Interior Design Glossary: E
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Early American: Furniture design from the late 1600s to early 1700s, influenced by European styles like Jacobean and William and Mary. Characterized by straight lines and minimal decoration, it evolved into Colonial style, incorporating elements of Queen Anne and Chippendale.
Early Renaissance: A transitional period in the early 1500s between Gothic and Classical styles, featuring arches, high-relief carvings, and architectural details with olive, laurel, and acanthus leaf motifs. Furniture often lacked hardware.
Eastlake: Named after Charles Eastlake, this late 19th-century style in England and America featured medieval, Gothic, and Japanese influences, using cherry and fruitwoods, sometimes with tile and metal accents.
Easy Chair: A large chair designed for lounging.
Ébéniste: A French term for a cabinet maker.
Ebonize: A painting technique used to give an object the appearance of ebony.
Eclectic: A style that blends furniture and accessories from various periods and styles.
Egg & Dart: A classic design of alternating oval and dart shapes, often seen on cornices.
Eggshell: A low-sheen satin finish oil-based paint.
Egyptian: A highly influential design style from 4000 to 300 B.C., characterized by colorful, ornate carvings of papyrus, lotus, and animal forms. Common woods included sycamore, cedar, and olive, often embellished with ivory, gold, and jewels.
Egyptian Cotton: A fine, lustrous long-staple cotton, usually brown, used in thread and fine fabrics.
Eight-Way Hand Tied: Upholstery technique where springs are tied in eight directions for stability.
Elevation: A side view of a three-dimensional object, seen from the front, back, left, or right.
Elizabethan: Furniture style from the late 1500s, marked by heavy carving and large proportions.
Embossing: A technique used to impress or stamp designs onto furniture, often on wood to mimic carving.
Embroidery: Ornamental needlework using various threads, applied by hand or machine.
Empire: A Napoleonic-era style combining straight lines and curves, as seen in sleigh beds.
Emulsion: A water-based paint used on walls and ceilings.
Encarpa: A decorative festoon of fruit and flowers, used on flat surfaces.
Encoignure: An 18th-19th century corner cabinet with rounded or diagonal fronts, often featuring shelves.
End Matching: Joining two adjacent pieces of veneer to create a continuous pattern.
End Table: A small accent table placed at the end of a couch or beside a chair, typically made of wood, metal, or glass.
Endive: A carved leaf design resembling the endive plant.
English Regency: A style from 1810-1830, blending curves and straight lines with rich ornamentation, influenced by the French Empire.
English Style: A broad term for English furniture, defined by its variety and the woods used, due to rapid stylistic changes.
Entertainment Center: A furniture piece designed to hold entertainment devices like TVs and stereos.
Ergonomic: Furniture designed to support human comfort and health, often seen in home office furnishings.
Escritoire: A writing desk with a fall front that lowers to create a writing surface, the origin of the word "secretary."
Escutcheon: A shaped metal fitting behind a drawer pull or keyhole, or a decorative plate covering a keyhole.
Espagnolettes: A bolt mechanism found on French windows, controlled by a handle.
Etagere: A freestanding set of open shelves used for displaying accessories, or a small work table with stacked trays.
European Style: A sophisticated design style with attention to detail and ornamentation.
Evolute: A recurring wave motif used in bands, friezes, or cornices.
Eyeball Spots: Adjustable, semi-recessed ceiling lights.
Eyelet: A small hole in fabric for threading a cord or used as decoration in embroidery.