haute couture
oht´ kwi-TYUR´ (literally ‘high cutting’ or ‘high dressmaking’ in French) Haute couture is custom-made women’s clothing by top fashion designers, as well as the system that creates such clothing. This […]
Foreign Origins
chaise longue
shez LOAN´-guh A chaise longue is a long upholstered chair designed to allow a single person to recline. (We’re not talking about La-Z-Boys—chaises longues have no moving parts.) Chaises longues exist […]
chinoiserie
sheen-WAHZ’-ree Chinoiserie is a decorative style in which Chinese motifs, authentic or dreamed up by Westerners, are applied to furniture, wallpaper, porcelain, and other decorative accessories. The style was especially […]
passementerie
poss-MAHN´-tree Remember the tassels and fringe on your grandmother’s curtains? Those decorative elements—including braiding and other types of trim used on bed canopies, upholstered furniture, and throw pillows—are collectively called […]
trompe l’oeil
trohmp LAY´ (French, ‘deceives the eye’) The term trompe l’oeil refers to a visual illusion that tricks the viewer into seeing flat, painted detail as three-dimensional. While the technique […]
ancien régime
ahn-syahn ray-ZHEEM´ (French for ‘old rule’) The term ancien régime refers to the sociopolitical system in France prior to the French Revolution (1789-99). In a design sense, the term refers […]
fauteuil
foh-TAY´-yuh (French for ‘armchair’) A fauteuil is a chair with a partially exposed wooden frame, meaning it has open spaces between its arms and its […]
bergère
bear-ZHAIR´ A bergère is an armchair with closed arms, meaning it has upholstery in the area between the arms and the seat. Most antique bergères have rounded backs and wide […]
objet d’art
ōb-zhay DAHR´ (French for ‘art object’) An objet d’art is a small decorative object that one might place in an étagère. (Be careful with the plural: it’s objets d’art, not objet d’arts.) To […]
au courant
oh´-coo-RAWN´ To be au courant is to be up to date and aware of the latest news and trends. Denise’s father is au courant when it comes to national politics […]