Furniture Terms

• Sectionals
  Sofas made of modular units that can be rearranged into various different combinations.
• Sofa
  An upholstered, cushioned piece of furniture that usually seats up to three people.
• Silk
  An expensive, but strong and resilient upholstery.
• Swatch
  A sample piece of upholstery fabric.
• Semi-attached Back
  A sofa with cushions attached at the back, but not on the sides.
• Stationary Sofas
  Solid or straight-backed sofas that often come as part of a living room set.
• Sleeper
  A sofa with a foldaway mattress that can be extended to convert it into a bed.
• Stationary Loveseat
  A small, solid or straight-backed sofa designed for two people.
• Swivel Chair
  A chair on a rotating base that can revolve 360 degrees.
• Spindle Back
  A chair back made with wooden spindles between the seat and the top rail of the frame.
• Splat Back
  A chair back made from a broad, flat piece of wood, possibly carved with decorative designs.
• Shield Back
  A chair back shaped like a shield with an arched top and ellipsed bottom.
• Stretchers
  Horizontal braces that reinforce the legs of a chair or table.
• Spiral Leg
  A table or chair leg that has a twisted, spiral design like a rope.
• Storage Ottoman
  An upholstered foot rest or low stool with a hinged top and a storage compartment inside.
• Swivel Rocker
  A rocking chair that also swivels on a rotating base.
• Settee
  A long, upholstered bench with a back and arms.
• Sleigh Bed
  A bed designed to look like a sleigh, with a high, curved headboard and a shorter, also curved footboard.
• Semainier
  A tall bedroom chest with seven drawers.
• Sleep Set
  A common term used for a matching mattress and box spring combination.
• Soft Mattress
  A mattress designed with softer padding for added comfort.
• Single Sided Mattress
  A mattress which only has padding on a single side, creating only one sleep surface.
• Single Pillowtop Mattress
  A mattress with extra padding on only one side, creating only one sleeping surface.
• Split Foundation
  A mattress base that comes in two pieces to support a larger mattress.
• Serving Cart
  A wheeled cart used to transport food from the kitchen to a serving area.
• Side Chair
  A dining room chair with no arms, which is usually placed along the sides of the table.
• Seat Cushions
  Removable seat cushions which are placed on hard wood or metal chairs for added comfort.
• Slip Seat
  A removable, upholstered dining chair seat.
• Serving Table
  A long, narrow table, with small storage drawers.
• Sideboard
  A wide cabinet with drawers, used for storage in the dining room.
• Stain
  A liquid that is painted onto wood. When absorbed by the wood, it darkens and alters the color while keeping the natural appearance of the wood.
• Sofa Table
  A narrow table a bit taller than a coffee table, which is placed behind the couch.
• Secretaire
  A writing desk with a drop-down writing surface.
• Slipcovers
  Cloths placed over furniture for protection.
• Snack Table
  A small, portable table, used for a single person to eat while sitting on a couch.
• Shoe Rack
  A piece of furniture with multiple compartments for holding many pairs of shoes.
• Serving Tray
  A tray with handles, used to carry food from the kitchen to be served.
• Storage Locker
  A tall, metal cabinet for storing clothes and other items.
• Shoji Screens
  Room partitions designed in a Japanese style, usually made from translucent rice paper.
• Saddle Stitched
  A type of decorative sewing on seat cushions, used for purely ornamental purposes.
• Satin
  A type of upholstery that is tightly woven and highly lustrous.
• Scallop
  An ornamental skirt border made from a series of small semi-circles.
• Slub Yarn
  Yarn in irregular sizes which creates upholstery with irregular patterns.
• Satinwood
  A close-grained, hard, and durable wood in a yellow or brownish color.
• Scroll
  A decorative wood pattern designed to look like rolled parchment.
• Segmental Corners
  Rectangular wood panels with the corners broken into curves, which are decorated for aesthetic purposes.
• Serpentine
  A decorative pattern in wooden furniture with a sinuous curve across the length.
• Snake Foot
  A chair or table foot designed to look like a snake’s head with a pointed end.
• Spade Foot
  A chair or table foot designed with a tapered, rectangular shape.
• Spanish Foot
  A chair or table foot with a hoof-like appearance and a curved shape.
• Stenciling
  A type of decoration made by tracing designs onto the wood.
• Stile
  The vertical, outer uprights on panel back chairs.
• Strapwork
  Furniture decoration made by gluing long, narrow strips of wood or leather in an ornamental pattern.
• Split Leather
  Leather that has the top grain removed.
• ScotchGuard
  A protective product applied to upholstery to prevent staining.
• Shellac
  A natural resin that is commonly used as a wood finish.
• Saddle
  A chair seat with hollowed out sides in the shape of a saddle.
• Shesham
  A rich medium brown wood which is highly durable and commonly used for cabinet making.
• Spruce
  A strong, lightweight wood.
• Sweetgum
  A reddish brown wood commonly used in veneers.
• Stone Laminate
  Laminate designed with a thin layer of stone over top, to give the look and feel of stone countertops at a lower price.
• Slate
  A fine-grained gray, green, or blue rock that is commonly used in countertops and tabletops.
• Sandstone
  Cream, grey, red, or brown stone used in flooring.
• Sauvage/kela
  A two-toned leather upholstery where a darker color has been applied over a lighter one.
• Semi-Aniline
  Aniline dyed leather which has been coated with sealant and pigmentation, resulting in lighter color and grain.
• Suede
  Less durable than Top Grain Leather, made from the lower layer of a split hide.
• Soaking
  A process by which leather is immersed in water to remove the salt content and make it more pliable.
• Slipper Chair
  A small, upholstered chair with a high back and a low seat.
• Shaker
  A furniture style with simple lines, tapered legs, and commonly having features like ladder backs and woven seats.
• Salon Set
  A term for a complete, matched set of furniture for an entire room.
• Shagreen
  A type of leather made from the skin of sharks, rays, and dogfish.
• Sash Bars
  The metal or wooden frames that hold glass panels in cabinet doors.
• Stump Bedstead
  A bed without a canopy or posts.
• Surface Abrasion
  A measurement of how well an upholstery is able to withstand wear and tear.