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Furniture Glossary: Essential Terms Every Homeowner Should Know
A plain-English guide to the furniture terms you’ll come across while furnishing your home, so you can shop with confidence.
Seating & Lounging
- Accent Chair
- A decorative chair used to complement a room's main seating, often in a contrasting colour or fabric.
- Armrest
- The padded side support on a sofa or chair where you rest your arms.
- Chaise Lounge
- An elongated chair designed for reclining, often used as an extension of a sofa.
- Recliner
- A chair or sofa seat with an adjustable backrest and footrest for full-body relaxation.
Bed & Sleep
- Bed Frame
- The structural base that supports your mattress, from the headboard to the legs.
- Divan Bed
- A fabric-wrapped wooden bed base, often with built-in storage drawers.
- Platform Bed
- A bed frame with a solid or slatted base that supports a mattress directly, without needing a box spring.
- Box Spring
- A supportive base placed under a mattress, traditionally paired with innerspring mattresses.
Tables & Storage
- Coffee Table
- A low table placed in front of a sofa, used for drinks, books and decor.
- Console Table
- A narrow table typically placed against a wall, in an entryway or behind a sofa.
- TV Console
- A low unit that holds your television and media equipment, often with storage compartments.
- Credenza
- A low, long storage cabinet, often used in dining or living rooms.
- Wardrobe
- A tall storage cabinet for hanging and folding clothing.
Materials
- Full-Grain Leather
- The highest quality leather, using the entire hide and retaining its natural surface grain.
- Microfibre
- A soft, durable, stain-resistant synthetic fabric commonly used on sofas.
- Sintered Stone
- A durable man-made material formed by compressing natural minerals. It resists scratches, heat and stains, and is popular for dining tables.
- Solid Wood
- Furniture made entirely from natural timber, rather than engineered wood or veneer.
Construction
- Dowel Joint
- A joinery method using wooden pins to connect two pieces of wood securely.
- MDF
- Medium-density fibreboard, an engineered wood with a smooth surface that takes paint well.
- Plywood
- A strong engineered wood made from layered veneer sheets glued together.
- Kiln-Dried Wood
- Timber that has been dried in a controlled kiln to reduce moisture, improving stability and reducing warping.
Want to see these materials and pieces in person? Visit any of our 4 showrooms or browse our Furniture Categories Guide for a room-by-room overview of our range.