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Casa Glossary
Definition: Pendant Lamp
In the land of bling, a pendant is a type of bauble that hangs around the neck by a chain or cord. Similarly, a pendant lamp is a light fixture suspended from the ceiling. Typically, a pendant lamp is mounted on a base made from metal or another material, and a long cord or rod hangs down from the base with the lamp and light bulb at the end.
Definition: Parquet Flooring
Parquet (pronounced "parkay") is a type of flooring made from pieces of wood laid in geometric patterns. Parquet comes in a seemingly infinite number of designs: The individual wood pieces can be squares, rectangles, triangles, and other shapes.
A very basic parquet floor would involve a tile-like pattern, such as the one on the left.
Definition: Buffet
When it comes to buffets, there's the all-you-can eat variety and the furniture variety. The latter is a type of table often found in a dining room and used to hold food platters during a meal. Buffets typically come with compartments and drawers designed to hold plates, utensils, and other serving ware.
Definition: Strié
I saw the word strié in a do-it-yourself magazine the other day, and since I had to look up what it meant, I thought you guys might appreciate an explanation, too.
Strié is actually a faux finish technique that gives walls or other surfaces a slightly rough-edged striped finish. The name comes from the French word meaning "streak" or "stripe."
Definition: Faux Finish
Faux finishing is the art of using paint to create the illusion of texture or depth on otherwise flat surfaces, such as walls, furniture, and floors. The decorative painting technique has exploded in popularity in recent years, and you can now buy many different types of specialized brushes and glazes available to help achieve faux finishes.
There are a number of faux finish techniques, including sponge painting (above left), "ragging" or rag painting (right), and color washing.
Definition: Urn
Do you put your vase on a pedestal? If so, it might be an urn instead. An urn is essentially an over-sized vase that's mounted on a stand.
Definition: Ladderback Chair
This type of wooden chair is defined by a very high back that resembles a ladder. The back is made from two vertical posts held together by evenly spaced horizontal slats. The style, which is often used in dining rooms, evokes a farmhouse vibe.
Definition: Teak
Teak is a type of hardwood harvested from a tall tropical tree found in Indonesia and other parts of Asia. But despite its Eastern roots, teak is well-known for its popularity in Scandinavian-style furniture. The smooth, golden-brown wood is incredibly durable and weather-resistant, and it won't cause rust when it comes into contact with metal.
Definition: Bentwood
Bentwood is a type of furniture formed by heating wooden rods with steam and bending them into curved shapes. The style is most commonly used to make chairs — including dining, side, and rocking chairs — which are lately coming back in vogue. The technique was pioneered in the 1800s by a German manufacturer named Michael Thonet, whose catalog has been since reproduced in book form.
Definition: Sham
After noticing that several of my house guests slept on my pillow shams, rather than the pillow cases underneath, I began to suspect that not everyone knows what a sham is. Because a pillow sham isn't mean to be slept on; it is a decorative cover for a bed pillow that goes over the regular pillow case when the bed is all made up. Often, pillow shams match the bedspread or duvet cover, and you will often find them sold as part of a bedding set.
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