Table Lamp: A freestanding lamp designed to be placed on a surface such as an end table or nightstand.

Table Runner: A narrow decorative strip of fabric running down the middle of a dining table.

Tabouret: A stool or small seat that can also be used as a stand.

Taffeta: A fine plain-woven fabric that's smooth on both sides.

Tailored Upholstery: A furniture frame which has fabric fitted and permanently attached.

Tallboy: A tall chest with a larger chest of drawers that supports a slightly smaller chest.

Tambour Desk: A roll-top desk’s flexible draw-down cover made of "tambours," which is made up of a succession of narrow strips of flat wood glued to a stiff backing such as canvas.

Tape Edge: The cord-like seam that is stitched around the perimeter of a mattress to join its tops and sides.

Tapered Leg: A leg that becomes incrementally smaller towards the bottom.

Tapestry: Traditionally a "heavy" woven fabric featuring decorative designs or pictures to be hung on a wall. Today, the term commonly refers to highly decorative fabrics with a woven design.

Tea Table: A small portable table, which is frequently used in place of a coffee table. Traditionally the top has raised edges like a tray and side pullouts for candles.

Teapoy: A small piece of freestanding furniture designed for holding tea.

Tee Cushion (or T-Cushion): A loose seat cushion with the outside front edges extending laterally in front of the arm of an upholstered piece.

Tertiary Color: Color created by mixing of two secondary colors.

Tester: A wooden frame for supporting draperies or a canopy at the top of a poster bed.

Three-Way Switch: A type of switch commonly found on lamps that allows three different degrees or levels of light.

Throw: A lightweight fabric item meant to be used as a light blanket or as a decorative element commonly placed at the foot of a bed or draped over the back of a sofa. Throws usually measure about 64" x 72" in size.

Thrown Chair: A chair constructed from turned pieces of wood.

Thumbpiece: A flange attached to a hinged lid, which when pressed by the thumb raises the lid.

Tieback: A decorative fabric, cord or metal hook used to hold a drapery open.

Tight Seat: Upholstered furniture which has the fabric pulled directly over the springs, with layer of padding in between, and padding over the springs.

Tight-Back Sofa: A sofa with a back that is totally smooth with no indentations.

Tilt Top: A small occasional table with a hinged top that can stand vertically when not in use.

Toile (Toile De Jouy): A plain-woven cotton fabric printed with a repeat pattern of country settings, animals, people or other objects printed on a solid background of one color in another color.

Tongue & Groove (or Matching): Wood pieces that join on edge with a groove in one piece and a corresponding tongue on the other to interlock. Commonly used on furniture doors for example.

Top Grain Leather: The uppermost layer of a hide, which is the highest quality part of the hide and the most preferred for leather upholstery.

Torchiere: A floor lamp that directs light upward from a reflective bowl or inverted cone shade.

Traditional: Traditionally styled furniture is available in both original antique pieces and quality reproductions. This type of furniture usually follows a particular period style such as Georgian, Tudor, Regency or Louis XV.

Traffic Pattern: The flow or direction in which people move through a room.

Transitional: A style of design that blends influences from various style categories.

Traverse Drapery: A drapery that opens or closes across a window by means of the traverse rod from which it is hung.

Trestle Table: A long narrow table with two T-shaped uprights that are joined by a single stretcher for added support.

Tri-fold Mirror (or Tri-View): A mirror that sits on or hangs above a dresser and features a center mirror panel and two mirrored side panels that produce three images of the person looking in the mirror.

Trim: Decorative elements such as fringe on an accent pillow or moldings on a bookcase.

Tripod Table: A small table with a round top supported by a three-legged pillar, originally made for serving tea.

Triptych: A large three-part hinged mirror, panel, or screen.

Trompe l'oeil: French term meaning "fool the eye". Trompe l’oeil is usually a two-dimensional painting designed to look like a three-dimensional object or scenery.

Trundle Bed: A low bed that can be rolled under another bed for storage when not in use.

Trunk: Commonly a rectangular container like open chest with a hinged top for holding clothes or other personal belongings. Trunks are commonly used for extended periods away from home such as a long trip abroad. However, they can also be used for home decorating in entryways, as coffee tables, etc.

Tudor-Elizabethan: This phase of the English renaissance covered the 1500’s on up to about 1603. Furniture shapes are straight and stiff (like Gothic), and feature elaborate carving and decoration. All pieces of this style are massive and normally constructed of oak. All chairs, tables, and cabinets of this style feature sturdy underbracing.

Tufting & Buttoning: A method of securing the filling of an upholstered piece of furniture by pulling stitches through the material and securing them to the frame. The evenly spaced tufting is then finished with buttons, which are usually upholstered.

Turning: The lathing to shape table and chair legs, etc.

Tuxedo: A sofa or chair design with a square frame created by the arm and back rests being equal in height.

Tuxedo Arms: Arms found on upholstered pieces that are slightly flared and are the same height as the back.

Twill: A fabric that is diagonally ribbed, therefore a strong weave.

Twin Bed: A bed made for one person, sometimes called a single. Twin mattresses measure 38"x75".

Twin Extra Long: A twin mattress that measures 38"x80".