Interior Design Glossary: F

F

Faceted: A surface cut into sharp-edged planes in a crisscross pattern to reflect light.

Fall Front: A bureau flap that pulls down to provide a writing surface.

Fan Patterned: Chair back design resembling a half-open fan with ribs or channels.

Fancy-Faced Veneers: Veneers cut into exotic patterns, often used on visible areas like door fronts or tabletops.

Fanlight: A semi-circular window with radiating glass sections, often found above doors.

Farthingale Chair: An armless upholstered chair from the early Stuart era, designed for ladies with large skirts.

Fauteuil: A French upholstered armchair with open spaces between the arms and seat.

Faux: A simulation of a material, e.g., faux marble, a painted surface mimicking marble (see trompe l'oeil).

Feather Banding: Two narrow bands of veneer laid in opposite diagonal directions.

Feather Bed: A quilted mattress topper filled with feathers or goose down.

Federal: A design style from post-American Revolution, featuring straight lines, tapered legs, and contrasting veneers, influenced by Sheraton and Hepplewhite.

Felt: A cotton material used for cushioning or lining furniture, such as in jewelry armoires or drawers.

Feng Shui: An ancient Chinese practice of harmonizing a site or structure with spiritual forces.

Ferrule: A metal cap attached to the end of a slender shaft for strength or to prevent splitting.

Festoon: A garland or foliage hanging in a curved shape between two points.

Festoon Blind: A blind with gathered scallops along its length, similar to an Austrian blind.

Fiber: A natural or synthetic substance, such as cotton or polyester, that can be spun or woven.

Fiber Rug: A floor covering made from tightly twisted paper strips, often coated for durability.

Fiberboard: A board made of compressed wood fibers and glue.

Fiberfill: Material used for stuffing, such as in pillows or quilting.

Fiddle Back: A violin-shaped backsplat, common on Queen Anne chairs.

Figuring: The natural grain pattern in wood.

Filament Lighting: Light produced by heating a small filament inside a bulb.

File Cabinet: Office furniture used to store files, typically consisting of one to four drawers.

Filigree: Decorative ornamentation, often in the form of fine wire scrolls or arabesques.

Fill (or Weft): Yarns woven through the foundation warp yarns, also refers to how an item is stuffed.

Filling: A finishing step where natural pores in wood are filled to create a smooth, reflective surface.

Finger Joint: A wood joint with a zigzag pattern, glued together for strength.

Finger Plates: Narrow rectangular panels attached to doors to protect them from finger marks.

Finial: A decorative detail, often carved or shaped, used to ornament the top of upright furniture pieces like bedposts or lamps.

Finish: The surface coating of an item, such as paint, stain, or varnish, used for coloring, texture, and protection.

Finnish Style: Design using bent, laminated wood and lightweight, open shapes, with early use of tubular steel in furniture.

Firmness: A quality in furniture or mattresses referring to support, often synonymous with hardness or structural support.

Flambeau: A carved decoration resembling a flaming torch.

Flame Stitch: A wavy, angular pattern, often found on brocade fabrics.

Flange: A projecting ridge, such as those on an I-beam, or a decorative finish sewn into a seam.

Flannel: A cotton or rayon fabric, slightly napped on both sides, resembling wool.

Flare: The outward concave curve of a furniture leg.

Flax: A plant used to make linen.

Flemish: Furniture from Flemish craftsmen, influenced by Dutch Renaissance design, known for intricate carvings and the Flemish foot.

Flemish Scroll: A Baroque form where a curve is interrupted by an angle.

Fleur-De-Lis: A decorative French emblem in the form of a stylized flower.

Flock Wallpaper: Wallpaper with a raised fabric pattern.

Floor Lamp: A tall lamp with a base that stands on the floor.

Floor Plan: A scaled diagram showing the layout of rooms and physical features at one level of a structure.

Flow: The harmonious arrangement of design elements, ensuring smooth continuity in style, shape, and color.

Fluting: A series of semicircular grooves, typically carved into columns or furniture legs.

Fly Rail: A folding bracket that supports the drop leaf of a table.

Foam: Padding material used in upholstered furniture and mattresses, including types like polyurethane, latex, and memory foam.

Foam Core: A lightweight material with a foam center, used for mounting displays or photographs.

FOB (Free on Board): A term indicating the quoted price covers expenses up to delivery on an overseas vessel provided by the buyer.

Focal Point: The area in a room or landscape that draws the eye.

Foliated: Decorated with intricate leaf patterns.

Footboard: The piece at the foot of a bed in a headboard and footboard set.

Foundation: The base of a mattress set, providing support and durability.

Four Poster: A bed with posts tall enough to support a canopy.

FQ: Full/Queen size, typically referring to bedding that fits both full and queen mattresses (88"x96").

Frame: The wooden structure of an upholstered furniture piece.

French Bed: A bed with ends that roll outward, also known as a sleigh bed.

French Classic: Furniture design favoring straight lines and geometric patterns, often made from mahogany, with fluted and grooved accents.

French Empire: Early 19th-century style inspired by Napoleon's imperial ambitions, featuring classical influences, rich varnishes, and metal feet.

French Polishing: A method of treating wood with French polish for a reflective, smooth finish.

French Provincial: Rustic versions of formal French furnishings from the 1600s and 1700s.

French Regence: Early 1700s style influenced by Louis XIV furniture, known for curvy shapes and rococo decoration.

French Renaissance: Furniture style from the mid-1400s to early 1600s, inspired by Italian taste with exquisite woodcarving and tapestry weaving.

Fresco: A wall or ceiling painting technique where watercolors are blended into wet plaster.

Fretwork: Pierced woodcarving, often with an oriental influence, used decoratively in Chippendale-style furniture.

Frieze: A decorated horizontal band at the top of a wall or piece of furniture.

Full Bed (Double Size): A bed size measuring 54"x75", also known as a double or standard bed.

Full Extra Long (Double Extra Long): A mattress measuring 54"x80".

Full-Forward Arm: An arm that extends continuously from the back to the front of a furniture piece.

Full Grain Leather: A top-grain leather with its natural grain pattern intact.

Functionalism: A design approach focused on practical use rather than decoration.

Futon: A Japanese-style mattress placed on a folding frame, used as both a seat and a bed.

Futon Cover: A large cover for a futon mattress, often closed with a zipper or Velcro.