Fine furniture should do more than just serve a practical function. In addition to providing comfort and con- venience, a well-designed piece should enhance its surroundings with a sense of sophistication and style. When shopping for luxury furniture, you should seek out such traits as sturdiness, longevity, quality materials and, of course, pleasing aesthetics.

At Cabinfield, we believe knowledge is the first step toward making a confident furniture purchase. Below, we’ve compiled a glossary of terms commonly used in the fine furniture industry. We hope these explanations will make it easier for you to research your shopping options and help you identify some key questions to ask when evaluating a specific piece of furniture.

Baluster: A square or circular post or pillar often bulbous in shape, usually found supporting the handrail of a staircase.

Banding: A decorative inlay or veneer along the edge of a surface, typically creating a grain or color contrast.

Bun Foot: A type of furniture leg consisting of a thin ankle set atop a flattened ball, or “bun”.

Casters: Wheels on the bottom of furniture pieces that allow them to be easily moved across the floor.

Colonial: A style of furniture found throughout the 18th century. More formal pieces are usually constructed of cherry or mahogany, while simpler pieces are typically made of oak, pine, and maple.

Contemporary: A style characterized by clean lines, sculptural elements, and strong colors, though somewhat softer than modern style. Originated in the late 20th century.

Country Style: A casual style distinguished by nature-based and nostalgic motifs, distressing, and the aarance of handcrafting. Became widely popular during the 1980s.

Distressed (or Distressing): The art of making furniture and other household items aar antique or rustic, often by purposely denting or marking them.

Dovetail: A furniture joint in which two pieces of wood are joined together by a row of fan-shaped, interlocking teeth.

Dowel: A headless wooden pin used to join two pieces of wood together. The dowel is inserted into a hole bored into one or both pieces, then glued into place.

Drawer Guides (or Glides): The tracks or runners along which a drawer moves when being opened or closed. Varieties of guides available include full extension glides, metal ball-bearing glides, metal glides with rollers, and wooden center guides.

Early American: A style characterized by straight lines and little, if any, decoration. Common in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, this design later merged into what is currently known as Colonial.

Embossing: The process of imprinting or stamping a three-dimensional design onto a piece of furniture. Mostly utilized on wooden furniture to lend it the aarance of carving.

Empire: An elaborate style characterized by classical motifs, often combining curves and straight lines. Originally the Neoclassical style of Napoleon’s First Empire in the early 1800s.

Fluting: Shallow grooves found on moldings, columns, or furniture legs.

Inlay: A decorative technique where colored materials are inserted into a depression in a piece of furniture. Commonly used inlay materials include wood veneer, ivory, mother-of-pearl, and metal.

Kiln Dried: Wood that is dried in an oven until its moisture content reaches a certain percentage.

Lacquer: A clear or colored varnish used to seal, protect, and beautify the surface of a furniture piece. Its sheen level can range from ultra matte to high gloss.

Laminate: A thin material glued to the exterior of a piece of furniture or other surface. Formica and plywood are often used as laminate materials.

Louis XIII: A classical furniture style characterized by straight lines, turned legs, twisted columns, marquetry or inlays, and ornate carvings. Most wooden pieces of the era were made of walnut, ebony, or oak. Popular during the early 17th century.

Louvered Doors: Doors featuring horizontal wooden slats.

Marbleizing (or Marbling): The decorative finishing or painting of a surface with streaks of color made to resemble marble.

Marquetry: The process of covering an item of furniture with pieces wood or veneer, forming a pattern, design, or picture.

MDF: An acronym for medium density fiberboard, an engineered wood product made from compressed particles of wood and used in the construction of furniture. Also known as custom wood or craft wood.

Medallion: A decorative relief on a piece of furniture, usually oval or round in shape. Mission: See Arts & Crafts.

Miter Joint (or Mitered Corner): A diagonal joint made by beveling two pieces that are joined together. Often used in picture and door frames.

Modern (or Moderne, Modernist): Also known as International style, this furniture design was developed in the 1900s and is characterized by clean, sleek lines.

Mortise and Tenon: A joint where the end of one piece of wood (the tenon) fits into a hole in the second piece of wood (the mortise).

Nailheads: Decorative nails used to fasten fabric or leather to a chair or sofa frame.

Neo-Classic (or Neoclassicism, Neoclassical): An elegant, simple style based on ancient Greek and Roman architectural features. Common from the late 18th century through the 19th century.

Nesting Tables: A set of tables of various sizes, typically stored one on top of the other.

Panel: A thin, flat section of wood or other material inset into a thicker material with molded edges; a flat or sculptured section of an item of furniture.

Plywood: An engineered wood product created from thin layers of wood veneer that are glued together. The grain of each layer is at a right angle to that of adjacent layers, making it less prone to warping.

Queen Anne: An elegant style featuring graceful, curved lines (i.e. cabriole legs). Popular in the 18th century.

Renaissance: A classical furniture style characterized by decorative biblical or mythological figures, such as those painted by Raphael or Michelangelo. Originated in Italy in the 1200s and endured through the 1600s.

Secretary (or Secrйtaire): A writing desk or cabinet with a drop-leaf that opens to provide a writing surface. Usually sits on a base of drawers.

Tongue and Groove: A type of joint where two flat pieces of wood are joined together edge-to-edge to create a single flat surface. Each piece features a tongue (a thin, deep ridge) along one side, and a groove (a slot) on the other side; the tongue of one piece fits into the groove of an adjoining piece.

Trestle Table: A table characterized by two frame-based legs tod by a horizontal surface. Often, the legs can be folded for easy mobility and storage.

Unfinished Furniture: Furniture items that have not been stained, painted, or finished.

Veneer: Thin sheets of wood that are glued onto the surfaces of other pieces of wood, medium density fiberboard, or particle board. Also utilized in marquetry. Originated in the latter half of the 17th century, and still widely used today.

Victorian: A furniture style characterized by elaborate carvings and designs, dark finishes, and sweeping curves. Furniture of the era was typically constructed of walnut, rosewood, and mahogany. Named after Queen Victoria of England, and popular during the late 19th century.

There are seven different forms: the sack-back, hoopback, comb-back, continuous arm, low back, rod back, and fan back. Developed in the late 17th century, its name was derived from the town of Windsor in England.

Wing Chair (or Wing-Back Chair): An upholstered chair with a high back and large “wings” that project outward at the level of the head.

Worm Holes: Small, circular holes found in wood, made by a worm, termite, or other wood-eating insect. Viewed as either a defect in more formal styles of furniture, or as something that adds character in simpler, more rustic styles.

When shopping for fine furniture, one style doesn’t fit all. Similar to fine art, each handcrafted piece can be considered a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Seek out furnishings that blend with your preferred design style, accommodate your available space, and serve your needs for such functions as storage and seating. Furniture shopping isn’t the time for impulse buying — evaluate each piece carefully and don’t be afraid to ask plenty of questions. And remember, looks aren’t everything: when it comes to fine furniture, beauty shouldn’t be skin-deep.