Bayview Furniture

Furniture Glossary

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An in depth look at how to care for your furniture investment

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The best information available from the furniture industry

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We show you the differences between Contemporary and Classic

Glossary
A reference to all of the most common furniture terms

0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Term:	Definition:
Bachelor’s Chest	low, small scale chest with drawers or doors.
Bail	reverse arch handle or drawer pull hanging downward from pins attached to a backplate.
Bamboo Turning	a wood turning to simulate natural bamboo that originated during the 18th Century.
Beading	classic ornamentation using small, half-round molding.
Bentwood	wood softened by steam for bending into curved shapes.
Bergére	a French armchair with closed upholstered sides and back.
Bombé	a surface that swells outward; typical of French chests and commodes of Louis XV.
BouIle	a French cabinetmaker who developed a special inlay technique called Boulle Work, utilizing tortoise shell, silver, brass or pewter. A sheet of metal and a sheet of tortoise were glued together, and a design was cut out of both at the same time. The cut-out piece of one material was then reinserted into a corresponding opening in the other material.
Bracket Foot	right angled foot, with each inner end curved.
Buffet	French term that refers to a sideboard for china, silver, linens, with a top surface used as serving counter.
Bun Foot	a foot that resembles a slightly flattened ball.
Bunching	Furniture pieces that fit flush with each other to create unified wall arrangements.
Bureau	low chest of drawers usually for a bedroom, often with a mirror, originally a desk or table with drawers.
Burl	beautiful mottled veneer, produced by slicing cross-sections of abnormal tree growths.