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Chieftain Traditional Heavy-Duty Contract Upholstery Vinyl
The Chieftain Traditional Range is a hard-wearing contract upholstery vinyl with a classic leather-grain appearance and a carefully selected palette of traditional colours. Designed for demanding seating environments, it combines heritage styling with the practical performance required for commercial, healthcare, hospitality, educational and high-use domestic furniture.
This is not a lightweight decorative faux leather. Traditional is part of Chieftain’s extreme-performance Heritage collection and has been developed for furniture that must withstand frequent use, regular cleaning and demanding contract conditions.
The range is particularly well suited to refurbishment projects where the appearance of traditional leather is required but a durable, easy-clean and flame-retardant upholstery covering is more practical.
Eight Classic Traditional Vinyl Colours
The Traditional collection is available from Livedale in eight complementary shades:
- Traditional Baltic Contract Vinyl – a deep blue shade suitable for formal, heritage and commercial interiors.
- Traditional Blackbird Contract Vinyl – a practical black vinyl that coordinates easily with most furniture styles.
- Traditional Champagne Contract Vinyl – a light neutral shade for calm, understated and traditional upholstery schemes.
- Traditional Claret Contract Vinyl – a rich red tone suited to pubs, restaurants, hotels and classic furniture.
- Traditional Eucalyptus Contract Vinyl – a muted heritage green with a natural, restrained appearance.
- Traditional Malt Contract Vinyl – a warm tan shade that gives furniture the look of traditional leather.
- Traditional Mocha Contract Vinyl – a versatile medium brown for classic seating and coordinated interiors.
- Traditional Oxblood Contract Vinyl – a deep burgundy shade associated with traditional club, pub and restaurant furniture.
The palette includes dependable neutrals, deep heritage tones and classic leather-inspired colours. Champagne, Malt and Mocha work particularly well where a warm and restrained scheme is required, while Baltic, Claret, Eucalyptus and Oxblood provide stronger colour without appearing overly modern.
Blackbird offers a practical option for furniture that must coordinate with a broad range of interiors or conceal the signs of frequent use.
Colours displayed on a screen may vary from the actual material. Batch-to-batch shade variation can also occur within normal commercial tolerances. Where colour matching is important, a physical sample should be checked before ordering the full project quantity.
Heritage Styling with Contract Performance
Traditional has been designed to give furniture a familiar, leather-style appearance while providing the performance advantages of commercial upholstery vinyl.
Its textured grain works particularly well on:
- Traditional dining chairs
- Club-style seating
- Pub and restaurant furniture
- Hotel lounge chairs
- Banquette and booth seating
- Bar stools
- Reception seating
- Care-home furniture
- Waiting-room chairs
- Office and boardroom seating
- Footstools and ottomans
- Domestic chairs and settees
- Vintage-style furniture refurbishments
The range is suitable for both new furniture production and reupholstery. It can be used to update worn furniture while retaining a traditional or heritage character.
Unlike genuine leather, contract vinyl offers a more consistent colour and grain across the roll. It also avoids many of the natural marks, scars and variations found in hide, which can make cutting and matching panels more straightforward.
Extreme-Performance Vinyl for High-Traffic Areas
Chieftain Traditional is tested to 1,000,000 Martindale rubs, placing it firmly within the heavy-duty contract upholstery category.
The Martindale abrasion test measures the resistance of an upholstery surface to repeated rubbing. A result at this level makes Traditional appropriate for seating that may be used many times throughout the day.
Typical high-traffic applications include:
- Restaurants and cafés
- Hotels and public houses
- Healthcare environments
- Care homes
- Educational facilities
- Reception areas
- Waiting rooms
- Offices
- Community buildings
- Public seating areas
- Domestic furniture exposed to particularly heavy use
Abrasion testing is an important indication of durability, but the service life of finished furniture also depends on the construction beneath the covering. Correct foam selection, smooth frame preparation, suitable seam construction and appropriate maintenance all contribute to the longevity of the finished upholstery.
Crib 5 Contract Vinyl
The Traditional Range meets BS 5852 Ignition Source 5 – Crib 5 as standard. It is also tested to EN 1021 Parts 1 and 2 and the applicable requirements of the Furniture and Furnishings Fire Safety Regulations.
This makes it suitable for many contract environments where enhanced flame-retardant performance is required.
Common applications may include:
- Healthcare furniture
- Care-home seating
- Hotel furniture
- Restaurant and pub seating
- Educational furniture
- Office and reception seating
- Public-area furniture
Fire performance must always be considered as part of the complete furniture construction. The covering, interliner, foam, fillings, frame design and method of upholstery can all affect the compliance of the finished item.
Where a project must meet a specific contract specification, the latest technical certificate should be checked before the material is ordered or installed.
Livedale also supplies foam cut to size and upholstery foam sheets for seating and furniture refurbishment projects.
Antimicrobial and Easy to Maintain
Traditional has an antimicrobial surface tested to ISO 22196 and ASTM G21. Independent testing by Chieftain indicates that its Heritage vinyl can help reduce the spread of common bacteria and fungi.
This makes the range particularly useful for environments where routine cleaning and hygiene are important, including:
- Healthcare seating
- Waiting areas
- Care facilities
- Restaurants and dining rooms
- Educational buildings
- Staff rooms
- Reception areas
- Treatment furniture
- Frequently used domestic seating
The surface is non-absorbent and can be wiped clean, helping prevent everyday spills from penetrating the upholstery covering.
Antimicrobial performance should be viewed as an additional property of the material rather than a replacement for proper cleaning, disinfection or infection-control procedures.
Chieftain Traditional Technical Specification
The current manufacturer specification for the Chieftain Heritage collection includes:
- Surface: phthalate-free PVC
- Backing: cotton and polyester
- Approximate total weight: 915g/m²
- Approximate thickness: 1.35mm
- Bursting strength: 1,200+kPa
- Abrasion resistance: 1,000,000 Martindale rubs
- Roll length: approximately 25 metres
- Usable width: approximately 137cm
- Flame retardancy: BS 5852 Ignition Source 5 – Crib 5
- Additional flame testing: EN 1021 Parts 1 and 2
- Antimicrobial testing: ISO 22196 and ASTM G21
- Accelerated ageing test: ISO 1419:1995
The substantial weight and thickness give Traditional a more robust feel than many lightweight domestic faux leathers. This makes it particularly appropriate for fixed upholstery, commercial chairs and furniture exposed to repeated use.
The manufacturer may update technical specifications without notice. Any project requiring formal certification should be checked against the latest technical data before ordering.
Suitable for Commercial and Domestic Upholstery
Although Traditional is primarily a contract upholstery vinyl, its classic appearance also makes it suitable for domestic furniture where durability and easy maintenance are important.
Possible uses include:
- Dining-chair seats and backs
- Kitchen seating
- Footstools
- Window seats
- Bar stools
- Headboards
- Bench seats
- Caravan seating
- Motorhome cushions
- Domestic armchairs
- Traditional settees
- Restaurant seating
- Pub furniture
- Booth and banquette seating
- Reception furniture
- Treatment couches
The range is especially useful where the customer wants a leather-style finish but prefers a consistent, wipe-clean and animal-free upholstery material.
For marine, automotive or exposed outdoor work, the precise requirements of the application should be confirmed before selection. Environmental exposure, fire certification, stretch requirements and cleaning procedures may vary considerably between projects.
Ideal for Traditional Furniture Refurbishment
Traditional is a natural choice for the refurbishment of furniture originally upholstered in leather, leathercloth or an older-style vinyl.
Its restrained grain and heritage-inspired colours can complement:
- Dark-stained timber
- Mahogany furniture
- Oak frames
- Walnut finishes
- Brass decorative nails
- Deep-buttoned upholstery
- Fluted backs
- Scroll arms
- Club-chair designs
- Traditional dining-chair frames
Malt, Mocha and Oxblood are particularly effective where an established leather appearance is required. Claret can create the familiar look associated with pub and restaurant seating, while Eucalyptus offers a softer heritage green.
Baltic and Blackbird can provide a more formal finish for boardrooms, offices and reception areas. Champagne creates a lighter alternative for interiors where dark traditional colours would feel too heavy.
When restoring older furniture, check the condition of the frame, springs, webbing, padding and foam before fitting the new covering. A durable vinyl cannot compensate for unstable frame joints or collapsed upholstery beneath it.
Cutting Chieftain Traditional Vinyl
Accurate planning is important when cutting any contract vinyl.
Before cutting:
- Confirm the usable roll width.
- Check the direction of the surface grain.
- Identify the orientation of every panel.
- Allow adequate seam allowances.
- Plan matching pieces together.
- Account for piping, boxing and facings.
- Inspect the material before use.
Sharp upholstery shears and snips will help produce clean, accurate edges. Blunt cutting tools can pull or distort the material and may create rough edges that are harder to sew neatly.
The surface direction should remain consistent across adjacent panels. This is particularly important on seat and back cushions, where a change in grain direction may become visible under different lighting.
Where several matching chairs are being upholstered, create an accurate cutting plan before cutting the first panel. This helps maintain consistency and reduces unnecessary waste.
Sewing and Seaming Contract Vinyl
Traditional can be sewn using a suitable industrial or heavy-duty upholstery sewing machine.
Use:
- Strong upholstery thread
- A suitable needle for coated materials
- An appropriate stitch length
- Correctly balanced machine tension
- Carefully planned seam allowances
Always test the sewing setup on an offcut before starting the finished cover.
Vinyl retains permanent needle holes. Unpicking and resewing the same seam repeatedly can weaken the material, particularly where the needle holes are closely spaced.
Avoid excessively short stitches because these can create a perforated line that is more likely to tear under tension.
For coordinated workshop supplies, Livedale stocks upholstery sewing threads and piping cords.
Fitting Traditional Vinyl to Furniture
When fitting Traditional directly to a frame, apply tension progressively and evenly.
The material should be fitted smoothly, but it should not be stretched so tightly that the grain distorts or excessive strain is placed on seams, staples and corners.
For the best result:
- Check that the frame is smooth and free from sharp edges.
- Replace damaged foam, padding, springs or webbing.
- Position the vinyl carefully before fixing it permanently.
- Work alternately from side to side.
- Keep the grain straight.
- Form corners gradually.
- Trim surplus material only after confirming the final fit.
A suitable layer of polyester wadding can help soften foam edges and improve the finished profile of cushions and seat pads.
Temporary staples may be used during positioning, followed by the final fixing pattern once the tension and alignment have been checked.
Livedale supplies upholstery staples and a wide selection of upholstery tools for professional and domestic furniture work.
Cleaning and Care
Regular cleaning helps maintain the appearance and service life of Chieftain Traditional vinyl.
For routine maintenance:
- Remove loose dust and surface debris.
- Clean with warm water and mild soap.
- Use a microfibre cloth or soft hand brush.
- Remove any remaining cleaning solution.
- Dry the surface immediately.
Oil, grease and ink should be removed promptly. The longer contamination remains on the vinyl, the more difficult it may be to clean.
Do not use:
- Solvents
- Chloride cleaners
- Abrasive creams
- Scouring pads
- Wax polish
- Furniture polish
- Aggressive chemical cleaners
These products may damage the protective surface or alter the appearance of the vinyl.
Strongly dyed textiles, particularly denim, may transfer colour onto lighter upholstery shades such as Champagne. Dye transfer is generally excluded from the manufacturer’s guarantee, so prompt cleaning and regular inspection are advisable.
Where enhanced disinfection is required, refer to the latest Chieftain care instructions and follow the safety guidance supplied with the cleaning product.
Livedale also stocks fabric and upholstery cleaners for routine furniture care.
Choosing Traditional or Another Chieftain Range
Traditional is particularly well suited to projects where the priorities are:
- Classic leather-style appearance
- Heritage-inspired colours
- Heavy-duty abrasion resistance
- Crib 5 fire performance
- Antimicrobial protection
- Straightforward cleaning
- Commercial contract use
Other collections within the wider Chieftain contract vinyl range may be preferable where a different appearance or colour choice is required.
Consider:
- Just Colour for a much broader selection of contemporary, neutral and bright shades.
- Lionella for a softer faux-leather appearance and handle.
- Riviera for light blue, lavender and turquoise tones.
- Universal for a compact selection of neutral and stronger commercial colours.
- Marquis for a tightly focused selection of deep heritage shades.
- Legend for domestic upholstery where the heavier Heritage specification is unnecessary.
The correct choice will depend on the furniture design, expected level of use, colour requirements, fire specification, cleaning regime and installation environment.
Measuring and Ordering Traditional Vinyl
Traditional is sold by the linear metre from a roll approximately 137cm wide.
When calculating the quantity required, use the usable roll width and prepare a cutting plan rather than estimating solely from the overall surface area of the furniture.
Allow extra material for:
- Seam allowances
- Cushion boxing
- Piping
- Grain direction
- Matching pairs
- Pattern orientation
- Wrapping around frames
- Trial pieces
- Irregular shapes
- Possible future repairs
Where several chairs or cushions form part of one project, order the complete quantity together. This reduces the risk of visible shade differences between separate production batches.
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