Furniture Glossary
Half leather or full leather? Sintered stone or marble? Here are the words you will hear on our showroom floor, explained simply, so you can shop knowing exactly what you are looking at.
A
- Animal Stool
- A small upholstered stool shaped like an animal, with legs, ears or antlers for character. Kids sit on it, grown-ups rest their feet on it, and it doubles as a bit of decor in a living room or a child’s bedroom. See our animal stools →
- Anti-Dust-Mite Treatment
- A treatment on the mattress cover or comfort layers that makes the sleeping surface less welcoming to dust mites. Worth asking about if anyone at home has allergies, especially in Singapore’s humidity.
B
- Bouclé
- A soft, nubbly fabric woven from looped yarn, so the surface looks and feels a little like a cosy sheep. Popular on accent chairs, stools and sofas for a warm, textured look.
C
- Chaise
- The long, extended seat on one end of a sofa that lets you put your legs up. A sofa with a chaise is what turns a straight sofa into an L-shape.
- Cooling Gel
- Gel beads or a gel layer mixed into a mattress’s foam to draw heat away from your body, so the bed sleeps cooler. Handy on warm Singapore nights if you tend to wake up hot. See cooling mattresses →
D
- Dining Set
- A dining table and its chairs chosen to go together. You can buy them as a set or pick the table and chairs separately to mix finishes and colours. See our dining sets →
E
- Extendable Dining Table
- A dining table that slides or opens out to seat more people, then closes back to its everyday size. Great for HDB dining areas: compact for weekday dinners, bigger when the family comes over. See extendable tables →
F
- Fabric Sofa
- A sofa upholstered in woven or knitted fabric instead of leather. Fabric comes in more colours and textures, feels soft from day one, and stays cooler to sit on in a warm room. See our sofas →
- Firmness
- How soft or supportive a mattress feels, usually described as plush, medium, medium-firm or firm. Side sleepers often like a little more give at the shoulders and hips; back and stomach sleepers usually prefer medium-firm to firm. Lying on it in the showroom is the quickest way to know. Read our mattress guide →
- Full Leather
- A sofa covered in genuine leather all the way round: seat, back, arms and the sides and back panels too.
G
- Genuine Leather
- Real animal-hide leather, as opposed to PU (synthetic) leather. It feels supple, softens with use and develops character over the years with basic care.
H
- Half Leather
- A sofa with genuine leather where your body touches it (seat, backrest, armrest tops) and a matching synthetic material on the sides and back. You get the feel of leather where it counts at a friendlier cost than full leather.
- High-Density Foam
- Foam packed with more material per cubic metre, so cushions and mattresses hold their shape for longer and sag less. It feels firmer at first and softens slightly with use.
- Hinge-Door Wardrobe
- A wardrobe whose doors swing open on hinges, so you can see the whole inside at once. You will need clear floor space in front for the doors to open. See our wardrobes →
- Hybrid Mattress
- A mattress that combines a coil (spring) core with comfort layers of foam or latex on top. You get the bounce and airflow of springs with the pressure relief of foam.
L
- L-Shape Sofa
- A sofa that turns a corner, either with a chaise or with a corner seat, to form an L. It seats more people in the same footprint and is a favourite for HDB living rooms. See L-shape sofas →
- Laminate
- A thin, hard-wearing decorative layer bonded onto a wardrobe or cabinet panel. It can look like wood, stone or a solid colour, wipes clean easily and resists everyday scuffs.
- Latex
- A springy, breathable foam made from rubber-tree sap. It feels more buoyant than memory foam (you sit on it rather than sink into it) and sleeps cooler.
M
- Mattress Sizes (Singapore)
- The four standard sizes in Singapore are Single (about 91 × 190 cm), Super Single (about 107 × 190 cm), Queen (about 152 × 190 cm) and King (about 183 × 190 cm). Exact dimensions vary slightly by model, so check your bed frame before you buy. See our mattresses →
- Memory Foam
- A slow-moving foam that softens with body heat and moulds to your shape, then slowly springs back. Good at easing pressure on shoulders and hips, and it absorbs movement so you feel less of your partner turning over.
- Modular Feature Wall
- A TV or display wall built from modular panels and cabinets instead of fixed carpentry, so it can be reconfigured or moved with you. Megahome has its own in-house system, built with Italian hardware. About Megahome →
- Multi-Zone Coil
- A spring core with different firmness in different areas of the mattress, typically firmer under the hips and softer under the shoulders, to keep your spine better aligned.
P
- Pet-Friendly Fabric
- Upholstery woven tightly enough that claws are less likely to snag it, and treated so fur brushes off and spills wipe away. A good pick for homes with cats, dogs or small children. See pet-friendly sofas →
- Pillow-Top
- An extra layer of soft padding stitched onto the top of a mattress for a plusher, cushier first feel.
- Price on Asking (POA)
- We do not list prices on this website. Prices change with size, fabric and the promotions running that week, so message us on WhatsApp or visit the Toa Payoh showroom and we will give you the current price for the exact piece you want. Contact us →
- PU Leather
- Polyurethane leather: a synthetic material made to look and feel like leather. It is easy to wipe down, consistent in colour and holds up well to scratches, which makes it a practical choice for busy homes and pets.
R
- Recliner Sofa
- A sofa with one or more seats whose backrest tilts back and footrest pops up, either by a lever (manual) or a button (electric). Leave a little space behind and in front of it for the seat to recline fully. See recliner sofas →
S
- Seater
- How many adults a sofa comfortably seats: 2-seater, 3-seater, 4-seater and so on. It is a guide rather than a measurement, so always check the actual width against your wall.
- Sintered Stone
- A man-made surface created by fusing natural minerals under very high heat and pressure. It resists heat, scratches and stains, does not need sealing like natural marble, and can look like marble, concrete or slate. A popular top for dining and coffee tables. See sintered stone tables →
- Sliding-Door Wardrobe
- A wardrobe whose doors glide sideways on tracks instead of swinging out. It needs no clearance in front, which suits smaller bedrooms where the bed sits close to the wardrobe. See our wardrobes →
- Sofa Bed
- A sofa that opens or folds out into a bed. Sofa by day, guest bed by night, which makes it ideal for a study or a home without a spare room.
T
- Tech Fabric
- A modern performance fabric with a soft, leather-like or suede-like surface. It is breathable like fabric but wipes clean more like leather, which is why it is common on dining chairs and family sofas.
W
- Warranty
- Our promise to repair or replace a piece that develops a manufacturing defect within the covered period. Cover differs by product type, so read the details before you buy. Read our warranty policy →
- Water-Repellent Fabric
- Fabric treated so spilled liquids bead up on the surface instead of soaking in, giving you time to wipe them away before they stain.
Still not sure which one suits your home? Send us a photo of your space on WhatsApp, or come and sit on a few at our Toa Payoh showroom.
Ask us on WhatsApp