Interior Design Glossary: B

B

Bachelor's Chest: A small, low chest from the 1700s.

Backing: A coating applied to the back of fabric to prevent seam slippage and wear.

Backsplash: A narrow strip, usually wood, placed against a wall or the back of a dry sink or console.

Backsplat: A wooden slat in the center of a chair back.

Baffle: A device attached to a light fitting to prevent glare.

Bag Table: An 18th-century serving table with drawers and an attached cloth bag.

Bagging: A painting technique using a crumpled bag or similar material to create textured patterns on walls.

Baguette: A small convex molding with semi-circular contours.

Bail: A metal ring or hoop used as a handle.

Baize: A wool fabric resembling felt, typically green, used on gaming tables.

Bakelite: An early plastic known for its limited colors, used in early modern furniture.

Baker's Rack: An open storage unit with shelves, often used in kitchens, typically made of wood and metal.

Balance: The arrangement of objects to create an even feel or atmosphere in a room.

Ball & Claw: A carved design featuring a lion’s or bird’s claw grasping a sphere, typically found at the end of a cabriole leg.

Ball Foot: A rounded end of a turned leg with a hooded effect.

Balloon Back Chair: A Hepplewhite-style chair with a rounded back resembling a hot-air balloon.

Balloon Shade: A window treatment with gathered fabric and soft, billowy folds.

Baluster: A small, turned, square, or flat column that supports a rail, also used in chair backs.

Bamboo Turning: A wood turning style from the 19th century that mimics bamboo.

Banding: Inlay or marquetry that creates color or grain contrast along a surface’s perimeter.

Bandy Leg: An American colonial term for a cabriole or curved leg.

Banister-Back Chair: A maple chair with vertical split banisters in the back, popular in rural America in the 1700s.

Banquette: A long, often built-in upholstered seat or bench, or a ledge at the back of a buffet.

Bar: A counter or built-in cabinetry used for mixing and serving drinks.

Bar Stool: A stool with a seat height of about 30 inches, as opposed to a counter stool’s 24 to 26 inches.

Barkcloth: A soft, textured fabric resembling tree bark.

Barley Twist: A furniture leg turned to resemble a screw thread.

Baroque: A highly ornate style originating in Italy in the 1600s, known for irregular curves, twisted columns, and elaborate details.

Barrel Back: A chair or sofa with arms and back forming a continuous curve.

Barrel Chair: A semicircular upholstered chair with a loose seat cushion.

Bassinet: A small, originally basket-shaped bed for a baby.

Batik: A hand-printing technique from Indonesia using wax as a resist to create patterns.

Batten: A wooden strip attached to a wall to support fabric or paneling.

Batting: Thin layers of cloth used to line cushions, pillows, quilts, or crafts.

Bauhaus: A minimalist style from the early 1900s, named after the German School of Architecture.

Bead: A small, convex molding with a nearly semi-circular section.

Beadboard: Wood paneling with vertically routed lines, often used as a wall material, wainscoting, or cabinet doors.

Beading: A decorative detail resembling a row of flattened beads.

Beau Brummel: A Georgian dressing table for men, named after an English fashion arbiter.

Bed Frame: A metal or wooden frame supporting a mattress, often with attachable headboards.

Bed-In-A-Bag®: A bedding set including flat and fitted sheets, pillowcases, comforter, bed skirt, and shams. Twin sets include one pillowcase and sham, while king and California king sets include king-sized pillowcases and shams.

Bed Rails: Metal or wooden frames connecting the headboard and footboard and supporting the mattress. Common styles include hook-on and bolt-on.

Bed Skirt: A gathered or pleated cloth strip extending from the bottom of the mattress to the floor, also known as a dust ruffle.

Bedding Ensemble: A combination of bedspreads, pillow shams, bed skirts, and similar items.

Bedspread: A decorative covering for a bed that usually extends to the floor on either side and covers the pillows.

Bell Flower: A carving or inlay of three to five petals arranged in strings, often used on table and chair legs.

Bench: A long seat designed for two or more people, made from materials ranging from wood to concrete.

Bench Cushion: A long cushion covering the entire seat area of a sofa, loveseat, or settee.

Bentwood: Wood shaped by steam bending, commonly used for making furniture parts like chairs.

Bergère: An upholstered French armchair with closed arms, an exposed wood frame, loose seat cushion, and wide proportions, popular during the Louis XIV and Louis XV periods.

Bias: Cutting and sewing fabric at a diagonal angle relative to its pattern.

Beidermeier: A German furniture style from the early 1800s characterized by plain, squared forms and a focus on strength and comfort.

Beveled Edge: A slanted, polished edge detail used on wood, marble, glass, and similar materials.

Bibliotheque-Basse: A low cupboard with shelves for books, often with glass doors and sometimes fitted with grilles.

Bird's-Eye: A wood marking from sugar maple trees, characterized by small spots and highly prized in furniture making.

Bishop's Sleeve: A drapery treatment with side panels of lightweight fabric tied back to create a billowing drape above and flowing effect below.

Bistro Table: A round table about 40 inches in height, designed for small spaces and intimate dining, sometimes referred to as a pub table.

Blanket: A large woven material used for warmth, especially on a bed.

Blanket Chest: A low chest for storing blankets, often called a hope chest, used historically for storage and seating.

Blinds: Window coverings with horizontal or vertical slats made from wood, aluminum, fabric, or other materials, opening either from the bottom up or to the side.

Block Foot: A square foot at the base of a straight leg.

Block Front: An American furniture style from the 1700s with a front divided into three vertical segments: a concave center panel and convex side panels.

Block Printing: The oldest printing method, using wooden, linoleum, or copper blocks to create patterns.

Bobeche: A glass ring at the base of a candle to catch wax or dangle crystals.

Body Impressions: The natural compression of upholstery layers over time, often mistaken for sagging.

Boiserie: Carved wood panels used in French furniture from the 17th century.

Bolster: A long, cylindrical stuffed pillow or cushion, or an oversized backrest or pillow in various shapes.

Bombe: A low baroque-style chest with bulging convex sides, originating in France, also used for some commodes, bureaus, and armoires.

Bonheur-du-jour: A small French writing table with tall legs, sometimes designed to hold toilet accessories and miscellaneous items.

Bonnell Coil: An hourglass-shaped mattress coil with cylindrical ends and a tapered center, commonly used in lower-priced bedding.

Bonnet Top: A hooded top found on secretaries, china cabinets, bookcases, and curios.

Book Matching: Two adjacent veneer sheets opened like a book and glued side by side to create a symmetrical pattern.

Bookcase: A piece of furniture with shelves for storing books, usually found in an office or study.

Borax: A term for lower-priced, mass-produced furniture from the 1920s onward, featuring large overstuffed designs and often decorated with veneer and plastic moldings.

Border Rod: A heavy wire around the perimeter of a mattress or box spring to provide shape and form.

Boss: An oval or round ornament applied to a surface, or a work in relief.

Boston Rocker: A large wooden rocking chair with a spindle back and wide top rail, often painted or stenciled, originating in America in the 1800s.

Boucle': A knitted or woven fabric with a looped or knotted surface, resembling a spongy texture. The term also refers to various looped or curled yarns.

Boudoir Pillow: A small, decorative pillow, typically measuring about 12" x 16".

Boulle: A designer from the Louis XIV period known for inlays of metal and tortoise shell, with "Boullework" describing his style.

Bowback: A type of Windsor chair with a bow-shaped back, or a similar style back on other furniture. Popular in America during the 18th century.

Bowfront: A piece of furniture with a rounded, convex front.

Box Pleat: A symmetrical skirt pleat created by folding the fabric back on each side of the pleat to form a dentil pattern.