EX:25 Designs - Glossary

Glossary of Decorating Terms

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

accent colors - contrast colors used to spice up room color schemes

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

antique - piece of furniture, art, decorative objects made before 1900

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

area rug - a floor covering that covers only part of the floor

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)

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

bedding ensembles - either custom or ready made, spread/comforter/shams/bed skirts, etc.

bolster - a long pillow or cushion which forms an integral part of a chair, sofa or bed

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

café 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

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

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

chintz - a cotton printed in several colors on a light or white background

color scheme - a combination of colors designated for use through out a room or house

Color Scheme Guide - an essential tool used in the design/decor process which defines the style and color flow of your home - a collage of real samples assembled for clients viewing

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

cornice - a shallow, box-like structure, usually made of wood, fastened across the top of a window to conceal the drapery hardware

custom-made draperies - draperies made to order in a workroom or decorator shop

credenza - a sideboard of buffet

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

distressing - deliberate aging and weathering 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 curtain or draw draperies - curtains or draperies mounted on a horizontal traversed rod so that they can be closed with a cord

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

eggshell - oil-based paint with a low-sheen satin finish

faux - French word for fake

finial - the decorative ornament at the top of an object or on ends of curtain rods

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

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

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

hue - a color, such as red, yellow, blue, or green

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

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

lining paper - 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

marbleizing - decorating painting of a surface to resemble marble

matelasse - appearance of a quilted weave; figured pattern with a raised, bubbly surface

moiré - type of fabric finish with a watered, wavy appearance

mitered corner - the formation of the bottom edge of drapery with a 45 degree angle on hem side

molding - decorative strips of wood used to conceal joints and give a more decorative finished look

monochrome - a color scheme composed of tints and shades in a single hue

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

Neoclassicism - 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

one-way draw - drapery designed to draw one way only, in one panel

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

pastel - a light, pale tint of color

patina - the mellow, timeworn look of a surface

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 - supporting base for a table; a stand for a vase or sculpture

pickling - 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 seventeen hundreds) typified by furniture with curved backs and legs, and Chinese-inspired claw-and ball feet and lacquer work

ragging off / ragging on - paint effects using a scrunched-up cotton or leather rag to create a textural pattern on a paint surface

ready-mades - 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

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

rod pocket - 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 accordion-style

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

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

sectional furniture - modular furniture that can be used separately or combined to make a larger unit

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

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

taffeta - 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

tieback - decorative fabric, cord, or metal hook used to hold a drapery open

torchere - 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

under-draperies - a lightweight drapery, usually a sheer, closest to the window glass, it hangs beneath a heavier over-drapery

valance - a drapery treatment, usually made of fabric, typically no longer than 20" in numerous styles

value - the lightness or darkness of a color

veneer - the thin layer of wood laminated on top of another

vase - a decorative container of urn

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

verdigris - a greenish blue patina that forms on copper, brass, or bronze surfaces

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 - an upholstered chair with high back and projecting sides


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