Furniture Store Glossary

Furniture salespeople and product listings use a vocabulary of their own, and some terms sound more impressive than they are. This glossary gives plain definitions of the words you are most likely to hear, grouped by where you will meet them: describing how a piece is built, what it is covered with, and how it is sold and delivered. When a term affects what you should check, the entry says so.

Construction terms

Case goods. Furniture made mainly of hard materials with no upholstery, such as dressers, chests, nightstands, bookcases, cabinets and tables. The term comes from the trade and is used to separate these pieces from upholstered items like sofas and chairs. When you inspect case goods, focus on joints, drawers, back panels and finishes.

Clothing storage unit. The term federal safety rules use for dressers, chests, armoires, wardrobes and similar furniture made to store clothes. Free-standing units 27 inches or taller, weighing 30 pounds or more, with at least 3.2 cubic feet of enclosed storage, are covered by the mandatory CPSC stability standard.¹

Corner blocks. Small pieces of wood fixed inside the corners of a frame, where the rails meet a leg, to reinforce the joint. You can often see them by looking under a table or the seat of a chair. Blocks that are glued and screwed add strength; missing or loose blocks are a reason to look more closely.

Dovetail joint. An interlocking joint shaped like a series of fanned tails, often used where a drawer front meets the sides. It resists being pulled apart, which is exactly the force a drawer front receives every time you open it. Machine-cut dovetails are common and sound; the joint matters more than whether it was cut by hand.

Kiln-dried. Wood dried in a heated chamber to a controlled moisture content before it is used. Properly dried wood is less likely to shrink, warp or crack after the piece is made, which is why sofa frames are often described as kiln-dried hardwood. Ask which parts of the frame the description covers.

Knock-down (KD). Furniture designed to be shipped in parts and assembled at home or in the room of use. Because each box is smaller than the finished piece, knock-down furniture often reaches rooms that a fully built version could not. Ask how many boxes the piece comes in and whether assembly is included in delivery.

Veneer. A thin layer of real wood glued over a core of plywood, MDF or particleboard. Veneer can be high quality; what matters is the core and how thick the veneer is. The materials guide shows how to spot veneer at an edge or a drawer side.

TSCA Title VI. The federal formaldehyde emission standard for hardwood plywood, MDF and particleboard. According to the EPA, furniture containing these materials made in or imported into the US after March 22, 2019 must be labeled compliant, and retailers must make the label information available on request.²

Upholstery terms

Eight-way hand-tied. A traditional method of supporting a sofa or chair seat in which coil springs are tied to each other and the frame by hand with twine in eight directions. It is labour-intensive and associated with higher-end upholstery. Other systems, such as sinuous springs or webbing, can also perform well; press the seat deck and judge the result rather than relying only on the name.

Sinuous springs. Continuous S-shaped steel wires that run from the front to the back of a seat frame. They are a common, practical seat support. Check that they feel evenly firm across the seat and that nothing creaks when you sit.

Top-grain leather. Leather from the outer layer of the hide, with the surface sanded or corrected to even out marks, then finished. Full-grain leather keeps the natural surface. Split leather comes from lower layers. Bonded or blended leather is a manufactured material containing leather fibres, and it wears very differently from top-grain or full-grain. Ask exactly which type covers the seat, back and arms, since some pieces use leather only where you sit.

COM fabric. Short for customer's own material: an upholstery option where you supply your own fabric for the store or manufacturer to use. It allows a fabric the store does not stock, but you are usually responsible for providing enough yardage of a suitable fabric, and some warranties do not cover COM fabric. Ask for the required yardage and the warranty terms in writing.

Cleaning code. A letter code on many upholstery fabrics that indicates which cleaning methods are suitable, such as water-based cleaners, solvent-based cleaners, both or neither. Using the wrong method can damage fabric and may void a warranty. Find the code on the tag or ask the store before you buy a light fabric.

Buying and delivery terms

Special order. A piece ordered for you, often in a chosen fabric, finish or size, rather than taken from stock. Special orders usually take longer and are often non-returnable. See our returns guide for what to ask.

Floor model. A piece used for display in the showroom, usually sold at a discount and often as final sale. Inspect it carefully and ask about warranty and missing parts.

As is. A sales term meaning you accept the item in its current condition with any faults, typically without returns. It may also mean there is no warranty.

Restocking fee. A charge some stores deduct from a refund when you return an item. Ask whether it applies and how much it is before you buy.

White-glove delivery. The top tier of delivery service, where the crew brings the piece inside, sets it up and takes the packaging away. The phrase has no fixed legal meaning, so the delivery guide lists what to confirm before you pay for it.

Curbside or threshold delivery. Delivery to the curb, building entrance or just inside the door. Carrying the piece into the room is up to you.

Thirty-day rule. An informal name for the FTC Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule. It requires sellers to ship within the stated time, or within 30 days if none is stated, and to offer cancellation when they cannot. It covers shipment for orders by mail, phone or online, not in-store purchases.³