Decorating Glossary

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selvage
Finished sides of the lengthwise grain that prevents raveling.

settee
A long seat or bench with a back and arms that can seat two or more people.

shoji screen
A freestanding Oriental-style sliding door with paper inserts, often reinterpreted as a room divider.

sisal
A natural, durable fiber frequently used for floor coverings.

suzani
A decorative embroidered fabric with raised needlework imported from Uzbekistan. The name suzani comes from the Persian word for needle.

Swag

subway tile
A rectangular tile installed in an offset brick pattern. Originally installed on the walls of the New York City subway in 1904.

swag
One or more pieces of fabric draped over a rod, typically used at the top of a window treatment with jabots. More info>>

tapestry
A highly decorative fabric with a woven design, commonly used for upholstery. More on tapestry and other fabrics>>

toile
A cotton fabric with designs of country settings, animals, people or other objects usually printed in one color on a solid background color. More on toile and other fabrics>>

torchiere
A floor lamp that directs light upward from a reflective bowl or inverted cone shade.

trompe l’oeil
French term meaning "fool the eye"; a two-dimensional painting designed to look like a three-dimensional object or scenery. More info>>

trumeau
A classic French style of wood paneling with gilded molding and ornamentation that was developed during the 17th century and used throughout Versailles, the elaborate home of King Louis XIV.

Ultrasuede
A synthetic microfiber made from 60 percent polyester and 40 percent nonfibrous polyurethane. Because of its nonwoven construction, it mimics real suede in many ways. More on Ultrasuede and other fabrics>>

valance
Any type of decorative fabric piece that covers the window treatment hardware at the top of the window. More info>>

veneer
Thin sheets of wood applied to a furniture surface.

Venetian plaster
A stuccoed wall finish achieved by applying several layers of tinted plaster with a trowel.

verdigris
A greenish deposit on aged copper, bronze or brass. More info>>

voile
A sheer lightweight fabric used to make sheets, pillows, shams, duvet covers and draperies for canopy beds.

W

wabi-sabi
Representing a Japanese worldview, it's a style of perceiving art and the beauty that pervades all things imperfect, impermanent and incomplete.

wainscoting
An application of wood paneling up to the middle or lower half of a wall. More info>>

welting/piping
A cord wrapped in fabric, which is used to trim upholstery seams and places where the fabric meets with exposed wood.