Interior Design Glossary: V

V

Valance: A horizontal element used as a header for draperies, which can be made from fabric, wood, metal, or other materials.
Value: The lightness or darkness of a particular color.
Vanity: The countertop and cabinet designed to support a sink in a bathroom.
Vanity Table: Typically a small table with a drawer and mirror, used in a woman's or girl's bedroom for hairstyling, makeup application, etc.
Vargueno: A drop-front desk of Spanish origin, popular during the 16th and 17th centuries.
Vase: A decorative container or urn, commonly used for holding flowers.
Vasselier: A traditional French-style china cupboard, hutch, and buffet.
Vegetable Dye: Dyes derived from the natural pigments found in plants and botanical products.
Velvet: A luxurious fabric characterized by its soft texture and thick pile.
Veneer: Thin sheets of wood applied to a furniture surface to create decorative inlay patterns of wood grain.
Venetian Blind: A window treatment made up of a series of horizontal slats that can be adjusted or raised to control light and privacy.
Verdigris: A greenish-blue patina that develops on copper, brass, or bronze surfaces. Faux verdigris (or verdi) finishes are common on metalwork like coffee tables.
Vertically Run: A fabric that has been applied with the warp threads (the length of the bolt) running from top to bottom over the furniture's back, front, and arms.
Victorian: A furniture style named after England's Queen Victoria, popular in the latter half of the 1800s. Victorian furniture was typically made of mahogany, walnut, and rosewood in dark finishes, often featuring elaborate carved floral designs. Common elements include oval chair backs and marble tops on tables and dressers.
Vinyl Wrap: Flexible vinyl sheeting applied to underlying wood solids or particleboard to create a surface that usually resembles wood.
Vis-A-Vis: A tete-a-tete chair where two sitters face each other.
Viscoelastic Foam: Heat-sensitive polyurethane foam, commonly referred to as visco or memory foam.
Vitrine: A china or curio cabinet with a glass front used to display collectibles or other fine items.
Voile: A sheer, lightweight fabric used to make sheets, pillows, shams, duvet covers, and draperies for canopy beds.
Volute: A spiral, scroll-like ornament found on Ionic and Corinthian capitals.