Terms

In this section, we provide information about frequently encountered terms in the furniture industry.

Open Shelf — A cabinet designed to allow easy selection and visibility of books and goods in libraries and stores. These cabinets can also be used in home settings.

Flat-pack Furniture — Furniture produced to be disassembled and reassembled.

DVP (Fiberboard) — A layered material formed in the shape of a mat by hot pressing wood fibers. These fibers are obtained by shredding wood raw materials and steaming them. The raw material includes leftovers from wood processing, technological shavings, and timber wood.

DSP (Particle Board) — A multilayered material made by hot pressing wood particles. DSP boards meet strict quality requirements, having no internal voids or cracks. Important qualities include high durability, rigidity, uniformity, ease of processing, and strong holding power for nails and screws.

Drop Leaf — A furniture flap that opens by rotating on pins on two sides and can be used as a table when horizontal.

Finish Foil — A thin textured board covered with a surface varnish.

Cornice — A decorative linear element completing a furniture composition, made from one or multiple profiles. It usually projects outward and often has an attic or fronton placed on top.

Class E1 — A quality standard for DSP indicating that the product is safe for use even in medical furniture (controls emissions of harmful substances, especially carcinogenic formaldehyde phenol).

Laminate — A decorative paper-based material. Types include:

• High-Pressure Laminate (HPL) — made by pressing layers at high pressure.

• Continuous Pressure Laminate (CPL) — made by pressing layers under continuous low pressure.

Laminated DSP/MDF — A board covered with melamine-impregnated decorative paper (sometimes called melamine board). Laminated boards have high consumer properties such as heat resistance, moisture resistance, and abrasion resistance.

Marquetry (Inlay) — A set of veneer particles arranged into patterns. Famous French cabinetmaker André-Charles Boulle (1642–1732) used tortoise shell, ebony, and similar materials to create bronze mosaic patterns, known as Boulle marquetry.

MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) — Boards made from wood fibers with medium density, making them environmentally friendly. MDF boards are strong, dense, and ideal for painting or laminating.

Laminating — The process of covering boards or parts with a special paper film. It is done only under heat pressing, where the decorative layer is bonded to the board at 190–210°C for 30–40 seconds. Laminated boards have high resistance to mechanical and chemical impacts.

Postforming — The process of attaching edge banding to furniture parts.

Pressforming — A technology for processing MDF boards by embossing decorative relief patterns on the surface.

PVC — Used as a surface material in furniture production. After molding, it belongs to recyclable thermoplastics. Polymer films come in various colors, prints, or embossed patterns, with matte or glossy finishes. PVC is durable and resistant to vinegar, ethanol, and alkalis and is free from harmful substances to human health.

Softforming — A technology for producing laminated DSP facades used in furniture.

Texture — From Latin textura, meaning fabric, structure, or pattern. Refers to the surface characteristics of a material based on its internal structure. Texture is determined by physical and chemical properties and distinguishes it from the pattern.

Tempered Glass — A type of safety glass that is 4–5 times stronger than standard glass and breaks into small fragments that do not cause injury.

Track (Guide Rail) — Special rails used in sliding-door wardrobes (wardrobes with doors that slide on rollers), enabling the doors to open and close smoothly.

Stained Glass (Vitrail) — Derived from French vitraj meaning glazing. From Latin vitrum meaning glass. Decorative artwork made from colored glass or other light-transmitting materials. Used in windows, glass doors, and transparent partitions. Light passing through stained glass takes its color, creating a unique emotional atmosphere indoors.