PLAB

Active-joint Doors :

Two doors juxtaposed whose junction is not covered

Active-joint Drawers :

These parts are grouped in such a way that their fronts join together

Angle piece :

Located at the peak of an angle formed by two components

Annulet :

Decorative element which appears as a constant-width line, generally used to raise furniture doors and table platters

Armrest Pads :

padding of the part of the arm boards of seats, armchairs or sofas where the forearm is applied

Articulated lid or shutter :

A lid made up of narrow, thin pieces fixed side-by-side and which slide in grooves and are used in secretary desks

Backrest :

Bulge in the lower portion of a seat back or transversal cushion placed in the same location (seats, armchairs or sofas)

Bar :

Part linking two legs beneath the platform of chairs or armchairs

Base :

A set of assembled parts which supports the table from below

Base with flexible edges :

A structure whose longer sides are lower than the shorter sides

Base with rigid edges :

A structure whose frame is a the same height at all four corners

Bedstead :

Framework designed to hold the mattress

Bolduc :

Piece of cloth in the shape of a cross, sewn in the opposite direction of the cloth-covering and attached in the hollow of the trim

Border backing cloth :

Overflowing portion of a cushion designed to cover the front or upper portion of the sofa or seat back

Bottom :

Panel used to enclose the bottom of a piece of furniture

Bottom of Arms :

The side of certain types of seating between the platform, the arm-boards and the padded posts

Canopy :

Internal portion of a canopy bed (see Canopy bed)

Center-rail :

Bar linking the legs of a piece of furniture, located slightly above the ground

Chassis :

Frame designed to receive any sort of surface material. It forms a unit by itself and is integrated in either a fixed or mobile fashion into a piece of furniture

Cleat :

Piece of narrow wood attached by a dado to a larger piece to increase its length or width or to frame it

Cleats :

Parts used as adjustments, end-stops

Clip :

Metallic part for attaching springs

Console legs :

These are mounted higher than the platform they support and take the place of arm-rest consoles

Coulisse :

A grooved part which in a movable part slides. Used in furniture or table drawers

Cover Cap :

Part made of metal, wood or plastic which hides the surface of an unattractive part

Cover Joint :

Part placed at the junction of two doors to conceal the abutment line

Covering :

Final layer : this is also called a cover

Covering doors :

Furniture doors whose internal border is even with the frame

Cross-beams :

Parts with small cross-sections used to support tablets, racks, etc

Curved leg :

Leg of a piece of furniture or seat whose shape is curved on top

Door Assembly :

This consists of a frame that envelopes a surface of any kind (decorative panel made of melamine, glass etc.)

Drawer :

Drawers are composed of a front, sides, back and base

Dummy-Bottom :

Horizontal panel placed between two drawers to isolate them

End stop :

Part which limits the movement of a movable unit

English drawer :

The front of this drawer is much lower than the sides and rear

Eventail drawer :

This drawer opens by rotation around an axis which co-incides with the lower horizontal side of the front

External dimensions :

External measurements of furniture or seating, plotted on a plane and in elevation, which determines the overall envelope of the furniture or seating

False Cushion :

Trim designed to look like a cushion

False-Legs :

Posts glued to the inside corner of a piece of furniture, designed to hold the rear panel

Fixed Frame :

Vertical fixed part which separates two movable parts

Flap :

Device which joins a door or divider to a frame

Frame :

Supporting structure of piece of furniture, furniture unit or seat

Headboard :

Unit touching the mattress and placed at the head or foot of a bed. It helps to keep the mattress in place

Headboard Slats :

Bed headboard slats connecting the posts

Header :

The upper part of some chair-backs whose tops are composed of three cushions with differnet compression resistances

Headrest :

Upper portion of a seat-back providing head support. Can be a removable or attached cushion

Hinge :

Rotational fittings composed of two rectangular blades, one fixed, one mobile, providing articulation of 2 furniture parts

Hinging :

Mechanism that connects a door or a divider to a frame and allows it to open and close

Inside-back Cover :

Outfitting of the rear-side of a chair or sofa back

Jaconet :

Cloth trimming on the bottom of a seat or sofa

Large-frame moulding :

An integrated, decorative item A moulding that frames a surface and whose profile is completely or partially above the mating surface

Latch :

Small latch for locking chassis doors (light furniture doors)

Leaf :

Designed to increase the horizontal surface of a table

Leg or Support :

pièce pivotante ou articulée servant à supporter un abattant

Lower legs :

Weight-bearing leg which form the base of a piece of furniture

Magnetic Closure :

System composed of a magnets and metal plates to hold a door in the closed position

Marabou :

Ringlet trim which resembles piping

Mattress Frame :

Assembly composed of a frame and a suspension layer

Molding :

Molding that protrudes slightly and crowns the top of a piece of furniture above eye level

Mullion :

Post placed between two doors and maintained by its extremities in the cross members (on an armoire, front central post)

Normal leaf :

Placed between the two upper halves of the table or at its ends

Overlay drawer :

The front of an overlay drawer covers the edges of the frame

Padding :

Set of components used to in the weight-bearing sections of a seat or a decorative covering

Pan base :

A structure whose platform is enveloped by a trim which creates a slope towards the middle to hold the mattress

Pendant :

Small hanging part used as an ornament or as a means of opening something

Penture :

A decorative, imitation item, used on doors

Pied en gaine :

A leg whose width is greater at its top than at its bottom

Pilaster :

Vertical member formed by a minor extension of a furniture façade

Pillow :

Flat removable cushion used to decorate the seating area of a seat or a chair

Piping :

A doubled strip of cloth used in a stitching to forming a relief decoration

Pivot :

A rotating component for furniture doors

Plinth :

A platform that rests on the ground and is placed under a piece of furniture

Plug door :

Furniture doors whose external border is even with the frame

Pour un siège :

A flat or shaped frame which doubles the belt or is framed in it to form the platform, or is placed in the backrest to create moving parts

Ramps :

Upper cross-beams of bed-heads and some seat-backs

Reaming :

Exterior dressing of a fine cord or string

Reinforcement Cloth :

Strong cloth attached to the frame of a seat to reinforce the areas covered by a more fragile cloth (seat back, outer side of armchair arm rests)

Rising Butt Hinge :

Articulated part composed of a male and female part pivoting on an axis. This is generally used to hinge furniture doors

Roll Edge :

Roving around the contour of the trim

Runner :

A component placed under the feet of a piece of furniture to prevent damaging the floor

Rush :

Thin rod applied on a semi-circular section

Scroll :

Rounded or spiral part of certain armboards or backs (on armchairs with rolled arms for example)

Seat Front :

Front of a seat trim

Seat Rail :

Set of crossbeams which link the legs and uprights of seats, armchairs, sofas and tables

Separation panel :

Part placed inside a piece of furniture to isolate two compartments

Shelf Support Strips :

Wood pieces cut in a saw-blade pattern or perforated metal bands designed to support clips or hold shelf pins

Side Rails :

Parts used to link the ends of the bed

Slats :

Transverse boards on which a mattress is placed

Sliding doors :

Doors that slide in parallel to their own plane on a rail or in grooves made in the frame

Sliding tablet :

Mobile tablet that slides horizontally in its plane (multi-media furniture etc.)

Slip Cover :

Envelope which covers or protects furniture

Small backrest :

The lower back-rest of a seat

Small-frame moulding :

An integrated decorative item used to frame a surface and whose profile is completely recessed

Solid door :

A door made from a solid panel or plywood

Solid panel :

A piece of wood that is greater than 5 mm thick, used in furniture called "solid-wood furniture"

Split hinge :

A double hinge used to facilitate the opening/closing of a door

Stop :

Part or system designed to limit or brake a movable unit, usually a table or furniture drawer

Strap :

Strip of strong, thick cloth used in a seat (the number and crossing of the straps provides rigidity to the seat)

Strapped legs :

Legs of a table in which the straps are pre-assembled

Strapping :

Trim support composed of straps

Stuffing :

A furniture garnish made of compressible material (foam, hair etc.)

Suspended base :

A structure which has an equal elasticity over its complete surface

Tablet :

A part placed horizontally in a piece of furniture

Tassel :

Woven trim, used for decoration

Top Rail :

Upper crossbeam of a seat back

Traverse :

Horizontal part in a frame (upper traverse, lower traverse, interim traverse)

Trimming :

Strong ribbon used to hide studding on tapestry (seats, armchairs, sofas...)

Tuft :

Trim composed of padded humps, kept in place by buttons in diamond formation (used in chesterfield-style armchairs and sofas)

Upright :

Part placed vertically in a frame

Useful Dimensions :

Internal and external measurements of furniture or seating which allow the furniture or seat to function in the manner for which it was created

Lorraine Wood Furniture Association

Communication

Links