Throwback Thursday: Design Terms Pronunciation Guide

Throwback Thursday today calls for my most popular and most pinned Design 101 Post.

From June 2013, here is my Design Terms Pronunciation Guide. Its a little basic in visuals and content, but run through these terms to see if you've been pronouncing them with correctness and ease...if not, you're welcome!

There are some design terms that I've heard since I was a little girl...{I grew up with an Antiques Auctioneer as a father and "Chinoisserie" and "Trompe l'ouile" were things that were regular vocabulary words around our house). But every now and then a design term comes up that throws me for a loop and sometimes as I'm saying the name of something, I wonder if I'm pronouncing it correctly. So I've reviewed and rounded up a few for us all.

Ever wondered if you're pronouncing "Matalesse" correctly?

Have you murdered "Ikat"?

NOW YOU'LL KNOW!

Armoire: NOT  "arm-wah" but "ahrm-wahr".

French Armoire

Aubusson: "Oh-be-ssonn"

Traditional design Aubusson Rug

Bergere: "Bear-zhjere"

Traditional style of a Bergere Chair

Chaise Lounge: "Shayze Lounge"

Deco Tufted Chaise Lounge

Chenille: "Shuh- neel"

Diamond Chenille Pillow

Chinoisserie: "Sheen-waz-air-ee"

Chinoisserie Patterned Fabric

Chintz: "Chints"

Chintz slipcovered sofa

Damask: "dam-ask" {from Damascus}

Damask Wallpaper

Demilune:  "Demi-loon" {half-moon, half-round}

Demilune Varieties

Dupioni: "Doo-pee-oh-nee"

Dupioni Silk

Duvet: "Doo-VAY"

Floral Duvet Cover

Etagere: "e-taj-air"

Etagere

 Faux Bois: "foh-BWAH"

Faux Bois Area Rug

Grisaille: "griz-EYE" {rhymes with POPEYE}

Gresaille = Monochromatic landscape

Ikat: "ee-kot"

Ikat Pillows

Kilim: "Kil-leem"

Kilim Rugs and Pillows

Klismos: "kliz-moss"

Klismos chair

Luxe: "lucks"

"Luxe" is anything that is "elegantly sumputious", "LUXURIOUS"

Matalesse: "Mat-luh-say"

Niche: "Nitch" or "Neesh", either is acceptable

You may find that you  have a  knack for knowing what to put in your niche.

Patina: Pa-teen-a

Here is an example of a beautiful weathered patina on this metal door knocker

Striae: "stree-AY'

Striae Teal Wallpaper

Tartan: "tart-n" not "TAR-TAN"

Tartan Pillow

Toile:  "twall"

Toile fabric skirted sink

Tolix: "toll-ix"

Tolix Chair

Trompe l'ouile: "tromp-LU-ihl"

Trompe 'louile Tee-shirt (tricked you with painted on depth/objects)- tricked and faked with paint

and/or

Charles Peale Trompe 'louile "Staircase" painting, 1795
(um, there isn't really a dude in knickers and a staircase there, it's just a wall).

Tulle: "tool"

no matter your age, any gal loves a tulle skirt

Vitrine: "Veh-TREEN"

Vitrines are cabinets used to store or display 

Wainscoting: "Wains-COT" or "Wains-COATing", either is acceptable. Millwork.

Board and Batten, Beadboard, and many other types of wall treatments fall under
the "WAINSCOTING" woodwork category

And just to let you know I double checked all on Wiki and a fab design industry site: Plinth & Chintz

So have you ever been guilty of mis-pronouncing any of these words?

Are there any that I've left out that you'd like to add to the list?

Leave them in the comments :)

XXXOOO