Furniture & Cabinet Terms
Common cabinet and furniture construction terms, explained so you can read product listings and kitchen plans with confidence.
The language of cabinets and furniture
Furniture and cabinetry have their own vocabulary. Terms like “face frame” or “edge banding” appear constantly in product descriptions and kitchen plans, but they are rarely defined where you need them.
This section explains the construction terms that come up most when buying furniture, comparing cabinets, or reading about how a piece is built.
What these terms reveal
Most of these terms describe a construction method, not a material. A face frame and a frameless cabinet can be made from the same sheet goods, yet they build, look, and behave differently. A floating shelf and a drawer slide are both about hidden hardware doing a specific job.
Understanding the construction is what lets you judge durability and repairability instead of judging only the finish.