A
Aniline leather
Leather dyed through with no pigment coating, so natural marks show and it feels soft. It marks and fades easily, so it suits low-use pieces more than busy venues.
Also called: full aniline, pure aniline
Apron
The rail that runs just under a table top between the legs. A deep apron reduces thigh room, so it affects how comfortable the table is with the chair.
Also called: table rail, skirt (table)
B
Back pitch
How far a sofa or chair back leans away from upright, measured as an angle. A steeper back looks more formal; a more reclined back feels more relaxed.
Also called: pitch, back angle
Back rake
The angle of the backrest. It can be measured from the vertical or as the angle between seat and back, so the drawing must say which; the two conventions give very different numbers.
Also called: backrest angle, recline angle, seat-to-back angle
Back-coating
A flame-retardant layer applied to the back of a cloth. Because it is a treatment, the finished cover has to go through a water-soak step before the fire test.
Also called: topical FR treatment, flame-retardant back coat
Banquette
A long upholstered seat fixed to a wall or built into the room, with tables set in front of it. Common in restaurants and bars because it fits more diners and creates a formal edge to the room.
Also called: bench seating (fixed), fixed wall seating
Booth
A pair of facing banquette seats with a table between, usually with higher backs for privacy. It takes more floor area per diner than a straight run.
Also called: high-back booth, restaurant booth
Box cushion
A seat or back cushion with a flat top and bottom joined by a separate side strip, giving a square, tailored profile. The gusset shows as a boxed edge and the cover is piped or welted.
Also called: boxed cushion, boxed edge cushion
BS 5852
The British Standard test method for how easily upholstered seating ignites from smouldering and flaming sources. BS 7176 uses it to set pass levels.
Also called: BS 5852:2006
BS 5867
The British Standard for the fire performance of curtains and drapes; Type B is used for medium risk premises and Type C for higher risk. It is not interchangeable with upholstery standards.
Also called: curtain fire standard
BS 7176
The British Standard that sorts premises into hazard categories (low, medium, high, very high) and says which fire test upholstered seating must pass for each. Hotels and restaurants are usually Medium.
Also called: BS 7176 Medium Hazard, BS 7176:2007+A1:2011
BS 7177
The British Standard that sets ignition resistance for mattresses, divans and bed bases in non-domestic use, using hazard categories like BS 7176.
Also called: mattress fire standard
BS 8300-2
The British Standard code of practice with detailed recommendations for designing accessible and inclusive buildings. The 2018 edition replaces BS 8300:2009.
Also called: BS 8300-2:2018, accessible and inclusive built environment
BS EN 1021-1 and -2
European test methods for ignition of upholstered furniture by a cigarette (part 1) and a match-flame equivalent (part 2). They form the Low Hazard level in BS 7176.
Also called: EN 1021, cigarette and match tests
BS EN 15372
The standard for the safety, strength and durability of tables for use outside the home, including tables with glass. Office desks, school tables and outdoor tables have their own standards.
Also called: EN 15372, non-domestic tables standard
BS EN 16139
The standard for the safety, strength and durability of seating used outside the home, such as in restaurants, offices and bars. It does not cover the upholstery's durability or its fire behaviour.
Also called: EN 16139, non-domestic seating standard
Buttock-popliteal length
The horizontal distance from the back of the pelvis to the back of the knee when seated. A seat deeper than this presses behind the knees, so it sets the maximum comfortable seat depth for shorter users.
Also called: seat depth limit, seated thigh length
Bycast leather
A leather split with a polyurethane film bonded to the surface. Quality varies, so FIRA advises testing it before use.
Also called: bicast, bonded split
C
Chair pull-out
The extra space needed behind a chair so a diner can slide it back and stand up. It is added to the table edge when planning gaps and aisles.
Also called: chair pull-back, push-back clearance
Cleaning code
Letters on upholstery fabric that say how it may be cleaned: W for water-based cleaning, S for solvent, WS for either, and X for vacuuming or brushing only. Check the maker's own code before specifying for restaurants.
Also called: W, S, WS, X, fabric care code
CMHR foam
Flexible polyurethane foam treated so that it resists ignition in the UK fire tests used for contract seating. It is the usual UK foam for seats that must pass Crib 5 or BS 7176.
Also called: combustion modified high resilience foam, CMHR
COL (customer's own leather)
Leather chosen and supplied by the client or designer for the workshop to upholster, with the same quantity and certification questions as COM, plus hide size and cutting yield.
Also called: C.O.L., client's own leather
COM (customer's own material)
Upholstery cloth bought by the designer or client and sent to the workshop, instead of being chosen from the maker's own range. The workshop quotes labour and fills only, and needs the right quantity, delivery date and test certificates.
Also called: C.O.M., client's own material, fabric supplied by client
Contract furniture
Furniture made and tested for public or commercial use, such as hotels, restaurants and offices. It must meet fire rules and durability tests that domestic furniture does not.
Also called: commercial furniture, contract grade
Corrected grain
Leather whose natural surface has been sanded to hide marks, then coated and embossed with a grain pattern. It is even and hard-wearing but less natural-looking.
Also called: buffed leather, embossed leather
Crown
The slight rise in the middle of a seat or back cushion, so it looks full and slightly rounded when new. How much crown to specify affects the look, and it usually reduces as the filling beds in.
Also called: cushion crown, domed top
D
Down-proof ticking
A tightly woven inner case that stops feathers or down quills poking through the cover or leaking out. It sits between the filling and the outer cover.
Also called: feather-proof ticking, cambric inner
E
Eight-way hand-tied springs
A seat suspension where coil springs are tied to each other and the frame by hand in eight directions, giving support that is firm but gives slightly. It is the most labour-intensive and costly system.
Also called: 8-way hand tied, hand-sprung
F
Faux suede
A man-made fabric, usually microfibre, that imitates suede. It can be hard-wearing and cleanable, but some polyurethane versions age or crack, and the fire route must be checked.
Also called: microfibre suede, microsuede, Alcantara-type
Feather-to-down ratio
The proportion of feather to down in a fill. More down gives a softer, lighter, more expensive cushion and less risk of quills; more feather gives firmer, heavier, cheaper filling.
Also called: 90/10, 50/50, feather/down mix
Fibre wrap
A layer of polyester wadding or other fibre wrapped around a foam core to soften the edges and make the cushion look fuller. Wraps need to be inside the tested fire composite.
Also called: Dacron wrap, polyester wadding, foam wrap
Finished seat height
The height of the top of the upholstered seat above the finished floor. It is different unloaded and when sat on, because foam and feather compress, so drawings should state which one they mean.
Also called: loaded seat height, seat height under load, unloaded seat height
FIRA Gold
A certification from the Furniture Industry Research Association that a product has been assessed against specified performance tests, with continuing audit and re-testing. It is stronger than a single test report.
Also called: FIRA Gold certification, FIRA Gold Award
Fire hazard category
A rating of how risky a space is for fire, used to choose the ignition test. The person responsible for the premises, not the designer or supplier, sets it from their fire risk assessment.
Also called: Low / Medium / High / Very High hazard
Float glass
Ordinary flat glass made by floating molten glass on molten tin, then cooling it slowly (annealing). It is easily cut but breaks into sharp shards.
Also called: annealed glass, plain glass
Foam density
How much foam material there is in a cubic metre. Higher density generally lasts longer; it does not by itself say how firm the cushion feels.
Also called: kg/m3, density grade
Foam hardness
How firm the foam feels, measured by the force needed to compress a test piece by a set amount. It is separate from density, so a heavy foam can still be soft.
Also called: ILD, IFD, indentation hardness, compression hardness
Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988
UK regulations that set fire safety requirements for domestic upholstered furniture. They are in review, mainly to reduce the use of chemical flame retardants.
Also called: FFFSR, FFFS Regs, the 1988 regulations
H
Heat-soaked glass
Toughened glass that has been held at high temperature to break any pieces with nickel sulphide inclusions before they leave the factory, reducing the chance of delayed spontaneous breakage.
Also called: HST glass, heat soak test
HR foam
Polyurethane foam with a springy, even cell structure that recovers its shape well. It is not fire-retarded by default, so UK contract seating normally uses the CMHR version.
Also called: high resilience foam
I
Ignition source 0 and 1
The two lighter fire tests: a smouldering cigarette and a small flame equivalent to a match. They are the Low Hazard level and a prerequisite for the heavier tests.
Also called: cigarette test, match test, IS0, IS1
Ignition source 5 (Crib 5)
The fire test level in BS 5852 that uses a small lit timber crib on the seat, and the level normally expected for UK hotel and restaurant seating. It must be passed on the finished cover-and-filling combination.
Also called: Crib 5, IS5, BS 5852 source 5
Ignition source 7 (Crib 7)
A larger, more severe crib fire test in BS 5852 used for high-hazard settings such as certain hospital wards and hostels. Passing Crib 5 does not mean passing Crib 7.
Also called: Crib 7, IS7
Induction loop
A system that sends sound straight to hearing aids at counters and reception desks. Approved Document M expects one at reception points.
Also called: hearing enhancement system, hearing loop
Inherently flame retardant (IFR)
A fabric whose fire resistance comes from the fibre or yarn itself, so it does not wash out or need a coating. A fabric woven from flame-retarded yarns is the usual example.
Also called: inherent FR, inherently FR fabric
Interliner
A thin fire-resistant layer placed between the cover and the filling so a seat passes the fire test even when the cover or foam would not alone. It changes how the cover sits, so it must be in the sample.
Also called: fire barrier, flame barrier, FR interliner
K
Knee recess
The clear space under a counter, desk or table for a seated person's knees. Approved Document M asks for a recess of at least 700 mm above floor level beneath the lowered reception counter section.
Also called: knee clearance, knee space
L
Laminated glass
Two or more sheets of glass bonded with a plastic interlayer so broken pieces stay stuck together. It is used where breakage must not leave sharp openings.
Also called: safety laminate
Level 1 and Level 2 (EN 16139)
The two severity levels for testing non-domestic seating. Level 1 is general use (cafes, restaurants, offices); Level 2 is extreme use (night clubs, transport, prisons). Check the current edition's wording.
Also called: L1, L2, general use / extreme use
Light fastness
How well a dyed cloth resists fading in light, graded on a scale of 1 to 8 against reference wool samples. Sunlit lobbies and windows need higher grades.
Also called: Blue Wool scale, fade resistance, BS EN ISO 105-B02
Loose back
A sofa back made from separate removable cushions, which feels softer and more relaxed and can be plumped or turned, but looks less sharp than a tight back.
Also called: cushion back, loose-cushion back
M
Martindale rub
A laboratory test where a fabric sample is rubbed against a standard cloth under load until it wears through, with the result reported in thousands of rubs. Higher numbers mean greater abrasion resistance, but it does not cover fading, pilling or stains.
Also called: Martindale cycles, BS EN ISO 12947, rub count
N
Nubuck
Aniline leather with the grain surface lightly sanded to give a velvety feel. It absorbs liquids easily and stains, and is often confused with suede.
Also called: sanded aniline leather
P
Part M
The part of the Building Regulations in England covering access to and use of buildings. Volume 2 covers buildings other than dwellings, and sets heights for reception counters, bar counters and accessible bedrooms.
Also called: Approved Document M, ADM
Pattern repeat
The distance after which a printed or woven pattern repeats. Large repeats and half-drop patterns need more cloth to line up across seats and backs, so quantities must be increased.
Also called: half-drop repeat, straight match
Performance fabric
A cloth made to resist stains, wear and fading better than ordinary upholstery cloth, usually from synthetic or treated fibres. The term is not standardised, so ask for test results.
Also called: contract fabric, performance upholstery
Pigmented leather
Leather with a coloured polymer surface and usually an embossed grain. It is the toughest and most widely used type for furniture.
Also called: protected leather, finished leather
Pile direction
The way the surface fibres of velvet or other pile fabrics lie. If panels are cut with the pile running different ways they look different shades, so direction must be controlled across the whole piece.
Also called: nap, velvet pile direction
Pilling
Small balls of loose fibre that form on a fabric surface with use. It is tested separately from abrasion, and some soft yarns pill even when they pass high rub tests.
Also called: bobbling, fuzz balls
Pocket spring
A coil sewn into its own fabric pocket so each spring moves independently. Used in seat cushions, mattresses and some sofa decks.
Also called: encased spring, Marshall spring
Popliteal height
The distance from the floor to the underside of the thigh just behind the knee when seated. It limits how tall a seat can be before pressing into the thighs.
Also called: back-of-knee height, lower leg length (seated)
R
Railroading
Turning the fabric through 90 degrees so the width of the roll runs along the length of the sofa or banquette, avoiding a seam. It only works with plain cloths or woven patterns made for it.
Also called: running the cloth sideways
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
The law that requires fire risk assessment in non-domestic premises in England and Wales and puts duties on the person in control. Contract furniture falls to this, not to the 1988 furniture regulations.
Also called: RRFSO, Fire Safety Order
Responsible Person
The person who controls non-domestic premises and is legally responsible under the Fire Safety Order for the fire risk assessment, including the furniture that goes in them.
Also called: duty holder
S
Scatter back
A back made of loose cushions that are not fixed to the frame, so they can be moved around the seat. Looks casual and needs regular tidying.
Also called: scatter cushions back, pillow back
Seat rake
How much the seat surface tilts back from horizontal. A small backward tilt helps people stay seated and feel supported; too much makes standing up difficult.
Also called: seat slope, seat tilt, seat angle
Semi-aniline leather
Leather dyed through and given a thin protective coating, so it is more even in colour and more durable than aniline but still marks.
Also called: semi aniline
Sinuous spring
S-shaped steel wire running front to back across the seat frame, clipped at intervals. It is cheaper than hand-tied and tends to give a firmer, more even seat.
Also called: serpentine spring, no-sag spring, zig-zag spring
Split leather
A layer cut from the flesh side of a hide. A finished split is coated with a polymer to imitate grain, and suits only light, low-stress use.
Also called: finished split, suede split
Suede
Leather with a soft, napped surface made from the underside (flesh side) of the skin. It is delicate and marks easily, so use it where it is touched little.
Also called: napped leather
T
Table drop
The vertical distance between the top of the seat and the top of the table. Our table-heights guidance uses about 280-300 mm; some suppliers use the same words for a horizontal gap, so the datum must be defined.
Also called: table-to-seat drop, seat-to-table-top gap
Tight back
A sofa or chair back where the cover is pulled tight over the filling and fixed in place, giving a smooth, tailored line. It reads more formal than cushioned backs and cannot be plumped.
Also called: fixed back, pillow-free back
Tight seat
A seat where the cover is fixed over the padding with no removable cushion. It keeps its shape and stays formal, which suits dining chairs and banquettes, but the seat cannot be flipped or refilled without the workshop.
Also called: fixed seat, squab-free seat
Toughened glass
Glass heated and cooled rapidly so it is several times stronger and breaks into small granules. It must be cut and edged before toughening and cannot be altered after.
Also called: tempered glass, safety glass (loosely)
U
UKAS
The UK's national body that accredits testing laboratories. A UKAS-accredited lab report is the normal proof that a fire or strength test was carried out competently.
Also called: United Kingdom Accreditation Service, accredited laboratory
Upholstery composite
The exact combination of cover, interliner and filling that was tested together. A fire certificate only applies to that combination, so changing the foam or cover can make it invalid.
Also called: test composite, cover + filling combination
V
Vellum
Thin, prepared animal skin, traditionally calf, used as a decorative surface that is pale and slightly translucent. It reacts to humidity, so it needs careful mounting and sealing.
Also called: parchment (loosely), membrane
W
Water soak
A test step where a treated cover is soaked for thirty minutes and dried before the fire test, to show the flame retardant does not simply wash out. Required for treated covers; not for inherently FR yarns with no extra treatment.
Also called: 30-minute water soak, durability of FR treatment
Wheelchair-accessible bedroom
A hotel bedroom designed so a wheelchair user can transfer to the bed, move around and use the facilities independently. Approved Document M asks for one for every 20 bedrooms or part of that number.
Also called: accessible hotel room
Wyzenbeek double rub
The North American fabric abrasion test, which rubs back and forth along one line. Its results cannot be reliably converted into Martindale cycles.
Also called: ASTM D4157, double rubs