Furniture of the Olden Time

by Frances Clary Morse

Settee. A long seat with wooden arms and back, the latter sometimes upholstered.

Settle. A seat, usually for two, made with high wooden arms and back, to stand in front of a fire. Often the back turned over upon pivots to form a table top.

Slat-back. A chair back very commonly found, with plain horizontal pieces of wood across the back in varying numbers.

Spade foot. A foot used by Hepplewhite and Sheraton, the tapering leg increasing suddenly about two inches from the end, and tapering again forming a foot the sides of which are somewhat spade-shaped.

Spandrels. The triangular pieces formed by the outlines of the circular face of a clock and the square corners.

Spanish foot. An angular, grooved foot with a scroll base turning inward.

Spindle. A slender, round, turned piece of wood.

Splat. The upright wide piece of wood in the middle of a chair-back.

Squab. A hard cushion.

Stiles. The vertical pieces of a panel, into which the upper and lower rails are set, with mortise and tenon.