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The Global Insight

What does tambour door mean

Author

Ava White

Updated on April 19, 2026

Where does the word ‘tambour’ come from? The word ‘tambour’ originates from French, meaning a small drum (hence ‘tambourine’ – a small drum with jingling metal discs around the sides).

Why is it called a tambour door?

Where does the word ‘tambour’ come from? The word ‘tambour’ originates from French, meaning a small drum (hence ‘tambourine’ – a small drum with jingling metal discs around the sides).

Are tambour doors reliable?

While good-quality tambour doors operate smoothly, some less-expensive models get stuck and become a headache for the homeowner. If you like the idea of tambour, be sure to select a manufacturer who makes a quality product and test it out ahead of time if at all possible. Another negative aspect of tambour is the look.

What is a tambour door in construction?

Tambour Door Construction Traditionally, it’s a series of slats held together with a canvas backing. The slats can be square, beveled or rounded. … That bit of wiggle room in each edge joint makes the door flexible. When all the slats are assembled, canvas is glued to the back of the assembly.

What is a tambour front?

A tambour desk is a desk with desktop-based drawers and pigeonholes, in a way resembling bureau à gradin. … Unlike the rolltop desk, the tambour desk uses straight, perfectly vertical rows of shutters, and the work surface rests on a few drawers, which in turn are supported by short legs instead of pedestals.

What is tambour material?

Solid Wood Tambour is a flexible grooved decorative surfacing material. … Wood Species include: Poplar, Red Oak, Maple, Ash, Red Grandis, Cherry, White Oak, and Walnut. Common applications include full and accent walls, wall to ceiling transitions, bar fronts, column wraps, reception and boardroom desks, etc.

What is tambour unit?

A tambour kitchen unit is a unit with a door made from thin wooden or stainless steel slats, which are mounted to a flexible backing. A tambour door slides upwards or horizontally to open rather than opening outwards.

Can you cut a tambour door?

The tambour door reel can be easily cut with a Jigsaw and fine metal blade, or by a mounted skill saw/extending mitre saw. The installation of your tambour can be achieved in several ways.

What is tambour work?

Tambour embroidery or tambour work is a technique whereby a chain stitch is worked with a fine hook (a tambour hook) on a fine, slightly open-weave cloth that is stretched over a frame. This type of work may have originated in India, where it is known as ari work or ari embroidery.

How tall can a tambour door be?

Maximum recommended tambour door height is 24″ without modification of wood guides. Maximum door width is 36″.

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How big can a tambour door be?

Tambour Doors can be manufactured up to either 2400 mm high by 1400 mm wide or 2400 mm wide by 1400 mm high to a maximum face area of approximately 3.4 square metres. Because Aluminium Tambour Doors use heavier material, the maximum face area reduces to 3 square metres.

What is a tambour top?

The top is a tambour, with a series of narrow slats glued to a flexible canvas backing. The tambour slides in a curving track in the sides of the box, and its bottom edge is directly attached to the back of the drawer. When you pull the drawer open, the tambour automatically opens, revealing a shelf inside.

What is tambour beading?

Tambour beading is a continuous chain stitch so the embroidery is often recognisable from the continuous unbroken lines of beads or sequins.

Why were roll top desks invented?

European furniture makers brought the idea of the roll top desk to the United States during the 19th century. At the time, letter writing was the primary form of long distance communication, which made the design of the roll top desk perfect for every office.

Is tambour a wood?

Solid natural wood tambour has all of the benefits of real wood. It’s durable and can be stained or painted to match your application. In addition, it has the ability to flex around curves and corners giving a modern look to an otherwise normal installation. Unlike other companies – we produce a true 96″ slat length.

What fabric do you use for Tambour?

Tambour beginners should first practice on a piece of fabric and try out different stitches and textile decoration techniques. Organza is best suited for this, but you can also use tulle. In principle, this type of embroidery can also be transferred to other textiles if you have a good handling of the needle.

What is Aari embroidery?

Aari work is a type of embroidery which is done on a stretched fabric and stitching the design with a long needle which has a hook in the end. … This work consists of beads, stones, golden and silver threads which gives a royal richness to the design.

What is a Luneville hook?

Luneville or tambour embroidery hook – it is basically, the sharp and thin tambour embroidery needle on a handle. This kind of hook guarantees good results. … Threads for Luneville embroidery should be quite strong, but at the same time thin – especially if you use beads for embroidery.

How do you remove a tambour door?

The suggestion was: use a dremel tool to cut out about 1″ of the inside track, top and bottom, near where the track intercepts the box/spiral. Then pull out the tambour, through the cut, rolling it up as you go, to remove it.

When did roll top desks become popular?

First introduced into England from France in the late 18th century, the rolltop desk had become a standard piece of office equipment by the end of the 19th century and was mass-produced in large quantities.

What is a tambour box?

These are small, decorative boxes featuring a roll top that is connected to the back of a drawer below. As the drawer is opened, it pulls the roll top back and underneath, allowing access to both storage areas in one smooth motion.

What had damaged the roll top desk?

Fire and water had damaged the desk before the author found it and bought it.