The term furniture is derived from the French word fourniture, which means equipment, and the Latin word mobilis, which means to move. These two words define furniture more accurately than the English word because it is presupposed to be movable, and its use implies some degree of residential permanence. As a result, furniture has changed a great deal over the last two hundred years. While many pieces of furniture remain largely unchanged, the process of acquiring and creating a new piece of education furniture has changed as well.

The prices of new furniture have fallen dramatically in recent years, compared with the costs of other consumer goods, and school washroom refurbishment because many smaller manufacturers can make the same items at lower prices. Today, consumers are focusing more on price and looks, than on quality and materials. A high-end sofa, for example, can run over $3,000 in the city, but it may not last as long if it is sub-par. For teaching walls this reason, furniture manufacturers must be more efficient, and educational furniture therefore, lower their prices.

The evolution of furniture has been closely linked to the growth of cities, and its design has changed accordingly. Today, upholstery is a common feature of most furniture. This material protects the pieces from the elements and provides a comfortable place to sit. Common upholstery materials include animal hides and leather. Later, however, different materials were developed for upholstery, such as burlap, boiled wool, velvet, and chintz. In addition to these, new materials were introduced, bringing with them new types of fasteners.