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PADDING - fabric or materials used to provide additional cushioning
PAINT - to coat a surface with an opaque, liquid agent tinted with pigment, i.e. latex, oil, acrylic
PAINTED - a surface fully or partially coated with paint
PAINTING - the act of applying a coat or layer of paint to a surface; an object of art created with various paints, i.e. acrylic, oil, watercolor
PAISLEY - intricate interlocking curvilinear pattern originating in India
PALLADIAN - denotes designs originally created by the Roman architect Andrea Palladio
PALLADIAN ARCH - half-moon shaped arch
PALLADIAN WINDOW - arched window mounted above two rectangular windows or over a door flanked by sidelights
PALMETTE - Egyptian lotus flower found in Greek design elements, resembling a palm papyrus flower or palm frond, combined with volutes and scrolls to adorn capitals, pilasters and an architrave frieze
PANELING - wood panels applied continuously to an interior wall
PANIC HARDWARE - door locking hardware designed to allow immediate egress from a building in an emergency
PAPER WALLPAPER - a paper substrate and ground combined receives a decorative ink-applied layer, which may or may not be sealed to protect the ink layer
PAPER-BACKED WALLPAPER - wallpaper with a paper substrate laminated to a solid decorative surface of vinyl
PARABOLIC - bowl-shaped reflector
PARQUET - wood floor laid in geometric patterns
PARQUETRY - geometric wood patterns inlaid in flooring and furniture
PARTITION WALL - non-structural interior dividing wall
PASSAGEWAY - area of circulation; pass through
PASSEMENTERIE' - highly elaborate tassels, tie-backs, ribbon trim
PATINA - lustrous, aged finish
PATTERN - repetitive or random arrangement of designs and decoration onto another surface. See DROP MATCH PATTERN
PATTERN REPEAT - increments between horizontal or vertical patterns repeated in fabric, wallcoverings, flooring, etc. See DROP MATCH PATTERN, ZIGZAG
PEAU DE SOIE - fine silk fabric
PEDESTAL - support for an object of art
PEDIMENT - interior architectural trim detail applied over doorways, mantles or window openings. i.e. arched pediment, Georgian broken pediment. See OVERDOOR, DOOR SURROUND
PEELABLE WALLPAPER - the decorative surface may be dry-peeled from the wall, while the substrate remains on the wall to act as a liner for new wallpaper
PELMET - framework to conceal drapery hardware at the top of a window. See CORNICE, LAMBREQUIN
PENDANT - hanging ornamentation or electrical fixture mounted from the ceiling
PERCALE - plain weave, medium-weight, tightly woven cotton created from combed and carded, long staple yarns
PERIOD - suggesting a specific time in history
PERSONAL STYLE - an eclectic interior furnishing style indicative of personal preferences and lifestyle
PERSPECTIVE - three-dimensional drawing, with horizon line and single or multiple vanishing points, to illustrate volume and spatial relationships
PETIT POINT - fine, hand stitched needlepoint design on canvas created with only one foundation thread, rather than multiple threads
PHOTOGRAPHER - artisan hired to capture the essence of an object on film
PICK COUNT - the number of filling yarns per inch of fabric
PICKLING - painted whitewash finish applied to furnishings
PIECE DYED - cloth dyed by the bolt after it is woven
PIED-Á-TERRE - French word meaning “foot-on-ground” refers to a temporary residence, apartment or vacation destination
PIGMENT - substance imparting a color to other materials
PILASTER - decorative vertical architectural element, similar to a half-column, with a shallow projection often used on a door surround or mantle
PILE FABRIC - deep woven or knitted fabric created by adding an extra warp or weft set i.e. faux sheepskin
PILL - to form undesirable clumps of loose fibers on fabric
PILLING - fiber filaments that break in yarn due to friction leaving small undesirable clumps of loose fibers on the surface of fabric
PILLOW - cushions of various shapes stuffed with feathers, polyester fill or foam to provide neck and back support, i.e. bolster, continental, kidney, round
PILLOW SHAM - fabric cover designed to protect pillow from soiling, utilitarian or decorative
PINCH-PLEAT - drapery construction where folds are divided into equal fingers, often utilizing pleating-tape attached to slide carriers with drapery hooks for operation on a traverse rod
PINNACLE - top, point
PITCH - degree of roof slope; angle of inclination
PLAID - woven or printed fabric with unevenly spaced repeated strips crossing at right angles
PLAIN WEAVE - basic, reversible, non-directional weave where the same size yarn of each filling thread runs under and over the warp yarn
PLAN VIEW - scaled layout, typically drawn 1/4" to 1'0", showing all walls, windows, openings, door swings, floor levels, ceiling angles, etc. with supporting documents in larger scale detailing construction specifications. See ELECTRICAL PLAN, ELEVATION, FLOOR PLAN, FURNITURE LAYOUT, PLAN VIEW, REFLECTED CEILING PLAN
PLASTIC - molded or extruded compounds formed through a chemical process
PLEAT - drapery construction technique of tucking and binding fabric to create fullness, typically using a 3:1 or 5:1 fullness ratio, i.e. box pleat, knife pleat, rolled pleat, stacked pleat
PLEATING - to tuck and bind fabric for additional fullness
PLEATING TAPE - pre-made and evenly spaced fabric tape sewn onto a drapery heading for stiffness to receive and conceal drapery hooks
PLINTH - square block serving as a base for a pilaster or column
PLISSE - lightweight fabric permanently puckered by chemical treatments
PLUM BOB or PLUM LINE - a line or piece of twine weighted on one end, used to produce a true vertical line when held up on a wall
PO - Purchase Order
POCKET DOOR - interior door on a track disappearing from view when slid into a recessed wall
POLISHED COTTON - combed and carded fabric in a satin construction which has been calendared to produce a high-luster surface finish
POLYESTER - synthetic polymer fiber manufactured from coal, water and petroleum, which is resistant to shrinking, stretching or wrinkling
POLYMER - synthetic material composed of monomers, which are chemically connected
POLYMERIZATION - the chemical reaction of linking numerous small molecules or monomers together
POLYPROPYLENE - lightweight, synthetic propylene polymer fibers, which are often molded or made into fabric
POLYURETHANE - synthetic resin manufactured from polymers joined by urethane used in adhesives, carpet padding, plastics, sealants etc.
PORCH - open or closed gallery or glassed-in room attached to a main structure
PORTFOLIOS - collection of images, color boards and other multi-media for presentation purposes to show level of expertise
PORTICO - entrance to a building with columns supporting a roof, which can be large enough to enable cars to drive under for protection while exiting a vehicle
PORTIERES - window treatment used in cased door openings made of two separate drapery panels tied back, utilizing identical or contrasting fabrics on each side
POST - slender, vertical structural support in post and beam construction, i.e. 4" x 4" post, 4" x 12" beam
POST AND BEAM CONSTRUCTION - construction technique using wood posts and wood beams. See TRUSS
POLY - continuous filament polymer yarn
POUF - fabric gathered into a puff; round upholstered ottoman, typically used in a dressing area and often tufted
POWER STRETCHER - extension type equipment used to stretch large areas of carpet
PRE-PASTED - wall covering with a factory applied adhesive backing
PRESENTATION - formal meeting to discuss and elaborate upon a specific design concept, complete with floor plans, reflected ceiling plans, elevations, perspectives, material boards, budget and contract for final negotiation. See "FINELY TAILORED PORTFOLIOS"
PRE-TRIMMED WALLPAPER - wallpaper rolls with a factory trimmed selvage edge
PRIMARY BACKING - woven mesh material on which carpet is constructed
PRIMARY COLOR - red, yellow and blue as the basis of all other colors on a color wheel. See ANALOGOUS, SECONDARY, TERTIARY
PRIMER - paint designed to seal or prep wall surface prior to painting or wallpapering
PRIMITIVE - crude, early stage of development
PRINTED - an image or pattern applied by hand or reproduced onto fabric or surface
PRINTING - process of producing a pattern on fabric onto a surface
PRODUCTION RUN - the manufacturing of one pattern, in a single combination of colors, on one machine from beginning to end
PROPORTION - comparative relationship between elements or objects: balance, symmetry, size, amount, degree, ratio, dimension
PSYCHOGRAPHICS - the study and measure of attitudes, values, lifestyle and opinion for marketing purposes
PUCKER - wrinkled fabric finish created by an uneven weave, different yarn sizes or shrinkage
PUCKERING - carpet seam flaw due to poor layout or stretching
PURCHASE ORDER - document given to a vendor to outline a specific order
PYRAMID - steeply, sloped quadrilateral, or 4-sided, structure tapering to the top, forming a point. See PINNACLE

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