Furniture vs furnishing

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panzerfaust0

Senior Member
mandarin
Hello. Can I say that furnishing includes furniture, plus something else, whereas furniture just refers to things like chair, bed, and book-shelf..etc?

Sentences:

I like soft, comfortable furnishings.

And,

I have a lot of furniture.

Basically, tell your understanding of the difference between "furnishing" and "furniture" please, thanks.
 
    • Yes, you've got the right idea here, I think. "Furnishings" are things like carpets, rugs and curtains: "furniture" consists of tables, chairs, beds and the like.
     
    DonnyB said:
    Yes, you've got the right idea here, I think. "Furnishings" are things like carpets, rugs and curtains: "furniture" consists of tables, chairs, beds and the like.
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    Thanks.

    So does "furnishing" include furniture, or are they two separate things?
     
    What verb can I use if I want to change the place of the furnishings at home? For example, can I say

    I want to change the location of the furnishings.

    Thanks in advance.
     
    nh01 said:
    What verb can I use if I want to change the place of the furnishings at home? For example, can I say

    I want to change the location of the furnishings.

    Thanks in advance.
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    Since we've established that "furnishings" means everything including the carpet and drapes, I suggest that you're redecorating, not just moving things around. Are you going to move the curtains away from the windows and put the carpet on the ceiling? ;)
     
    Thanks for the replies.

    Myridon said:
    not just moving things around.
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    You little ripper! said:
    I want to move the furniture around is what I might say.
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    So, maybe, it is better to use the word "things" without specifying "furniture" or "furnishing". But certainly not "furnishing". And is "move around" is the best choice to mean "changing place/location"? Or can we use them too?

    I want to move the things/furniture around.
    I want to change the location/place of things/ furniture.

    Thanks.
     
    Although the dictionary definition of furnishings includes furniture, in the UK we use the term soft furnishings to mean non-furniture items such as curtains, rugs, loose covers, cushions, throws, bedding.
     
    nh01 said:
    So, maybe, it is better to use the word "things" without specifying "furniture" or "furnishing". But certainly not "furnishing". And is "move around" is the best choice to mean "changing place/location"? Or can we use them too?

    I want to move the things/furniture around.
    I want to change the location/place of things/ furniture.
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    If you want to move the furniture around, say "I want to move the furniture around." or "I want to re-arrange the furniture." but you're only moving tables, chairs, sofas, ...
    Using "things" would be better than "furnishings" because it leaves it to me to assume that you want to move reasonable things like furniture, vases, pictures, candles, books, ... not carpets and curtains.
     
    Itisi said:
    I want to rearrange my flat/apartment/house, etc
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    "I want to rearrange my house." is pretty vague. You probably wouldn't rearrange all the furniture at once, eg move the chairs in the living room and all the beds in the bedrooms on the same day. You might want to change which children sleep in which bedroom, for example.
     
    Itisi said:
    Myridon, 'things' is rather vague.
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    It is vague, but in a way that allows the listener to make reasonable assumptions instead of the assumption that you mean "everything." That is, "things" is "some things - you can probably guess which subset of everything that I mean."
    When you say "furnishings" or nothing, it sounds like you mean "everything" not "some things."
     
    I want to move (the furniture)/things/everything around all mean pretty much the same to me. The vase on the side table and the rug under the coffee table automatically get moved when you move the side table and the coffee table. Curtains don’t usually get moved around because windows tend to be different sizes, so you might replace those.
     
    Itisi said:
    Yes, "2. furnishings The furniture, appliances, and other movable articles in a home or other building."
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    Do furnishings include electrical household appliances? For example, if I want to rent a flat and ask for some photos of the furnishings, can I expect to get a photo with the washing machine or the cooker in it?
     
    In the UK domestic appliances would come under the heading of fixtures and fittings. They would not be classed as furnishings.
     
    lingobingo said:
    In the UK domestic appliances would come under the heading of fixtures and fittings. They would not be classed as furnishings.
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    What if I want to see what furnishings and domestic appliances a flat has? What question can I ask?

    Could I get some photos of the furnishings and ...?... fixtures and fittings / appliances?

    or can I just ask: Could I get some photos of the equipment?
     
    It would be wise to be fairly specific. I would be inclined to ask for details and/or photos of everything that “comes with” the flat, in terms of (a) large and small electrical appliances, (b) carpets, curtains/blinds, etc., and (c) fixtures & fittings.
     
    lingobingo said:
    It would be wise to be fairly specific. I would be inclined to ask for details and/or photos of everything that “comes with” the flat, in terms of (a) large and small electrical appliances, (b) carpets, curtains/blinds, etc., and (c) fixtures & fittings.
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    Isn't there a more general question that could be asked in this kind of situation? I mean I'm not so interested in all the details for the moment (I can have look at them when I visit the flat) - I just want to know more or less how the flat is equipped.
     
    Is the flat/apartment completely or partly furnished? is what I would ask the leasing agent. You can then ask for details. A completely furnished unit usually includes soft furnishings, white goods like fridge and washing machine as well as crockery, knives and forks etc..
     
    lingobingo said:
    Then say that. It will be perfectly understandable. ;)
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    Yes :) . I was just wondering about a noun that could be used here. Should I ask for some photos of the equipment, or the furnishings? Or is there another general noun that could be used in this context?
     
    Thank you very much for your kindness and patience, lingobingo :). Can I ask just one more question? How would you understand this?

    Can I get some photos of the equipment? (referring to the flat that someone is interested in renting)
     
    I don’t think the word equipment is normally used in this context. If it were me, I’d probably say (as in #21) “Could you please send me some photos that show what appliances, fittings, etc. the flat comes with”.
     
    lingobingo said:
    I don’t think the word equipment is normally used in this context. If it were me, I’d probably say (as in #21) “Could you please send me some photos that show what appliances, fittings, etc. the flat comes with”.
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    How about just "furnishings and fittings"? There are lots of examples of those two words used together on the Internet. For example: "an incredibly spacious home offering a high standard of luxury furnishings and fittings".

    Do you think the phrase "furnishings and fittings" would more or less cover the things a flat comes with?
     
    When it's a verb, yes. It means furniture and other items necessary for living.
     
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