How to Pronounce Hygge, Etagère, and More Insanely Difficult Design Words
Look, furniture shopping is hard enough—will that sofa fit in that space? Do you want a glass coffee table or wood?—without having to worry about pronunciation. But the truth is, the multi-cultural influence of the design world means that its jargon is rife with words of many languages—many of which may seem baffling to pronounce. Been putting off shopping for an etagère for fear you'll fumble the ask? Going for a hygge style in your home but can't work up the courage to utter the term to your designer? Fear not: We've got you covered. Without further ado, a pronunciation guide—and glossary—to some of the hardest-to-pronounce terms in design.
Banquette bank-ETT; an upholstered bench against a wall.
Bergère bear-ZHAIR; a French armchair with an upholstered back and armrests.
Bouclé BOUQUE-lay; fabric woven from a looped yarn, resulting in a textured look.
Chaise Longue CHEZ long (NOT “lounge”); an chair with an elongated seat. NB: "chaise longue" is the French for "long chair," a.k.a. it's not a chaise "lounge." Mind blown, we know.
Divan DEEV-ahn; a low sofa without either a back or arms (sometimes similar to a daybed).
Etagère AY-taj-air; a set of open shelving.
Faux bois FOH-bwa; A painted pattern meant to look like wood grain, from the French "fake wood."
Hygge HOO-gah; Danish word for a type of satisfied coziness associated with being indoors during the country's harsh winters; now adopted to describe design style influenced by Scandinavia.
Ikat EE-cot; fabric with a tie-dye pattern native to India and Asia.
Macramé MAC-ruh-may; a textile technique devised of knotted fibers.
Settee SET-tee; an upholstered seat that fits more than one (synonym: loveseat).
Tchotchke CHATCH-kuh; a decorative object or knickknack, from Yiddish.
Trompe l’Oeil TROMP-loy; an optical illusion of 3d on a 2d surface, from the French "trick the eye."
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