A

Abacus

The flat stone at the top of a column's capital.

Abutment

The stone or brickwork from which an arch or vault arises.  Support provided by horizontal pressure.

Acanthus

An ornamental leaf motif element of a Corinthan column.

Acroteria

Plinth on which statues or other ornaments stand at the end of a pediment.

Accent lighting

Lighting used to highlight texture, colour or objects such as paintings

Acrylic colours

Quick drawing artists paints - excellent for stencilling.

Adobe

Brick made from dried earth and straw.

Advancing (or warm) colours

Warm colours such as reds and yellows used in a design scheme to make a wall or other object appear to be closer or bigger.

Aesthetic Movement

19th century British art and design movement inspired by a Queen Anne revival and an interest in Japanese aesthetics.  Influence on both sides of the Atlantic and encouraged the use of light and bright designs for comfort and informality.  Symbols of the scheme include sunflowers and peacocks.

Aisle

A passage at the side of a church.

Alabaster

Fine grained limestone which can come in a variety of colours and is translucent and delicately marked.

Ambient Lighting

General lighting which should be unobtrusive and indirect.

Ambulatory

A passage around the sides and rear of the chancel of a church.

Andiron

One of a pair of metal stands of holding logs in a fire.

Antefixae

Decorative tiles that hide the end or edges of roof tiles.  Usually made from terracotta or marble.

Aniline

A type of dye created from coal tar.

Antiquing

A method of artificially aging an object by using glaze or colourwash (including burnt umber or burnt senna) or of rubbing down new paint with wirewool to leave a patchy surface.

Apron

A panel below a window sill which is often seen in Renaissance design and may be ornamental or shaped.

Apse

The semicircular end of a church chancel.

Arcade

A series of adjacent arches.

Arch

A structure of shaped blocks over an opening which does not use a lintel.

Architrave

The lowest horizontal band of an entablature.

Archivolt

A moulding on the face of an arch that follows its curve.

Armoire

A moveable wardrobe with a door front.

Arris

The sharp edge formed where two surfaces meet.

Art Deco

A decorative movement popular during the 1920s and 1930s that took advantage of new materials, new methods of production and new discoveries.

Art Nouveau

A late 19th century design movement which used sweeping curves and elements from Nature.

Arts & Crafts

A 19th century design movement in England lead by William Morris who rebelled against mass production and reverted to craftsmanship and the ideas of the Age of Chivalry.

Ashlar

Regular rectangular blocks cut to make walls.

Astragal

Small, concave moulding, often including carved beads in the design.

Asymmetrical designs

Design schemes that are not balanced as in symmetrical designs.

Atrium

A central, open space.

Attic

The upper storey of a house, just beneath the roof.

Axminster

A decorated carpet, originally from the English town of that name, which is made by using cut pile to form a variety of patterns in coloured wool.

B

Baffle

A device attached to a light fitting to reduce glare.

Bagging

The method of creating a textured paint finish by using a wrapped cloth in a bag to randomly remove paint or glaze from a newly painted/still tacky paint surface.

Baize

Felt-like coarse weave fabric.

Ball & claw foot

A decorative element of a furniture leg which is carved in the shape of a claw holding a spherical ball.

Ball foot

A decorative element of a furniture leg which terminates in a spherical shape.

Balloon back

A chair back where the uprights merge into a curved top rail.  Popular in Victorian design.

Baluster

Part of a handrail system - the post that supports the handrail.

Balustrade

A series of balusters with a top rail forming a barrier.

Banquette

An upholstered bench.

Barn door

The flaps on the front of some spot lights.

Baroque

A complex form of architecture and design in the latter part of the Renaissance movement.  Elaborate decorative detail was typical.

Barrel vault

A semicircular masonry vault commonly found in medieval church architecture.

Base coat

The initial coat of paint or glaze applied to allow for better coverage and long life of top coats.

Bas-relief

Three dimensional design in which the image stands in the shallow relief from a flat background.

Batiste

A fabric that is soft and sheer.  Normally in white and made from, for instance, silk, cotton or wool.

Batten fitting

The fitting used to hold a fluorescent tube.

Batter

Inward sloping of a vertical wall surface.

Bauhaus

A German school of art and design from 1919 to the early 1930s.  Founded by Walter Gropius which employed modern methods of design and production.  Many of the designers and artists moved to England during the rise of Nazi Germany and introduced Art Deco/Moderne designs to the public.

Bayonet fitting

A tungsten bulb light fitting with two lugs as opposed to a screw bulb

Bay window

A projecting window.

Beam

A horizontal element used to provide structural support.

Beau Brummel

A Georgian dressing table for men named after the associate of the Prince Regent.

Berber carpet

Made from natural, undyed sheep's wool.

Belle Epoque

A French opulent style popular at the end of the 19th/beginning of the 20th century.

Bentwood

A method of shaping strips of wood by using steam heat and moulds.

Bergere

A low upholstered armchair made and used in France.

Beton brut

A French term for exposed, reinforced concrete.

Biedermeier

A 19th century, German style of furniture which combined neo-classical elements with provincial elements.

Bird's eye maple

Wood from the sugar maple with small, dark knots.

Block foot

A square foot at the end of a tapered leg.

Blockfront

A piece of furniture which has three sections - the two sides projecting beyond the middle section.  Popular in America during the 18^th century.

Bombe

A French term for a furniture design which employs an outward swelling curve.

Boulle

Inlay work using metal and tortoise shell - developed in France by Charles Boulle.

Box joint

Wood joint that uses interlocking, projecting fingers.

Breakfront desk

A piece of furniture which has a bookcase on the top half and a projecting desk beneath.

Broadloom

The term for broader widths of carpet (more than 2m).

Brocade

Heavy silk or synthetic material woven into elaborate patterns with silver and gold threads.

Broken pediment

A pediment with a central opening.

Brownstone

Soft brown sandstone - also the name used for the buildings constructed using this material.

Brutalism

Modern architectural design using massive elements of cement - adopted by Le Corbusier after the Second World War.

Buckram

A stiffened material, usually cotton, with a glue sizing.  Can be used to stiffen curtains, valances and tie-backs.

Bureau a cylindre

A writing desk with a roll-top closure.

Burl

Decorative veneer made from wood which has grown into irregular patterns.

Buttress

A structural element that is used for bracing or support.

C

Cable

A covered bundle of insulated wires used to carry electricity.

Cabriole

Curved, tapered furniture leg.

Calico

An inexpensive, plain weave lightweight fabric.

Cambric

A fine, coarse white or plain coloured cotton.

Candela

The si unit of light intensity.

Cantilever

A projecting beam or other structure supported only at its inward point.

Capital

The topmost part of a classical column.

Carolean

The English style of furniture and design style in the reign of Charles II.

Carolingian

The Romanesque style of France and Germany.

Caryatid

A human shaped column used as a structural support.

Casein paint

A paint made by mixing pigments with a milk-curd (casein) medium.  Not widely available it is tough and water resistant.

Casement window

A window with single hinged sash.

Cassapanca

An ornate chest design from Italy during the Renaissance which could also be used as a bench.

Centering

The temporary structure used during the building of an arch or vault.

Chaise longue

An extended length chair.

Chambray

A fine woven plain weave, linen like fabric.

Chancel

The sanctuary of a church.

Chiffon

A gauze fabric made from silk.

Chino

A coarse cotton fabric.

Chinoiserie

The use of traditional Chinese elements in design of the 18th century (France and England).

Chintz

A plain weave cotton fabric with a decorative glazing.

Churrigueresco

Spanish Baroque of the late 17th to mid 18th century.

Circuit breaker

A switch that will cut the electricity on a consumer unit that will act like a fuse if there are dangerous electric current flows.

Cissing

Glaze or colourwash is added to a dry base coat and whilst still wet  spattered with white spirit or water to create an uneven pattern.

Clapboard

External, overlapping horizontal flat boards.

Classical

A style based on mathematical proportions and ornamentations of ancient Greece and Rome.

Classical Orders

Five architectural styles - Doric (simple), Ionic (slightly ornamental), Corinthian (highly ornamental), Tuscan & Composite.

Claw and ball foot

A leg usually on a chair which ends in a carved claw holding a ball.

Clerestory

Windows in the upper part of a wall.

Cloister