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Search tips and synonyms

Type casual terms — 'fridge', 'cupboard', 'couch' — and the catalog finds the right items. Synonyms supported.

4 min readUpdated 2026-09-18

The catalog has hundreds of pieces across a dozen room tabs, so the fastest way to any of them is the search box at the top of the Furnish panel. It's built to understand the words you'd actually use — settee, worktop, fridge, cupboard — not just the catalog's own names.

This page shows what the search understands, what it ignores, and what to do when it finds nothing.

Step by step

  1. 1

    Where the box is

    Top of the Furnish panel on the right (Search Furniture & Fixtures; on the Outdoor tab it reads Search Outdoor Furniture & Plants). Results filter as you type and are grouped by category. On a phone, open the Furnish sheet and the box is at the top.

  2. 2

    Everyday and regional words work

    Type the word you'd use at home. Settee, couch, lounge, chesterfield and divan all find the sofas. Worktop and benchtop find base cabinets, counters and islands; cupboard, larder and pantry find cabinets; fridge finds refrigerators; carpet, kilim and dhurrie find rugs. The synonym list covers UK, Australian, Indian and Canadian terms as well as US ones.

  3. 3

    Case, punctuation and plurals are ignored

    DESKS!! finds exactly what desk finds. Accents are folded too, so étagère and etagere match the same shelves. A stray letter in a multi-word search is dropped rather than breaking the match.

  4. 4

    Structural tools appear too

    Search stairs, fireplace, pillar, door, window or archway and the matching build tools appear above the furniture results under Structural or Doors & Windows. Click one and you're placing it — the same as choosing it from the Build panel.

  5. 5

    Search crosses the tabs

    A search ignores which room chip or tab is selected. Type plant while Indoor / Living Room is active and the outdoor plants show up anyway; symbols match too, under their own heading. Room names work as well — bathroom lists everything on that tab plus the fixtures.

  6. 6

    When nothing matches

    You'll see No matches for … with two buttons. Create your own opens the custom-piece builder — give it a name, width, depth and height and it joins your library. Request this item sends the word to us; we add missing pieces regularly and reply within a day.

Tips

Two words narrow, one word widens

'King bed' finds only king beds; 'bed' finds every bed, bunk and daybed. Start broad if you're not sure of the name.

Sizes are on the tile

Every tile shows its width × depth. Use the Small / Standard / Large chips under the box to filter by size class before you add.

Common mistakes

Scrolling the room tabs instead of searching

Items live on several tabs and the tabs only change what's browsed. One search covers the entire catalog.

Giving up on a word

If your first word draws a blank, try the generic one (sofa instead of a brand name). If that's blank too, Request this item — that's how the synonym list grows.

Frequently asked questions

Does the search understand synonyms?

Yes. Settee, couch, lounge → sofas; worktop, benchtop → counters and islands; cupboard, larder → cabinets; fridge → refrigerators; carpet, kilim → rugs, and many more, including regional English terms.

Do capitals or punctuation matter?

No. Case, punctuation, plurals and accents are all ignored.

Can I search for walls, doors or stairs from the furniture search?

Yes. Structural tools and doors/windows appear above the furniture results when a word matches them.

Why does an item show up when I'm on the wrong tab?

Search ignores the selected tab and room chip on purpose, so you don't have to know which tab a piece lives on.

What if the item I need isn't in the catalog?

Use Create your own to make a custom piece with its exact dimensions, or Request this item so we can add it.

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