Basic Information
Furniture (literally "that which furnishes") is a general term for the various objects that are added to a human1 occupied building to facilitate its day-to-day use - which would include working, sleeping, eating and all other routine activities. Furniture need not necessarily be mobile (with or without disassembly) and fully portable objects are generally excluded, as are those which are largely decorative (so a chair, which is partially portable, is included, whereas kitchen utensils generally aren't considered furniture, nor is a wall hanging).
The quantity of furniture to be expected in any location will depend on its purpose, culture and economic status - a warehouse may contain only a desk and a few chairs, whilst a high-status home may be full of assorted items. However, a minimalist culture like that of the Japanese might exhibit fewer (but higher quality) items in a nobleman's house than might be found in a common craftsman's cottage in Europe.
(Technically a weapon, especially a firearm may be said to have furniture as well - this will then refer to the stock, grips and other pieces of padding and panelling fitted to the weapon to … as above … facilitate its use, and possibly add decoration as well. In the case of some old fashioned wooden stocks, the correspondence to domestic furniture may seem more obvious than in other cases.)
Sources
Game and Story Use
- Hilarious as treasure - but also quite congruent, especially for civilized humanoids in a medieval setting where recognisable furniture is often still quite aspirational.
- Large standing cupboards, wardrobes and chests can conceal all sorts of things from valuables to people (in all states of life and mind), to doorways - some of them going further than others.