Glossary of Decorating Terms

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A

Accessories: decorative pieces including vases, lamps, picture frames, etc.

Antique: over one hundred years old

Armoire: a large wardrobe or movable closet, for storing clothes

B

Bay or Bow Window: a window which protrudes from the exterior wall of a room

Box Pleat: a pleat formed by to folded edges, one on each side

Brocade: a heavy fabric with a raised design similar to embroidery

C

Café Curtains: short curtains hung low on a window, usually by rings

Camelback Sofa: a type of couch with a humped back

Canopy Bed: a bed with a frame around it to hold a fabric "ceiling"

Case Goods: furniture such as dresser, desks, and bookcases

Center Draw: a pair of curtains or drapes that opens and closes in the center

Chenille: a soft cotton yarn woven on special machines- it's very soft!

Color Scheme: the selection of colors chosen for a room or space

Color Scheme Guide: an assortment of samples to use in choosing a color scheme

Cornice: a box-like frame concealing the window dressing hardware

Custom-made Draperies: draperies made especially to fit a window

Credenza: a sideboard of buffet

D

Distressing: a process used to make wood, paint, or metal look aged

Dragging: a paint finish accomplished by dragging a dry brush through the paint or glaze

Drapery: a window treatment of fabric thicker than curtains

Draw Curtain /Draw Draperies: curtains or drapes that are opened and closed by pulling a cord
Damask - 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.

Dropped Ceiling: a ceiling made of acoustic tiles suspended below the actual ceiling.

Drywall: a plaster wall

E

Eclectic: decorating using more than one style, mix and match

Eggshell: oil-based paint with a low-sheen satin finish or an off-white color

F

Faux: fake, imitation

Finial: the decorative ornament at the end of curtain rods

Flat: not shiney, matte

Floor Plan: a measured drawing of the dimensions of a room used in planning

Focal Point: the point of a room that draws attention

G

Georgian: 18th and early 19th century

Glaze: transparent top coat to protect paint, can have a glossy or matte finish

H

Hardwood: flooring consisting of wood planks laid side by side across a room

Hearth: the area immediately in front of a fireplace

Heirloom: any object which has both some monetary value and sentimental value, often passed down from one generation to another

Hue: color or shade

I

J

Jabot: the cascading fabric at each side of a swaged valance

K

L

Laminate: a term applied to any material made of two or more layers of wood or man-made product produced under pressure, like Formica®

Layout: also called a floor plan, this overhead view of a room is used to envision the placement of furniture, appliances, rugs, etc., similar to a floor plan

Lining Paper: a thin paper that goes under wallpaper to cover cracks, etc. in the wall

M

Marbleizing: a painting finish which resembles marble

Matte: paint finish which absorbs light rather than reflects it, not shiney, also called flat

Molding: decorative pieces of wood that finishes edges of walls, or window sills, etc.

Monochrome: a color scheme made up of colors within a single hue

N

Neoclassicism: 18th century movement based on Greek and Roman architecture

Neutral: a color that blends well with other colors

Niche: a recess in a wall

O

Ottoman: upholstered low stool or footrest

P

Palette: the family of colors within which you select the colors for your room

Panel: one section of draperies or curtains

Pastel: pale color

Pedestal: a stand to display a plant or statue, or used as the base of a table

Primary Colors: red, yellow, and blue- all colors are made from these basic three

Q

Queen Anne: early 1700's English decorative style

R

Ready-mades: draperies or curtains pre-made in standard window sizes

Receding Colors: colors used to create the illusion of distance in painted surfaces

Renovate: restore or redecorate

Rod Pocket: the "tunnel" at the top of a curtain or drape through which the rod goes through

Roman Shade: a fabric shade that hangs in panels and raises like an accordion

S

Scale: the relationship of the size of a drawing to the size of the actual object

Sconce: a wall-mounted light fixture or decorative drapery holder

Secondary Color: a color created by mixing two primary colors

Sectional Furniture: modular furniture that can be used separately or together to create different looks

Semi-gloss: half glossy, half flat

Silk: a natural fiber reeled from the cocoon of a silk worm

Slipcover: a fabric cover for a couch or chair

Slipper Chair: an upholstered chair without arms

Softwood: flooring made from easy-to-saw conifer or evergreens, such as pine, spruce, or fir

Spattering: a paint finish created by spraying or flicking drops of paint

Stenciling: a pattern or design created by masking areas of the surface

Swag: loosely draped fabric

Symmetrical: completely balanced

T

Tertiary color: color created by mixing two secondary colors

Tieback: fabric or cord used to "tie back", or pull back, curtains

Torchere: like a torch, a floor lamp with the light projected upward

Track Lighting: light fixture which provides several same-size lamps installed along a metal track which connects them to the central power source, very good for special lighting for artwork

Traffic Flow or Pattern: the path along which people walk most frequently

U

Under-Draperies: a lightweight drapery that hangs beneath a heavier drapery

V

Valance: like a cornice but made of fabric to match the draperies

Veneer: a thin wood finish

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

Victorian: the English decorative style 1837-1901

W

Wing Chair: an upholstered chair with high back and projecting sides

X

Y

Z

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