Glossary

Armless

• A sofa or chair with a seat and back but no arms
• Usually smaller in scale

Bolster Arm

• Cylindrical pillow-shaped arm resembling a bolster
• These arms are generally bolted onto the frame of the sofa and not seen on chairs

Closed Arm or Bergere

English Arm or Bridgewater Arm

• Rounded, pullover arm where the fabric is pulled over toward the outside, creating pleats across the width
• The arm dips in the center and has an English edge on the outside

Exposed Arm

• Exposed wooden or metal arm extending from the upholstered base to the back
• Smaller in scale and visually light in feeling
• Both modern and historical styles
• Often has arm pads

Fitted Arm

• Fitted with pieces of fabric, cut to the shape
• Contains a seam or welt defining the edge of the arm shape

Open Arm or Fauteuil

Panel Arm

• Wood panel covered in fabric and applied to the front of the arm
• “Inset” if the panel is recessed, and “raised” if the panel protrudes from the front face

Pleated with Button

• A round arm in which the fabric is pleated on the front face of the arm
• The pleats meet at the center where a button or rosette can cover the tacks
• Fabric cut ends in the middle

Pullover Arm

• Typically a Scroll Arm or English Arm
• Fabric is pulled to the outside
• Almost always requiring pleats

Roll Arm

• General term for any rounded arm shape

Scroll Arm

• Pullover arm with distinct scrolled shape
• Fabric is pulled to the outside following the curve of the scroll
• Almost always requiring pleats, unless fitted

Sloping Arm

• An arm that slopes downward, starting at the top of the back and curving down to the front of the arm

Splay Arm

• An arm that flares or splays outward from the body

Square Arm

• Squared off arm — flat top and sides
• Can vary in dimensions and proportions

Wing Arm

• Upholstered panel or “wing” projecting forward from the sides of the back, curving down to meet the arm

Barrel Back Chair

• Curved-back chair with a continuous “U” curve from arm front to arm front

Camel Back

• Classic style of shaped back
• Symmetrical shaped back resembling the hump on a camel; curving down from a higher center
• Usually associated with a historic sofa style

Curved Back

• Back with continuous outward curve from arm front to arm front
• Can be symmetrical or asymmetrical
• Doesn’t always have corresponding curve in front

Curved Sofa

• Curved back and matching concave curve in the front

Rolled or Scrolled Back

• Rounded roll or “C” shaped scroll on the top of the back, rolling outward

Shaped Back

• Free-form shape
• Usually symmetrical

Splay Back

• Vertical slant of the back, sloping outward from the base to the top of the back

Biscuit Tufting

• Tufting with indentations in a square pattern

Button Tufting

• Buttons sewn into a back, seat, or cushion causing slight indentations, creating a pattern

Channeling

• Vertical or horizontal padded sections usually seen on backs
• Usually of equal width and evenly spaced across the piece

Diamond Tufting

• Tufting with indentations in a diamond pattern

En Plateau Back

• Tight back with upholstered detail
• Padding ends ¾” to 1″ from the top and sides of frame with nail heads or gimp covering the edge of the fabric

En Tableau Back

• Tight back with faceted and mitered raise
• Upholstered border on the interior off the back

Fitted Back and Seat

• Tight seat or back where the fabric is cut to fit the area that is being covered
• Requiring stitches to create the simple shape

Pullover Back and Seat

• Tight seat or back where the fabric is pulled over the front seat edge or the top of the back

Block Foot

• Thick rectangular foot with straight or tapered sides
• Modern

Bun Foot

• A squat, turned, round foot with a flattened top and bottom

Cabriole (or S-Shaped) Leg

• Double curved
• The upper part has a pronounced outward curve (often with carved detail) that continues down to the tapered lower part that flares outward, ending in a foot

Fluted Leg

• Cylindrical or square leg with ornamental carving of shallow vertical, concave grooves, often rounded in section

Inset Panel

• Round, square, or rectangular detail that starts ¼” to 1″ from the perimeter edge of the leg or foot
• Leg or foot is carved to create a framework in relief around the recessed face of the leg or foot

Round Leg

• Cylindrical from top to bottom

Saber Leg

• Flares out, tapering slightly towards the bottom

Sabot

• Fitted metal cup placed at the base of the leg or foot

Straight Leg

• Same shape and width from top to bottom
• Round or rectangular

Tapered Leg

• Gradually narrows from top to bottom

Turned Leg

• Turned on a woodworking lathe to create various shaped details

Twisted (or Spiral) Leg

• Tapered leg incorporating spiral tuning

Upholstered Foot or Leg

• A foot or leg fully covered in fabric or leather

Wheel or Caster

• Metal mechanism (wheel) placed at the bottom of each leg or foot (or only in the front)

Box Bordered Edge

• Front and back faces with 4 sides seamed together
• Usually covered by a welt or cord

Knife Edge

• Without sides; the front and back fabric panels are sewn directly to one another, creating a “knife edge”
• Less formal than a box-edge cushion

Turkish Corners

• Variation of the knife edge used on back cushions with shirred or gathered corners
• Welting or cord is often sewn into the seam

Curved or Bow Front

• A seat deck that curves outward from the arms
• The curve can start from either the outside or inside of the arm

English Edge

• A rounded, padded detail that protrudes outward from the body
• Often seen on the front deck of a sofa, under the seat cushion or on the outside of an arm or back

Saddle Seat

• A dining chair seat with a slightly concave curve from side to side
• The seat deck bows slightly outward

Scalloped Deck

• A front deck with a scalloped shape

Straight Front

• A seat deck with a straight front containing no angles or curves

T-Shaped

• Fully set back, or recessed arms
• Tight and loose seats are frequently T-shaped; if the piece of furniture has a loose seat, the sides of the cushion extend in front of the set-back arms, creating a “T” shape; with a three-seat sofa, only the end cushions extend; together, the two end cushions form the “T”
• The deck can either be curved or straight

Box Pleat Skirt

• Regularly spaced inverted pleats and panels that encircle the entire body
• The skirt starts from below the seat deck
• Usually 6 to 10 inches high

Bullion Fringe Skirt

• A decorative trim of densely twisted threads that vary in size from 1/8″ to 3/4″ in diameter
• It is sewn tightly together at the top to create a heading
• Mounted below the seat deck
• Usually 5 to 10 inches high

Kick Pleat Skirt

• Single, double, or multiple inverted pleats
• Usually placed at divisions created by seat cushions or arms
• Typically 6 to 10 inches high
• The fabric is mounted below the seat deck
• This is the most commons skirt style

Shirred or Gathered Skirt

• Randomly gathered fabric forming a fuller or flaring skirt
• Mounted below the seat deck
• Usually for more feminine pieces

Skirt with Double Inverted Corner Pleats

• All kick-pleat and waterfall skirts have inverted pleats at the corners of a piece

Waterfall Skirt

• A continuous downward flow of fabric, mounted from under the seat cushion or under the arm
• Inverted pleats at the corners from panels that fit close to the frame
• If the piece has a tight seat the fabric simply continues downward from the top of the seat
• Can also be called a dropover skirt

Braid

• Flat decorative trim with finished edges and a width varying from ¾ to 3½ inches or larger
• Gimp is narrower

Brush Fringe

• Decorative trim of densely packed cut thread lengths
• Single or multicolored
• Sewn tightly together at the top to create a heading

Bullion Fringe

• Decorative trim of densely twisted threads that vary from 1/8 to 3/4 inches in diameter
• Woven tightly together at the top to create a heading
• Single or multicolored

Cord and Cod on Tape

• A cord alone is 1/8″ to 3/4″ in diameter and hand sewn onto a piece
• Cords are usually twisted
• Single or multicolored

Fan Edge or Scalloped Fringe

• Similar to loop fringe but with regularly spaced, shaped edge

Gimp

• Narrow, flat tape-like trim ¼ to ½ inch wide

Loop Fringe

• Decorative trim of densely packed uncut threads that loop down on themselves
• Sewn tightly together at the top to create a heading
• Single or multicolored

Nail Heads

• Evenly spaced upholstery nails
• Side by side
• Usually of brass
• Sometimes placed over tape trim

Tassel Fringe

• Typically used on decorative pillows

Welt, Contrast Welt, or Self-Welt

• Small cotton core covered with a bias-cut fabric with approximately ½ inch of fabric on each side, creating a fabric flange