Furniture glossary

Plain-English definitions of the terms you'll see in furniture descriptions — from aniline to veneer.

Furniture glossary

Terms you'll meet in our showroom and on product pages, in plain English.

A

Aniline leather — the most natural-looking leather, dyed all the way through without a heavy surface coating. Develops a beautiful patina but marks more easily.

Apron — the horizontal panel between the top of a table and the legs.

B

Bedroom set — a matching collection (typically bed, two bedside tables, chest of drawers, wardrobe).

Bouclé — a looped, textured fabric that looks like wool roving.

C

Carcase — the body of a cabinet or wardrobe, before doors and drawers are added.

Chaise — an extended seating section that lets you stretch out fully.

D

Divan — a sprung base, normally upholstered, that sits beneath the mattress. Often with built-in drawers.

Dovetail — a joint where flared tails interlock with pins. The strongest drawer joint, a quality marker.

E

Ergonomic — designed to fit the human body. Worth asking what the claim is based on; a marketing word as often as a real spec.

F

FFR-compliant — meets the Furniture & Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations. All UK upholstery must comply; we won't sell anything that doesn't.

FSC certified — timber sourced from forests audited by the Forest Stewardship Council.

G

GSM — grams per square metre. For fabric, higher GSM usually means heavier weight, more durable cloth.

H

Hardwood — broadleaf timber (oak, ash, beech, walnut). Generally denser and more durable than softwood.

K

Knock-down (KD) — furniture that can be partly disassembled to make delivery easier.

M

MDF — medium-density fibreboard. Smooth, paintable, stable; not as strong as solid timber.

Memory foam — foam that softens with body heat and slowly contours.

O

Open coil — mattress springs that are interconnected. Cheaper and bouncier; less zoned support than pocket springs.

Ottoman — a low padded seat that often opens for storage.

P

Pocket springs — individually-wrapped springs that move independently. Zoned support; less partner-disturbance.

Patina — the colour and texture changes that develop on natural materials (leather, oak, brass) with age and use.

R

Reclaimed — timber salvaged from old buildings, ships, or pallets and re-used.

Rub test (Martindale) — a measure of fabric abrasion resistance, in cycles. See sofa buying guide.

S

Slat spacing — the gap between bed slats. Most mattress warranties require ≤ 7 cm.

Softwood — conifer timber (pine, fir, spruce). Lighter, often more affordable than hardwood.

V

Veneer — a thin layer of decorative timber bonded to a core of MDF or plywood.

VOC — volatile organic compound. New foam and finishes can off-gas; air new furniture for a few days.

W

Warranty — the manufacturer's promise to repair or replace defects within a stated period. Sits alongside, not instead of, your Consumer Rights Act protections.

Last updated 2026-05-26 · J & M McEwen, Kirkwall