Interior Design Glossary: C

C

Cable: A molding design resembling intertwined rope.

Cabochon: A gem shaped into a convex, hemispherical ornament.

Cabriole Leg: A decorative S-shaped leg on tables or chairs, curving outward at the knee and tapering at the ankle, often found on Queen Anne, Chippendale, and other 18th-century pieces. Typically seen with ball and claw feet.

Café Curtain: A curtain covering only the bottom half of a window, hanging from a wire or thin rod.

Calico: Cotton or cotton-blend fabric with small, colorful patterns.

California King: A bed size measuring 74"x86", popular on the West Coast of the U.S. It is longer than a standard king bed, giving it a rectangular shape.

Cambrick (or Dust Cover): A non-woven cloth covering the bottom of upholstered furniture like sofas or box springs. Commonly called a "dust cover."

Camel Hair: Lustrous, soft underhair from camels, often blended with wool for coats, blankets, and rugs. Colors range from light tan to brownish-black and is classified as wool under the Wool Products Labeling Act.

Camelback: A sofa with a curved back featuring a large central hump, often used by Chippendale and Hepplewhite.

Campaign Furniture: Portable, folding, or collapsible furniture made for military use, often featuring handles, associated with colonialism.

Canape: A French settee with a padded back and seat, open arms, and a decorated frame, typically linked to Louis XV design.

Candle Follower: A device placed on top of a candle to prevent wax from dripping down the sides as it melts.

Cane: Split rattan used for covering chair seats and backs.

Cane Chair: A lightweight, durable chair first made in England and popular in America since the late 1600s.

Canopy: A fabric covering attached to a frame at the top of bedposts.

Canopy Bed: A bed with four tall posts joined by cross members, which can support a fabric canopy, swags, or curtains.

Canted: Sloping at an angle, such as a sofa or chair back.

Canterbury: A portable magazine rack named after the Bishop of England.

Cantonniere: A 16th-century French bed hanging used outside bed curtains to prevent drafts.

Capital: A decorative cap on a column, pillar, or pilaster.

Capping: Turned ornamentation used to decorate furniture pieces.

Captain's Chair: A Windsor chair with a lower, rounded spindle back.

Carcase: The basic structure of a piece of furniture, often forming the foundation for veneering.

Card Table: A folding table originating in England in the late 1600s, designed to accommodate gambling.

Carlton Table: An 18th-century writing table with an adjustable top.

Carolean: Furniture from the Restoration and Late Jacobean periods, known for its carved spiral legs and stretchers, often in walnut or oak, with luxurious upholstery.

Cartonnier: A piece of furniture standing beside a writing table to hold papers.

Cartouche: An ornamental shield or decoration, often above doors or fireplaces, sometimes containing the name of a monarch or deity. Also refers to a sculpture or back ornament in the shape of an unrolled scroll.

Carved Rug: A rug with a three-dimensional design or pattern.

Carver Chair: A modern term for a 17th-century Dutch-style armchair with turned posts and spindles.

Caryatid: A support member in the form of a stylized human figure.

Casegoods (or Case Furniture): Non-upholstered furniture pieces like tables, hutches, dressers, and chests with functional or storage capabilities.

Casein (or Buttermilk): Traditional paint made from earth pigments blended with buttermilk or skimmed milk and a small amount of lime, drying to a flat, smooth finish.

Casement: A drapery made from open-weave material, typically somewhat opaque.

Cashmere: Fine, downy undercoat hair from the cashmere goat, used in blends for coats, blankets, and rugs. Natural colors range from light tan to brownish-black.

Casing: An enclosing frame around a door or window opening.

Cassapanca: A wooden bench with a built-in chest beneath the seat.

Cassone: An Italian chest, often highly decorated with carving and inlay.

Cast Iron Furniture: Iron furnishings made with molds, popular since the 1800s for items like garden furniture and beds.

Casters: Round wheels attached by a swivel to furniture for mobility, commonly used on dining and office chairs.

Casting: Forming metal objects by pouring molten metal into a mold and allowing it to harden.

Causeuse: A small settee popular in early French furniture.

Ceiling Fan: A decorative and functional fan mounted on the ceiling to circulate air in a room.

Cellaret: A stand or case for storing wine bottles.

Center Draw: Draperies that open and close at the midpoint of a window.

Center Glide: A track guiding a drawer in its center.

Center Rail: A support beam running from head to toe down the middle of a mattress foundation or bed frame for added support.

Centerpiece: An ornament placed at the center of a dining table.

Ceramic Tiles: Glazed clay tiles known for their durability.

Certosina: Ivory inlay found on some fine Italian antique furniture.

Chair and a Half: An upholstered seating piece larger than an armchair but smaller than a loveseat.

Chair Rail: A molding placed about thirty inches from the floor to protect the wall from chair backs.

Chaise Lounge: An upholstered armchair with an extended back and seat for reclining, ranging from formal to contemporary styles.

Chambray: A cotton fabric with colored warp and white filling yarns in a plain weave.

Chamfer: An edge or corner cut at an angle or beveled.

Chandelier: A ceiling-mounted lighting fixture with multiple arms bearing lights, available in various styles from simple to ornate.

Channel Back: A sofa or chair with vertical sections of cushioning in a shell-like pattern.

Channel Quilt: Stitching in parallel lines running the length or width of a fabric.

Channeling: A grooved or creased effect in wood.

Charles of London: A style of sofa or chair with low rolled arms.

Chased: A metal surface decorated by embossing, engraving, or carving.

Checks: Splits or cracks in wood, usually due to seasoning, common in genuine cherry wood pieces.

Chenille: A fuzzy yarn similar to velvet when tightly woven.

Chesser: A combination of a dresser and a chest, narrower than a dresser and shorter than a chest, typically with a small tilting mirror.

Chest: A tall, narrow piece with a series of drawers for clothing storage.

Chest on Chest: A tall chest with a larger chest of drawers supporting a slightly smaller one.

Chesterfield: A sofa with deep button tufting and large rolled arms of the same height as the back, commonly used in Canada and England.

Cheval Mirror: A freestanding mirror in a vertical frame, also known as a dressing mirror or cheval glass.

Chevron: V-shaped ornamentation inspired by military insignia.

Chiffonier: A tall, narrow chest of drawers for storing undergarments and lingerie, derived from the French term for a lady's work table.

Chifforobe: A combination wardrobe and chest of drawers.

China Cabinet (or China Hutch): A cabinet, with or without glass fronts, for storing and displaying china.

Chinese: Chinese art and furniture design influenced European styles from the 1500s to the 1800s, seen in Chippendale, Regency, and Louis XV styles. Features include lacquered finishes and relief carvings.

Chinoiserie: Decoration inspired by Chinese art, often painted or lacquered on furniture or used in wallpaper and fabric themes.

Chintz: Printed cotton fabric often featuring a shiny or glazed finish.

Chippendale: A design style featuring rectangular and heavier forms with cabriole legs, ball and claw feet, and highboys with broken pediment tops.

Cinquefoil: A design featuring five petals.

Claw & Ball (or Ball & Claw): Carved lion's or bird's claws clutching a sphere, usually at the end of a cabriole leg or pedestal table’s base.

Club Chair: An upholstered chair with arms, often matching a sofa and covered in the same material.

Club Foot: A turned foot resembling a club, often found at the end of a cabriole leg.

Club Sofa: A fully upholstered sofa with arms lower than its back.

Cockbeading: Bead molding applied to the edges of drawers.

Cocktail Table (or Coffee Table): A long, low table typically placed in front of a sofa for serving.

Coffer: A multifunctional traveling chest with handles and a domed lid, usually made of oak. Also refers to a leather-covered chest or box with metal bands.

Coil Count: The number of coils in a mattress or box spring unit, with higher counts once thought to indicate better quality but now less relevant.

Coil Springs: Wire coils used in higher-end upholstered seating for desired resilience.

Colonial: American furniture from the 1700s through the Revolutionary era, typically made of mahogany or cherry for formal styles, and pine, oak, or maple for plainer pieces. Queen Anne and Chippendale designs are often included.

Colonial Revival: Reproductions of 1700s American styles, though not always detailed accurately, popular from the late 1800s through the early 1900s. Also known as "Revival."

Colonnade: A series of columns connected by a horizontal entablature or cornice at the top.

Color Scheme: Combinations of colors used for interior design in rooms and homes.

Color Transfer: The process of applying color from one material to another using moisture or heat, or accidental color seepage between materials.

Color Way: A term in interior design describing a color combination.

Colorfast: Describes fabrics that retain their color without noticeable changes during normal use.

Colorwashing: A decorative painting technique involving a thin glaze or water-based wash over a base coat to create subtle color layers.

COM/COL: Industry terms for "Customer's Own Material" or "Customer's Own Leather," expressed in square yards for fabric (COM) and square feet for leather (COL), referring to the amount of material needed for custom coverings.

Comb Back: A Windsor chair with an extended back above the arm rail featuring five or more spindles and a curved top rail resembling a comb.

Combing: A painting technique where a comb or similar tool is dragged through paint or glaze to create lines.

Comfort Layers: Layers in a mattress or upholstered seating providing a comfortable surface feel.

Comforter: A thick, quilted cover for the mattress, often used with a dust ruffle and typically too short to cover bed pillows, requiring shams.

Commode: A small, low chest with doors or drawers, often used to refer to traditionally styled nightstands.

Commonwealth (or Puritan): Furniture from the mid to late 1600s, characterized by its straight, severe design, often made of oak and lacking ornate details. Also known as Puritan, Cromwellian, or Middle Jacobean.

Computer Desk: A desk designed specifically for accommodating a personal computer.

Connecticut Chest: A low chest on legs with a double set of drawers.

Console (or Console Table): Originally a bracket supporting cornices or shelves, now describing tables affixed to a wall with legs at the front.

Contemporary: Furniture styles from the latter half of the 1900s, featuring softened, rounded looks compared to the stark lines of modern design.

Continental: A 26" square pillow, traditionally European in size.

Continuous Coil: A mattress design where each row of coils is made from a single, continuous wire.

Contrasting Welt: Welting or piping at seams covered in fabric that contrasts with the main body fabric, used on upholstered furniture and fabric accessories.

Corduroy: A cotton or rayon velvet with woven ridges or cords.

Corner Block or Brace: A diagonal brace placed at the corner of a frame structure for added strength, commonly used in dressers and chests.

Corner Cupboard: A triangular-shaped china cabinet designed to fit into a corner.

Cornice: Molding that runs along the top of a curio, hutch, or similar piece.

Cornucopia: A design motif symbolizing peace and prosperity, represented as a horn of plenty.

Corrected Grain Leather: Leather that is buffed to remove blemishes and embossed to simulate an attractive grain pattern or decorative texture.

Cottage Furniture: Casual furniture style often painted or decorated, featuring turned legs and simple lines. Originated during the Victorian period to describe mass-produced simplified designs.

Couch: A term used in the 17th and 18th centuries to refer to a daybed, not a sofa or settee until more recent times.

Counter Stool: A stool with a seat height of about 24" to 26", as opposed to a bar stool with a seat height of 30".

Country Style: A casual style popular since the 1980s, featuring nature and nostalgic motifs with an "appearance" of handcrafting and common distressing.

Court Cupboard: A small cupboard used for storing silver, china, or other precious items.

Coverlet: A bed cover that reaches to the top of the bed and the bottom of the box spring on three sides.

Coving: Decorative plaster or polystyrene molding used to cover the join between walls and ceilings.

Crackle Glaze (or Craquelure): A special glaze used to create a fine network of cracks.

Credence: An early Italian cabinet for carving meat or displaying plates, a precursor to the sideboard.

Credence Table: A small, semi-circular table with a hinged top used for storing food before serving.

Credenza: Typically a sideboard or buffet, or in office furniture, a horizontal filing cabinet with doors or shelves, often placed behind a desk.

Crest Rail (Top Rail): The top horizontal rail of an upholstered piece, which may be elaborately detailed.

Cresting: Shaped ornamentation on the top of a structure, such as on a chair.

Crinoline Stretcher: An arched stretcher found on certain Windsor chairs.

Crocheting: Fabric, trimming, or lace made by interlocking loops or stitches with a hook or needle.

Crocking: The loss of leather coloring or finish due to abrasion.

Croft: A small 18th-century filing cabinet with many small drawers and a writing top.

Cross Stretcher: An X-shaped stretcher, either straight or curved, found on traditional tables, chairs, highboys, and lowboys.

Crown Molding: Molding where the wall meets the ceiling or the uppermost molding along furniture or cabinetry.

Cupboard: A cabinet, box, or closet with shelves designed for storing cups, dishes, or food.

Cupid's Bow: The top rail of a Chippendale chair back, which curves up at the ends and dips slightly in the center.

Curio (Collectors Cabinet): A glass-fronted case with shelves and doors for displaying collectibles.

Curule Legs: X-shaped legs used on a portable, backless folding chair.

Curved-Back Sofa: A sofa with a smoothly arched back and large, scrolled arms.

Cushion Drawer: A convex drawer below a cornice, running the full width of a piece of furniture.

Cushioning: Materials used for comfort in upholstered furniture and bedding, including polyurethane foam, polyester, cotton, latex, and wool.

Cutting for Approval (CFA): A small sample of material used to assess color and texture before making a full order.

Cyma Curve: A distinctive 'S' shaped curve found in Queen Anne furniture.