home furnishings

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   The items used to equip and decorate a house, such as furniture, curtains, rugs and lighting.

   Grammar: Used with a plural verb: home furnishings are on sale; the singular form is rare.

   Patterns

   • buy home furnishings
   • a store selling home furnishings

   The shop sells home furnishings, from sofas to cushions.

   We spent the weekend choosing home furnishings for our new apartment.

   Prices for home furnishings rose sharply last year.

2. 2noununcountablebusiness

   The business or shop department that sells such household items.

   Grammar: Often used as a section name: the home furnishings department is upstairs.

   Patterns

   • work in home furnishings

   She builds her career in home furnishings and manages a large store.

   The retailer expanded its home furnishings range.

Common combinations

home furnishings store

The home furnishings store opens at nine.

buy home furnishings

We need to buy home furnishings before we move in.

soft home furnishings

Soft home furnishings include curtains and cushions.

home furnishings department

Towels are in the home furnishings department.

affordable home furnishings

The brand specialises in affordable home furnishings.

Synonyms and how they differ

furniture

Furniture is limited to large movable items like chairs and tables, whereas home furnishings also include fabrics and decorations.

home decor

Home decor focuses on decorative extras, while furnishings include practical pieces too.

housewares

Housewares (mainly American) means kitchen and household goods like pans, not sofas.

soft furnishings

Soft furnishings are only the fabric items, such as curtains and cushions.

Word family

furnish verb

to put furniture in a place

furnishing noun

an item that makes a room ready to use

furnished adjective

including furniture

furniture noun

large movable objects like tables

Commonly confused: home furnishings or furnishing and furnitures?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “home furnishings”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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