Design and Decorating Terms Glossary - L
Lace:
(drapery) a trimming made in an ornamental openwork design.
Lacquer:
A glossy type of paint finish. Usually applied by spraying. Modern lacquers are unlike varnishes or enamels are based on cellulose compounds.
Lacquering (Japanning):
(paint effects) this is the layering of numerous coats of varnish, sanding in between coats. This creates a smooth lustrous effect. The original technique came from Eastern cultures and the sap of the Lac tree was used. It is popular for use on furniture and can be used on walls.
Laminate:
To layer a number of items together and bond them with glues heat and pressure. Laminates may take the forms of materials such as Formica’s or veneers or pieces of timber to form stronger beams.
Laminated Glass:
Glass sheets bonded together to increase strength of safety. Some laminated glass may have a clear vinyl sheet between to create what is sometimes known as bandit glass.
Lamination:
(laminated wood), layers of veneers with the grain running the same way, is glued together under pressure. In this form it is stronger than solid wood. It is a very useful product to use in furniture making.
Lampblack:
A black pigment made by burning coal tar products with very little air
Lantern:
In Italian or modern architecture a small structure on the top of a dome or in other similar situations for admitting light or ventilation. A frame raised above a roof generally glazed around all sides to admit light and sometimes air.
Lathing:
The shaping of wood or metal by the use of a rotating lathe. This is a tool which turns the material against a cutting tool to achieve its desired form or shape.
Leather:
Animal hide finished (and often dyed) for use as upholstery cover,tabletop surface, and so on. Corrective grain – the hide has been buffed down and doesn’t move with the room temperature. Full grain – Moves and breathes, it has no coating, it gets softer as worn more, more expensive by one third.
Lichgate:
A shed over the entrance to a churchyard. Also used nowadays as a way of highlighting the entrance to a property.
Light:
Light is a form of electromagnetic energy (refer to the colour tutorial) and visible light is part of that electromagnetic spectrum.
Limestone:
is derived from sedimentary rocks; deposits of sediment being laid down under water or air formed these. It is rarely used for floors today as it becomes slippery when it is worn and not all products are hardwearing. It is grey or beige in colour.
Limewash:
(paint effects) this is similar to a colour wash but uses lime instead of whiting. It is used to create a translucent “chalky” wash.
Linen (textiles):
Any fabric woven of linen (flax) fibre. Typically smooth, hard surface. Rapid moisture absorption, no fuzziness, it does not soil quickly and has a natural lustre and stiffness. Commonly used for tablecloths.
Lining:
(drapery) This protects the fabric from sunlight, aids with insulation and provides a professional finish to window treatments, concealing the hems and raw edges. There are many types of linings – polycotton, calico, blackout Blackout linings are ideal for bedrooms, as they totally block out the light.
Lining:
The covering of a wall, ceiling, or other internal surface.
Lining Paper:
(wallcovering) This is a single layer of plain paper, which is used for good surface preparation. It evens the porosity of a surface and can strengthen a substrate.
Linoleum:
Linoleum is made up from natural ingredients, linseed oil, ground cork, resin, fillers and pigments. These are baked slowly at high temperatures and pressed onto a jute or Hessian backing. It is available in numerous colour combinations and can be plain, patterned or in a marbleised look. It is warm and quiet underfoot.
Locked In Lining:
(drapery) these are sewn to the curtain vertically across the width.
Loft:
a room in the roof of a building. Not to be confused with an attic which is the space immediately below the roof of a building, which may or may not be formed in to a room.
Long and Short Work:
This refers to a kind of masonry that consists of the quoins being place alternatively flat and upright. (Thought to be eleventh century)
Loop Hole:
(loup) narrow openings used in the fortifications of the middle ages. Arrows and other missiles may have been shot out of them. They sometimes took the form of a cross.
Loose Covers for Furniture:
These are used in lieu of reupholstering existing furniture. The existing article e.g. armchair is measured carefully and a cover is made to fit neatly over it.
Louvre:
A turret or small lantern placed on the roof of ancient buildings (halls and kitchens) to allow the escape of smoke and to allow ventilation.
Low Voltage Tungsten Halogen:
(lighting) Gives a crisp white light, excellent for bringing out or enhancing the colour. The effect can be softened using gold back reflectors or reflected off other areas rather than direct. Can be used in discreet areas because of the size however they need a transformer (and this has to mounted somewhere close by e.g. in the ceiling) as they usually run on a 12-volt system.
Lumen:
This expresses the quantity of the light. (Luminous flux) eg 1 candle gives of 1 candela of light but that light goes in all directions so the total quantity of light is measured by the amount that is given in all directions.
Lux:
This is the measurement that is used to measure the illumination of a surface. (Light on the surface). Eg 1 lux is provided when a luminous flux of 1 lumen falls on each square metre.
