniere.

LINER- a special wallpaper that is used as a base for the decorative paper; the lining paper is often used to cover cracks and other irregularities in the wall.

MARBLING-decorative treatment, usually paint, used to simulate marble.

MARQUETRY- the use of woods inlayed for decorative purposes.

MATELASSE'- appearance of a quilted weave; figured pattern with a raised, bubbly surface.

MITERED CORNER- the formation of the bottom edge of drapery with a 45 degree angle on hem side.

MOIRE'- type of fabric finish with a watered, wavy appearance

MOLDING- often carved wood or vinyl, used as ornamentation around walls,ceiling, floors.

MONOCHROMATIC- a decorating term, referring to the use of one color in various intensities.

MOSAIC- a surface design created by using pieces of glass, stone or pottery set in cement or mortar.

MOTIF- idea or decorative feature.

MULLION- the vertical wood or masonry sections between a series of window frames.

NEOCLASSICAL- an eighteenth-century stylistic movement based on Greek and Roman art and architecture; the English Adam style and French Louis XVI are examples of the neoclassic style.

NEUTRAL- a color, such as white, black, gray, or tan, that blends well with other colors.

NICHE- a recess in a wall often used to display sculpture

OCCASIONAL CHAIR- a small chair, easily repositioned or moved.

ONE-WAY DRAW- drapery designed to draw one way only, in one panel.

OTTOMAN- a low upholstered bench or seat with no arms or back.

OVERLAP- the overlap of a pair of draperies is that part of a drapery panel which rides the master carrier of a traverse rod and overlaps in the center when draperies are drawn closed; usually 3 ½ on each side.

PANEL- one half a pair of draperies or curtains.

PARQUETRY- the use of inlaid wood used in flooring designs, usually geometric in form.

PASTEL- a light, pale tint of color.

PATINA- color changes in metal or wood, generally produced by age or the elements.

PATTERN REPEAT- the "repeat" of a pattern is the distance between any given point in a design to where that exact point is repeated again.

PEDESTAL- the bottom of a table, lamp or statuary.

PICKLING, PICKLE FINISH- a furniture finish created by painting a piece, then wiping away most of the paint before it has dried, leaving some paint in the cracks and corners.

PINCH-PLEATS- drapery heading where the basic pleat is divided into two or three smaller, equal pleats, sewn together at the bottom edge on the right side of the fabric.

PRIMARY COLORS- three colors - red, yellow, and blue - from which all the others colors originate.

QUEEN ANNE- English decorative style during the reign of Queen Anne (early 1700's) typified by furniture with curved backs and legs, and Chinese-inspired claw-and ball feet and lacquer work.

RAG ON/RAG OFF- paint effects using a scrunched-up cotton or leather rag to create a textural pattern on a paint surface.

READY-MADE- standard size draperies, factory-made and available at local stores or through mail order sources.

RECEDING COLORS- colors that make a wall or surface appear to be further away than it actually is - usually pale colors, especially from the "cooler" end of the spectrum, such as blues, greys, and blue-greens

RETURNS- the distance from the face of the rod to the wall casing where the bracket is attached.

ROD POCKETS- a hollow sleeve in the top - and sometimes the bottom - of a curtain or drapery through which a rod is inserted - the rod is then attached to a solid wall surface.

ROMAN SHADE- a tailored, fabric window shade that hangs as a flat panel and is raised by cords to fold like an accordian.

SCALE- the relationship of an object to another object; the relationship of the size of a drawing to the size of the actual object.

SCONCE- a wall-mounted light fixture.

SECONDARY COLORS - colors produced by mixing two of the primary colors; orange, green, and violent are the secondary colors.

SECRETARY- furniture piece, desk, that has a drop-down front for writing.

SECTIONAL FURNITURE- modular furniture that can be used separately or combined to make a larger unit.

SELVAGE- each side edge of a woven fabric and an actual part of the warp in the goods.

SETTEE- a long seat with a low back and arms.

SILK- the only natural fiber that comes in a filament form, reeled from the cocoon, cultivated or wild.

SLIPCOVER- an easily removable fabric cover for a chair or couch.

SLIPPER CHAIR- a low-seated up-holstered chair without arms.

SLUB- an uneven section in a yarn which gives fabric a rough texture.

SPATTERING- spraying droplets of diluted emulsion on to a painted surface by flicking the bristles of the brush, which creates a speckled granite-style finish, more modern-looking that most paint effects.

SPLAT- the center vertical aspect of a chair back.

STACK/STACKING- the wall or window area required for draperies when they are completely opened.

STENCILING- patterns created by masking area of a surface and applying color to the exposed parts.

STYLE- the decorative design of an object or room.

SWAG- fabric window treatment consisting of cloth loosely draped over a rod.

SYMMETRICAL- formal, mirror-image balance.

TAFFETTA- a fine plain weave fabric smooth on both sides, usually with a sheen on it’s surface.

TERTIARY COLOR- color made by the mixing of two secondary colors.

TIE BACK- decorative fabric, cord, or metal hook used to hold a drapery open.

TORCHIERE- a floor lamp, usually directing the light upward.

TRAVERSE- to draw across - a traverse drapery is one that opens or closes across a window by means of the traverse rod from which it is hung.

TROMPE L'OEIL- painting done on a flat surface to resemble a realistic, three-dimensional scene, (French for "fool the eye").

UNDER-DRAPERY- a lightweight drapery, usually a sheer, closest to the window glass, it hangs beneath a heavier over-drapery.

VALANCE- horizontal top section of a window/drapery treatment. Can be fabric or wood.

VALUE- the lightness or darkness of a color.

VELVET- a fabric with a short, soft, dense pile.

VENETIAN BLIND- a window treatment consisting of a series of horizontal slats that can be turned or raised to control light or privacy.

VENEER-a thin layer of wood laminated on top of another

VERDIGRIS- a greenish blue patina that forms on copper, brass, or bronze surfaces, or done by decorative painting.

VICTORIAN- the English decorative style during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901) characterized by luxurious velvets and brocades, both on upholstered pieces and on walls.

WAINSCOT- paneling; often used to refer to the lower part of an interior wall when finished differently from the remainder of the wall.

WIDTH- a word to describe a single width of fabric - several widths of fabric are sewn together to make a panel of drapery- "panel" is sometimes used in referring to a width of fabric.

WING CHAIR- upholstered chair usually with a high back and sides that extend out.