Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Pssst...It's called an arm stump.

I'm not sure why it's called that...or when you'd need to know it...but an arm stump is the vertical front of an arm which you see when looking straight on at a sofa or chair.

If you were talking to your upholsterer about that particular part of your chair or sofa, I'm not sure why you couldn't just point to it or call it "that thing," but I committed months ago to posting about the most obscure furniture terms (or the ones with the strangest names) that I could find. So there you have it. An arm stump.
knoll.com

The other day, I was talking to our upholsterer about an unusually long Jens Risom sofa my SIL left for him to recover. He was explaining to me that I need to buy fabric that can run lengthwise across the seat. Having written a post on that very topic not too long ago, I thought I'd dazzle him with my upholstery vocabulary, so I said, "Oh, you mean I need to choose something that can be railroaded?" He didn't bat an eye and kept right on explaining. I guess my term-dropping wasn't as impressive as I thought it would be. Next time, I'll try to work "arm stump" into the conversation.


***************

My SIL is doing another big giveaway on our Facebook page. 
This time it's a cool gray Womb style chair.

The lucky winner will be announced on Sunday, April 15.
at

7 comments:

  1. MickApril 11, 2012 at 11:51 AM

    This is why I LOVE your blog! Onward vocabulary! There have been times at the Theatre when working on "Period" productions I try and explain why its VITAL to have this piece or that and 9 times out of 10 they look at me and say "you made that up just because you want it..." haha! Arm Stump! Yo Quiero Arm Stump. La Arm Stump. Click Click BLOODY ARM STUMP! haha (The root of that quote comes from frustration when trying to explain what a "Hall Tree" was...)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dana@Mid2ModApril 11, 2012 at 6:03 PM

      hahaha Some of these terms are so weird you just couldn't make them up.

      Delete
  2. The Thrifty Picker - RachaelApril 11, 2012 at 12:33 PM

    Good to know this vocab and add it to my furniture lingo!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dana@Mid2ModApril 11, 2012 at 7:03 PM

      I don't know how valuable these little tidbits are...but we all ought to be able to win Furniture Trivia. :)

      Delete
  3. Beatrice@craftybeeblog.comApril 11, 2012 at 1:44 PM

    Good to know for sure. I wish I knew so many things about furniture and upholstery.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dana@Mid2ModApril 11, 2012 at 7:04 PM

      I don't even think I've scratched the surface with this series of posts.

      Delete
  4. A Modern LineApril 12, 2012 at 9:51 PM

    Upholstery terms aren't generally known by people that don't work in the furniture industry. I find your information to be fun and a great resource for others! I worked in retail furniture for a bunch of years and still learn new terms. Most people don't understand the concept of RAF and LAF (right arm facing & left arm facing) which is particulary problematic if you are ordering a special order piece and it's made incorrectly. Most furniture is described this way as you are looking at a particular piece standing in front of a piece, not sitting on it. Decking is also a term that some people have never heard. It's the upholstery that normally is under your loose cushions on an upholstered piece that is normally made from a different fabric than the body of your piece. Same goes for the tops of most bedding foundations...

    ReplyDelete