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Chieftain Lionella Soft-Touch Contract Upholstery Vinyl
Chieftain Lionella is a premium soft-touch contract upholstery vinyl designed to provide the appearance and feel of natural leather with the practical performance required for demanding commercial furniture.
Its 15% polyurethane content gives Lionella a softer, more supple handle than conventional PVC upholstery vinyl, making it particularly suitable for seating where comfort, appearance and durability are equally important.
Available from Livedale in 24 distinctive colours, the range includes soft neutrals, warm leather-inspired tones, metallic-style shades, rich reds, deep blues, greens, greys and contemporary accent colours.
Lionella may also be described as:
- Soft-touch contract vinyl
- Premium faux leather
- PU-coated upholstery vinyl
- Commercial artificial leather
- Leather-look contract fabric
- Crib 5 upholstery vinyl
- Antimicrobial seating vinyl
- Hospitality upholstery vinyl
- Heavy-duty faux leather
- Wipe-clean furniture vinyl
The refined grain and soft feel make Lionella an excellent choice for hospitality, restaurant, hotel, office, leisure and high-quality domestic furniture.
Premium Faux Leather for Contract Seating
Lionella combines a phthalate-free PVC surface with a 15% polyurethane component to create one of Chieftain’s closest alternatives to natural leather.
Technical characteristics include:
- 85% phthalate-free PVC and 15% polyurethane surface
- Cotton-based backing
- Approximately 800g/m²
- Approximately 1.25mm thick
- Bursting strength of approximately 1,000kPa
- Tested to 500,000 Martindale abrasion rubs
- Approximately 137cm wide
- Typical full-roll length of 25 metres
- Crib 5 flame retardancy as standard
- Antimicrobial and antifungal performance
- Wipe-clean surface
- Soft leather-like feel
- Material sold by the linear metre
Potential applications include:
- Restaurant chairs
- Café seating
- Banquette seating
- Hotel furniture
- Bar stools
- Reception chairs
- Office breakout seating
- Executive furniture
- Leisure and lounge seating
- Waiting-room furniture
- Headboards
- Upholstered wall panels
- Domestic chairs and footstools
Lionella is intended for high-traffic interior furniture and is not recommended for marine applications.
Shop Lionella Contract Vinyl in 24 Colours
Choose from:
- Lionella Airforce Blue Soft-Touch Contract Vinyl
- Lionella Aubergine Soft-Touch Contract Vinyl
- Lionella Black Velvet Soft-Touch Contract Vinyl
- Lionella Blood Orange Soft-Touch Contract Vinyl
- Lionella Bronze Soft-Touch Contract Vinyl
- Lionella Colonel Mustard Soft-Touch Contract Vinyl
- Lionella Deep Sea Soft-Touch Contract Vinyl
- Lionella Dusk Grey Soft-Touch Contract Vinyl
- Lionella Flint Soft-Touch Contract Vinyl
- Lionella Gold Medal Soft-Touch Contract Vinyl
- Lionella Gothic Soft-Touch Contract Vinyl
- Lionella Heather Soft-Touch Contract Vinyl
- Lionella Hulk Green Soft-Touch Contract Vinyl
- Lionella Moonstone Soft-Touch Contract Vinyl
- Lionella Old Gold Soft-Touch Contract Vinyl
- Lionella Pearl Soft-Touch Contract Vinyl
- Lionella Pewter Soft-Touch Contract Vinyl
- Lionella Red October Soft-Touch Contract Vinyl
- Lionella Ruby Red Soft-Touch Contract Vinyl
- Lionella Slate Soft-Touch Contract Vinyl
- Lionella Stonewash Soft-Touch Contract Vinyl
- Lionella Titanium Soft-Touch Contract Vinyl
- Lionella Toffee Soft-Touch Contract Vinyl
- Lionella Winter Green Soft-Touch Contract Vinyl
The extensive colour palette makes Lionella suitable for coordinated furniture schemes, individual feature pieces and two-tone upholstery designs.
Neutral and Pale Lionella Vinyl
Lionella includes a selection of pale and understated shades for calm, contemporary interiors.
Options include:
- Pearl
- Moonstone
- Flint
- Stonewash
- Dusk Grey
These colours may suit:
- Boutique hotels
- Reception furniture
- Executive offices
- Restaurant seating
- Contemporary domestic furniture
- Headboards
- Upholstered wall panels
- Neutral interior schemes
Pale shades work particularly well with light timber, brushed metal and modern interior finishes.
Light-coloured vinyl may show denim dye, ink and dark staining more readily than deeper shades, so spillages and colour transfer should be treated promptly.
Grey, Charcoal and Black Soft-Touch Vinyl
Darker neutral shades provide a practical and sophisticated option for commercial seating.
Choose from:
- Black Velvet
- Gothic
- Slate
- Pewter
- Titanium
- Dusk Grey
- Flint
Potential uses include:
- Office seating
- Reception chairs
- Contemporary restaurant furniture
- Bar stools
- Lounge seating
- Upholstered panels
- Executive interiors
- Domestic dining furniture
Black Velvet provides the deepest neutral, while Pewter, Titanium and Slate offer softer alternatives to pure black.
Blue Lionella Contract Vinyl
The Lionella blue range includes:
- Airforce Blue
- Deep Sea
Airforce Blue offers a softer mid-blue appearance, while Deep Sea provides a deeper navy-inspired shade.
Blue Lionella may suit:
- Hotel furniture
- Office seating
- Restaurants
- Reception areas
- Contemporary lounge furniture
- Branded commercial interiors
- Feature seating
- Domestic chairs and headboards
Blue can be combined with pale grey, pearl, tan or metallic-style colours for balanced two-tone furniture.
Green Lionella Upholstery Vinyl
Green options include:
- Hulk Green
- Winter Green
Hulk Green provides a stronger, richer green, while Winter Green offers a more muted and restrained shade.
These colours may complement:
- Hospitality interiors
- Restaurant seating
- Biophilic design schemes
- Boutique hotels
- Office breakout areas
- Dark timber furniture
- Feature chairs
- Upholstered panels
Green works particularly well with bronze, toffee, pearl and dark neutral shades.
Red, Orange and Aubergine Vinyl
Warm and decorative Lionella colours include:
- Blood Orange
- Red October
- Ruby Red
- Aubergine
- Heather
These shades may suit:
- Restaurant booths
- Hotel furniture
- Bar and lounge seating
- Theatre-inspired interiors
- Feature chairs
- Statement headboards
- Branded commercial furniture
- Decorative upholstery panels
Blood Orange provides a bold warm accent, while Red October and Ruby Red offer stronger traditional reds.
Aubergine and Heather provide softer purple and plum alternatives for more refined interiors.
Gold, Bronze and Warm Leather-Inspired Colours
Lionella also includes warm natural and metallic-style shades:
- Bronze
- Colonel Mustard
- Gold Medal
- Old Gold
- Toffee
These colours can provide a sophisticated alternative to conventional brown faux leather.
Potential applications include:
- Boutique hotel furniture
- Restaurants
- Executive offices
- Reception seating
- Traditional and contemporary chairs
- Headboards
- Feature panels
- Timber-framed furniture
Toffee creates a warm leather-inspired finish, while Bronze, Gold Medal and Old Gold provide more distinctive decorative options.
Soft-Touch Vinyl for Hospitality Furniture
Lionella is particularly suitable for hospitality furniture where an attractive leather-style finish must also withstand regular use and cleaning.
Potential applications include:
- Restaurant chairs
- Banquette seating
- Café booths
- Hotel bedroom chairs
- Reception seating
- Bar stools
- Lounge furniture
- Upholstered wall panels
- Headboards
- Leisure seating
The soft-touch surface gives furniture a more premium feel than conventional firm PVC vinyl.
The wipe-clean finish is useful where furniture may be exposed to:
- Food
- Drinks
- Body oils
- Regular handling
- Frequent cleaning
- High customer turnover
Furniture should still be cleaned and maintained according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Lionella for Hotels and Premium Interiors
The refined surface and rich colour options make Lionella a strong choice for:
- Boutique hotels
- Executive offices
- Luxury apartments
- High-end restaurants
- Reception areas
- Private clubs
- Lounge seating
- Decorative interior panels
It can be used to create:
- Full faux-leather chairs
- Contrasting seat and back panels
- Quilted upholstery
- Decorative topstitching
- Piped borders
- Buttoned headboards
- Upholstered wall sections
- Feature furniture
The soft handle makes it particularly suitable for furniture where users come into direct contact with the upholstered surface.
Contract Vinyl for High-Traffic Seating
Lionella has been tested to 500,000 Martindale abrasion rubs.
This makes it suitable for demanding seating applications such as:
- Restaurants
- Hotels
- Offices
- Reception areas
- Hospitality venues
- Commercial lounge spaces
- Public waiting areas
- High-use domestic furniture
Abrasion performance provides an indication of resistance to repeated rubbing, but the life of completed furniture also depends on:
- Seam placement
- Stitch length
- Foam condition
- Upholstery tension
- Cleaning methods
- Furniture design
- Exposure to sharp objects
- Frequency of use
A correctly specified vinyl can still fail prematurely if it is overstretched, incorrectly sewn or fitted over damaged foam.
Crib 5 Flame-Retardant Upholstery Vinyl
Lionella meets BS 5852 Ignition Source 5, commonly known as Crib 5.
The range also meets:
- BS 7176 Medium Hazard
- EN 1021 Parts 1 and 2
- Furniture and Furnishings Fire Safety Regulations 1988, Parts 4 and 5
Crib 5 vinyl may be required for furniture used in:
- Hotels
- Restaurants
- Offices
- Care environments
- Educational premises
- Public buildings
- Commercial leisure venues
- Contract accommodation
The vinyl is only one part of the complete upholstery construction.
The finished furniture may also require compatible:
- Combustion-modified foam
- Fire-resistant interliners
- Sewing thread
- Adhesives
- Platform cloth
- Permanent fire labels
- Correct upholstery methods
Confirm the applicable specification before manufacturing or recovering contract furniture.
Antimicrobial Upholstery Vinyl
Lionella has been independently tested to antimicrobial standards including ISO 22196 and ASTM G21.
Testing verifies that it can help reduce the spread of bacteria such as:
- MRSA
- E. coli
- Other similar microorganisms
Antimicrobial performance supports good furniture hygiene but does not replace:
- Routine cleaning
- Appropriate disinfection
- Prompt removal of spills
- Inspection of seams
- Replacement of damaged covers
- Established infection-control procedures
The material is suited to contract environments requiring practical wipe-clean upholstery, but product choice should always match the exact hygiene and cleaning requirements of the setting.
Lionella Is Not Suitable for Marine Use
Chieftain specifically states that Lionella is not suitable for marine applications.
It should therefore not be selected for:
- Exposed boat seating
- Outdoor marine cushions
- Cockpit upholstery
- Exterior yacht furniture
- Saltwater environments
- Seating exposed to prolonged moisture
For marine, outdoor or specialist vehicle applications, choose a material whose technical specification confirms suitability for those conditions.
Measuring Lionella Upholstery Vinyl
Lionella is approximately 137cm wide and sold by the linear metre.
Before ordering:
- Measure each seat, back, arm and border panel.
- Include seam allowances.
- Allow material for piping.
- Note the direction of the surface grain.
- Prepare a cutting plan.
- Include shaped and curved panels.
- Allow for topstitching and quilting.
- Add material for test seams.
- Include cutting waste.
- Add spare vinyl for future repairs.
Do not calculate the requirement from only the visible seat dimensions.
Additional material may be required for:
- Cushion borders
- Hidden fixings
- Pull strips
- Buttoning
- Piping
- Pattern development
- Trial pieces
- Replacement panels
Order the complete quantity for matching furniture together where practical, as batch-to-batch colour variation may occur within commercial tolerances.
Physical Samples and Colour Matching
Colours displayed online may not precisely reproduce the actual shade, sheen, grain or soft-touch finish.
For colour-critical upholstery, assess a physical sample before ordering the complete quantity.
Check the sample alongside:
- Timber frames
- Flooring
- Wall colours
- Existing furniture
- Sewing thread
- Piping
- Metal finishes
- Adjacent fabrics
View the sample under:
- Natural daylight
- Warm artificial light
- Cool LED lighting
- The lighting used in the finished interior
Metallic-style shades such as Bronze, Gold Medal, Old Gold, Pewter and Titanium may appear different according to the direction and intensity of the light.
Cutting Lionella Soft-Touch Vinyl
Use sharp Upholstery Shears and Fabric-Cutting Tools.
Before cutting:
- Unroll the vinyl on a clean surface
- Check the supplied colour
- Inspect the visible face
- Identify the grain direction
- Mark panels on the reverse
- Include accurate seam allowances
- Label matching sections
- Keep completed panels free from scratches
- Avoid folding or sharply creasing the material
Store unused vinyl rolled and protected from heat, direct sunlight, dirt and sharp tools.
Sewing Soft Faux Leather
Lionella should be sewn using a suitable industrial or heavy-duty upholstery sewing machine.
Browse Upholstery Sewing Threads and Barbobs.
Prepare a test seam to establish:
- Needle size
- Stitch length
- Thread tension
- Presser-foot pressure
- Material feeding
- Seam strength
- Topstitching appearance
- Piping performance
Avoid excessively short stitches because closely spaced needle holes can weaken the material.
When joining Lionella to another upholstery material:
- Check the thickness of both materials
- Control the feed carefully
- Prevent one layer stretching ahead
- Test seam strength
- Assess the appearance after turning
- Check that the surfaces do not mark each other
Piping, Quilting and Decorative Stitching
Lionella can be used for:
- Self-piping
- Contrasting piping
- Decorative topstitching
- Quilted panels
- Seat and back inserts
- Buttoned upholstery
- Feature borders
Browse Upholstery Piping Cords.
Test the vinyl around the selected piping cord to ensure it follows the required corners and curves.
Potential colour combinations include:
- Pearl with Pewter
- Toffee with Black Velvet
- Airforce Blue with Pearl
- Deep Sea with Stonewash
- Ruby Red with Gothic
- Winter Green with Bronze
- Old Gold with Black Velvet
- Aubergine with Moonstone
Foam for Contract Furniture
Inspect the foam before fitting a new Lionella cover.
Replace foam where it is:
- Permanently compressed
- Soft or unsupportive
- Crumbling
- Contaminated
- Uneven
- Incorrectly shaped
- Damaged around the edges
- Unsuitable for the required fire specification
Browse:
New vinyl fitted over deteriorated foam can develop loose areas, wrinkles and an uneven finished profile.
Fixing Lionella to Furniture
Depending on the design, Lionella may be secured using:
- Upholstery staples
- Sewn covers
- Zips
- Hook-and-loop tape
- Draw cords
- Listing wires
- Retaining strips
- Upholstery tacks
Browse:
- Upholstery Staples
- Pneumatic Upholstery Guns and Tackers
- Hook-and-Loop Upholstery Tape
- Upholstery Zips and Components
Apply consistent tension without overstretching the material.
Excessive tension may weaken:
- Seam lines
- Corners
- Staple positions
- Piping
- Buttoning
- High-use edges
Cleaning Lionella Vinyl
Lionella should be cleaned regularly.
For routine care:
- Remove loose dirt.
- Wipe spillages promptly.
- Use warm, mild soapy water.
- Clean with a microfibre cloth or soft hand brush.
- Remove the remaining soap residue.
- Dry the surface immediately.
- Inspect seams and folds.
Oil, fat and ink should be removed as quickly as possible.
Do not use:
- Alcohol-based cleaning solutions
- Solvents
- Chloride cleaners
- Abrasive powders
- Scouring pads
- Unapproved chemical cleaners
- Furniture polish
- Wax polish
Where a high level of disinfection is required, follow Chieftain’s current cleaning guidance and all relevant safety instructions.
Dye transfer from jeans or other textiles should be removed promptly and may not be covered by the manufacturer’s guarantee.
Browse Fabric, Vinyl and Leather Cleaners, checking compatibility before treating the complete item.
Compare Other Chieftain Vinyl Collections
Return to Chieftain Contract Upholstery Vinyl to compare Lionella with:
- Just Colour Heavy-Duty Contract Vinyl
- Legend Textured Upholstery Vinyl
- Riviera Contemporary Contract Vinyl
- Traditional Heritage-Style Contract Vinyl
- Universal Heavy-Duty Contract Vinyl
Choose Lionella where a soft leather-like feel, premium appearance and proven contract performance are the main priorities.
Trade Chieftain Lionella Vinyl
Livedale supplies Chieftain Lionella soft-touch contract vinyl to professional upholsterers, furniture manufacturers, hospitality contractors, hotel-furniture specialists, interior designers and commercial refurbishment companies throughout the UK.
The range provides:
- 24 colours stocked by Livedale
- Soft 15% polyurethane surface
- Leather-like appearance and feel
- Crib 5 flame retardancy
- Antimicrobial performance
- 500,000 Martindale abrasion resistance
- Approximately 137cm usable width
- Material sold by the linear metre
Approved trade customers can access preferential pricing across eligible products after registering for a trade account.
Choose the colour and upholstery construction according to the furniture design, intended environment, required certification and cleaning regime.