Your Guide to Upholstered Side Chairs in Central Florida

An upholstered side chair is one of those wonderfully versatile pieces that manages to be both comfortable and sophisticated. Here at Slone Brothers Furniture, we see it as a simple, armless chair that packs a serious design punch, making it a go-to for Central Florida homeowners looking to add style to everything from dining rooms to quiet corners needing a little something extra.

Their real magic lies in offering plush, inviting seating without the bulk, creating an atmosphere that’s elegant but still practical and livable.

Why Upholstered Side Chairs Are a Design Essential

When you hear "upholstered side chair," your mind probably jumps straight to a formal dining room, and for good reason—they’re perfect there. But their true strength is just how adaptable they are. As a family-owned business serving Central Florida since 1980, we’ve seen homeowners from Orlando to Lake Mary use these chairs as brilliant solutions all over the house.

At Slone Brothers Furniture, we believe great design should solve everyday problems. An upholstered side chair does exactly that by perfectly blending three key elements.

Upholstered Side Chairs at a Glance

Before we dive deeper, here’s a quick overview of what makes these chairs such a smart addition to your Central Florida home.

These core features work together to create a piece of furniture that’s as functional as it is beautiful.

The Core Benefits of Upholstered Side Chairs

First and foremost is unmatched comfort. The padded seat and back are an open invitation for guests to linger longer, turning a quick meal into a memorable evening of conversation. It's a world away from hard, unupholstered chairs that can start to feel unwelcoming after just a few minutes.

Next up is their endless style potential. With a huge variety of fabrics, patterns, and frame finishes, these chairs can be tailored to complement any decor. Whether you love the handcrafted charm of Amish brands like Simply Amish or the modern lines of Canadel, there’s an upholstered side chair that helps tell your home's unique story.

Finally, their incredible adaptability makes them a smart investment. Because they’re armless, they tuck neatly under tables and desks, saving precious floor space. This is why they work just as well as a chic vanity chair, an elegant seat in a home office, or a stylish accent in a living room corner. You can get more ideas in our guide on five ways to use an accent chair.

Their global popularity isn't just a trend; it's a testament to their lasting appeal. The market for upholstered chairs and stools reached USD 25.4 billion in 2026 and is projected to grow to USD 38.7 billion by 2034. This reflects a strong, ongoing demand for seating that truly marries function and beauty.

Choosing Fabrics That Thrive in a Florida Climate

When you're picking out upholstered side chairs in Central Florida, the fabric is every bit as important as the frame. Our beautiful sunshine and legendary humidity can be brutal on furniture, causing some materials to fade, weaken, or feel uncomfortably stuffy. But the right upholstery won't just survive here; it will thrive.

Think of it like choosing the right plant for your garden. A tropical hibiscus will flourish in an Orlando backyard, while a plant meant for a colder, drier climate is going to struggle. It’s the same exact principle for your furniture fabrics. We help our customers choose materials built for the local lifestyle, ensuring their investment stays beautiful for years to come.

Performance Fabrics for Active Florida Lifestyles

For a busy household—especially one with kids, pets, or a steady flow of guests—performance fabrics are an absolute game-changer. These aren't your average textiles; they are engineered with advanced technology to fight off stains, moisture, and fading from UV rays. That makes them the perfect choice for a dining chair sitting near a sunny window in a Lake Mary home.

Brands like Smith Brothers and Craftmaster, known for their American-made quality, offer an incredible range of performance fabrics that are both tough and surprisingly soft. Spills from juice or coffee often just bead up on the surface, letting you blot them away before they set. This marriage of resilience and comfort means you don't have to sacrifice style for peace of mind.

Here’s what makes performance fabrics such a smart pick for your chairs:

• Fade Resistance: Specially treated fibers help keep colors vibrant, even when exposed to that intense Florida sun streaming through your windows.
• Stain Resistance: Many of these fabrics have stain-repellent properties woven right into the material, not just sprayed on as a top coat. This offers deeper, more reliable protection.
• Easy Maintenance: Most spills clean up with a simple solution of mild soap and water, making them perfect for the realities of everyday life.

The Timeless Appeal of Leather

Leather is another fantastic option that stands up beautifully to the Florida climate. It’s a natural material that actually breathes, which helps it stay cooler and more comfortable than many synthetic alternatives during our warm, humid summers. It’s also incredibly durable and a breeze to wipe clean, making it a great choice for dining chairs.

One of the best things about quality leather, like the options from American-made brands such as American Leather and Bassett, is how it develops a beautiful patina over time. It doesn't wear out; it wears in, gaining character and softness with each passing year. This makes it a true long-term investment in your home’s style and comfort.

It’s a common myth that leather gets hot and sticky in the heat. The truth is, genuine leather is a breathable material that adapts to your body temperature, offering a comfortable seat year-round in Central Florida homes.

The Breezy Charm of Natural Fibers

For that relaxed, coastal, or farmhouse look, natural fibers like linen and cotton bring a light, airy feel to any room. These materials are highly breathable, which means excellent comfort during Orlando's warmest months. Their soft texture and casual elegance can instantly make a space feel more inviting.

It’s important to know, however, that standard natural fibers can be more prone to staining and wrinkling than performance fabrics or leather. If you absolutely love the look of linen but worry about durability, consider a linen-blend performance fabric. This option gives you the best of both worlds: the beautiful look of a natural textile with the hard-wearing, easy-care properties you need for a busy dining area.

Our in-house design team can help you explore all these options to find the perfect balance. You can also find more tips in our guide on how to choose the right upholstery fabric for your home.

Finding a Chair Style That Tells Your Story

Your upholstered side chairs should do more than just offer a place to sit; they should be a genuine extension of your home’s personality. Think of them as key characters in your home’s story. Here in Central Florida, we see a beautiful range of styles, and each one tells a different tale. Our job at Slone Brothers Furniture is to help you find the chairs that speak your language, perfectly capturing the spirit of your Orlando-area home.

Choosing a style isn’t about chasing trends—it’s about discovering what feels authentic to you. Whether you’re drawn to the sun-bleached ease of coastal design or the rustic elegance of modern farmhouse, the right chair can anchor your entire room. All the little details, from the curve of a leg to the texture of the fabric, contribute to the narrative you're building.

Coastal Calm for a Florida Retreat

The coastal aesthetic is such a natural fit for our Central Florida lifestyle, and it’s about so much more than just seashells and anchors. This style is all about capturing a feeling of breezy, relaxed sophistication. It’s light, airy, and uncluttered, creating a space that feels like a permanent vacation.

For upholstered side chairs, this translates to:

• Light-Colored Fabrics: Think sandy beiges, soft whites, and muted sea-glass blues and greens. Breathable fabrics like linen or cotton blends really enhance that casual, laid-back feel.
• Natural Wood Tones: Look for chairs with frames made from light-toned woods like whitewashed oak or weathered pine to evoke the sense of sun-bleached driftwood.
• Simple Silhouettes: Coastal designs favor clean, unfussy lines. You’ll want to avoid overly ornate or heavy chairs, as they can weigh down the airy atmosphere you’re trying to create.

A set of simple, slipcovered side chairs around a rustic wooden table can instantly create that serene, waterfront vibe, even if your home is miles from the beach.

Modern Farmhouse Charm

Modern farmhouse has become a beloved style in communities from Longwood to Sanford because it so masterfully blends rustic comfort with clean, contemporary lines. It’s warm and inviting without feeling cluttered or dated, striking that perfect balance between old and new.

Upholstered side chairs in this style often feature:

• Neutral Palettes: Cream, charcoal, and warm gray fabrics are common, often with subtle patterns like pinstripes or simple plaids.
• Exposed Wood Frames: Look for chairs that proudly display their craftsmanship, like those from American-made brands like Bassett, with sturdy, straightforward frames.
• Practical Comfort: This style is all about livability. Chairs with plush, comfortable seats and supportive backs are essential to creating a welcoming dining space where family and friends will want to gather.

The goal of modern farmhouse is to feel curated but not staged. It’s about creating a home that feels both stylish and deeply personal, where every piece has a purpose and a story.

Timeless Traditional and Mission Styles

For those who appreciate enduring quality and classic design, traditional and Mission styles offer a rich heritage. These aren't old-fashioned; they are timeless. Just think of the incredible American craftsmanship found in a Stickley Mission chair—its solid construction and clean, honest lines are designed to be passed down through generations.

These styles are defined by:

• Rich Wood Finishes: Deep cherry, mahogany, and dark oak frames provide a sense of history and permanence.
• Elegant Fabrics: Upholstery often includes classic patterns like damasks, stripes, or rich, solid-colored velvets and leathers.
• Detailed Craftsmanship: From the turned legs on a traditional chair to the iconic slats of a Mission design, the focus is on quality construction that you can see and feel.

At Slone Brothers, we’re passionate about helping you find the right fit. For more inspiration, you can explore our guide to understanding different furniture styles and see how they can come to life. The popularity of these distinct, high-quality styles reflects a broader market appreciation for well-made furniture. Upholstered side chairs are a key part of the global upholstered furniture market, which was valued at USD 90.82 billion in 2026 and is forecasted to reach USD 120.06 billion by 2037. Discover more about these furniture market trends and their impact on design choices.

Getting the Spacing and Scale Just Right

The secret to a comfortable dining room that people actually want to linger in? It’s not just about the style of your chairs—it’s how they fit in the space. A beautiful upholstered chair can feel clumsy and out of place if it's too big for the table or crammed into a corner. Let's demystify the rules of measurement and scale with the same advice our in-house design team gives Orlando homeowners every day.

Think of it like arranging a family photo. You wouldn’t bunch everyone up on top of each other; you’d give each person room to breathe and be seen. Spacing your chairs correctly does the same thing for your dining room, creating a sense of balance and a genuinely welcoming atmosphere.

Essential Measurements for Dining Comfort

Getting the numbers right is the first step to creating a great dining setup. These simple guidelines are all you need to make sure every guest has enough room to relax without feeling boxed in, turning long dinners into a pleasure instead of a pain.

A few key measurements make all the difference:

• Seat to Tabletop: Always aim for 10 to 12 inches of clearance between the top of the chair seat and the underside of your dining table. This is the sweet spot for legroom for most adults.
• Elbow Room: Give each diner at least 24 inches of table space, measuring from the center of one chair to the center of the next. No one likes bumping elbows.
• Space Between Chairs: Leave a gap of about 6 to 10 inches between each chair. This small detail makes it easier for guests to get in and out and gives the whole arrangement a more refined, less crowded look.

Getting this balance right is critical for any room. Tools like virtual furniture staging can help you visualize arrangements before you commit. For more hands-on help, our guide on how to measure a room for furniture has even more detailed tips.

This infographic breaks down some of the most popular chair styles we see in Central Florida homes.

It’s a great visual for how different styles—like Coastal, Farmhouse, and Modern—are defined by their core elements, helping you match a chair's design to your home's overall vibe.

Your Dining Chair Spacing Cheat Sheet

Use these simple measurements to create a comfortable and perfectly arranged dining space that invites conversation and lingering meals.

Keep this cheat sheet handy, and you’ll never have to guess about spacing again. It’s all about creating flow and making the room easy and enjoyable to use.

Balancing Visual Weight

Beyond just the physical measurements, you need to consider the visual weight of your upholstered side chairs. This is simply how heavy or light a piece of furniture looks. A chair with a thick, dark wood frame and a dense fabric has a lot more visual weight than one with a slim metal frame and light-colored upholstery.

The key is balance. A big, chunky dining table needs chairs with enough visual weight to hold their own. A delicate, glass-topped table, on the other hand, pairs best with chairs that feel lighter and more airy.

For example, a grand, traditional dining room in a Lake Mary home might have a substantial Stickley table. Pairing it with small, minimalist chairs would make them look lost and out of place. You’d want to choose chairs with a solid presence to create a cohesive, properly scaled design. Conversely, in a modern Sanford condo with a sleek dining area, lightweight chairs from a brand like Amisco would enhance that open, uncluttered feeling.

Designing Your Perfect Custom Upholstered Side Chairs

Why settle for a chair that’s just good enough when you can create one that’s absolutely perfect for you? At Slone Brothers, our custom-order program puts you in the designer’s seat. It's one of the most exciting ways to make sure every last detail in your home feels personal, intentional, and completely cohesive.

If you’ve ever tried to find a chair with the exact fabric, wood finish, and style you’ve pictured, you know it can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Customization is the answer to that frustration. You get to choose every element, creating a chair that looks like it was made just for your space—because it was.

The Power of Personalization

When you work with us, you’re not just buying a chair; you’re bringing a vision to life. We partner with incredible American-made brands like Smith Brothers of Berne and Canadel, who offer a stunning depth of customization options. This process lets you go way beyond just picking a color and truly craft furniture that reflects your personality.

It's a level of detail that more and more people are looking for. The global market for high-end upholstery reached USD 834.02 million in 2026 and is on track to hit USD 1,272.91 million by 2035. This isn't surprising—it's driven by a growing demand for quality and personalization, with durable, timeless leather leading the pack. You can learn more about the rise of premium upholstery and what it signals for homeowners.

Our in-house design team is here to guide you through every step, making the whole process feel inspiring, not overwhelming. We’ll help you explore all the possibilities so you can make choices you feel great about.

Key Customization Choices

Bringing your ideal chair to life involves a few key decisions. Think of each choice as a brushstroke in your overall design masterpiece.

Here’s a look at what you can typically personalize:

• Fabric and Leather Selection: Dive into hundreds of fabrics and top-grain leathers. Whether you need a family-friendly performance fabric for a busy Sanford home or a rich, luxurious leather for a formal dining room, the perfect material is waiting for you.
• Wood Finishes: The frame and legs set the foundational tone of your chair. You can pick from a huge array of finishes—from light and airy whitewashed oaks to deep, dramatic espresso stains—to perfectly match your dining table and other furniture.
• Leg and Base Styles: You'd be amazed how much the shape of a leg can change a chair's whole personality. Whether you prefer a tapered, turned, or straight-leg design, brands like Canadel offer dozens of styles to align with any aesthetic.
• Decorative Details: The final touches are what make a piece truly special. You can add classic nailhead trim for a touch of tradition or choose a specific welt cord to create a clean, modern edge.

Customization is the ultimate solution for achieving a truly curated look. It ensures your furniture doesn’t just fit your space—it completes it.

We believe that exceptional furniture should be a perfect reflection of your lifestyle and taste. Our custom-order program is at the very heart of that belief, offering you the creative freedom to design pieces you'll love for years to come. To see just how easy it is to start, check out our guide on initiating a custom furniture order.

Caring for Your Chairs So They Last a Lifetime

A beautiful upholstered side chair is more than just a place to sit; it's an investment in your Central Florida home’s comfort and style. Like any quality piece, it deserves a little care to keep it looking its best for years. We believe long-term value goes beyond the initial purchase, which is why we’re happy to share our expertise on maintaining your furniture long after it leaves our Longwood showroom.

With just a few simple habits, you can protect your chairs from the daily grind. A little preventative maintenance goes a long way, especially for well-built, American-made furniture from brands like Bassett and Craftmaster.

Simple Care for Every Material

Different upholstery requires slightly different TLC. The most important thing is to act fast when spills happen and always follow the manufacturer's cleaning codes—you can usually find these on a tag attached to the chair.

• Performance Fabrics: For most spills on these tough fabrics, gently blot the spot with a clean, dry cloth right away. Many stains will lift with just a simple mix of mild soap and water. Always test your cleaning solution on a hidden area first.
• Leather: A quick dusting with a soft cloth once a week is perfect for leather chairs. For small scuffs or spills, a slightly damp cloth usually does the trick. To keep the leather supple and prevent it from drying out in our Florida air, apply a quality leather conditioner once or twice a year.
• Natural Fibers: Materials like linen and cotton need to be vacuumed regularly with an upholstery attachment to get rid of dust and crumbs. If a spill happens, blot it immediately and check the cleaning code before you use any solution, as some natural fibers require professional cleaning.

Florida-Specific Furniture Habits

We love our sunny climate here in the Orlando area, but that same sunshine can be tough on furniture. The intense UV rays will cause fabrics to fade over time, especially darker colors.

To protect your investment, try to position your upholstered side chairs away from direct, harsh afternoon sunlight. If your dining area has a window that gets a lot of sun, consider using sheer curtains or blinds to filter the light during the brightest parts of the day.

This one simple step can dramatically extend the life and vibrancy of your upholstery.

Another great habit is to rotate your chairs from time to time if some get used more than others. This ensures they wear evenly, keeping your whole set looking consistent. By following these easy tips, your chairs will continue to be a source of pride and comfort in your home—the kind of lasting quality we champion at Slone Brothers Furniture.

Frequently Asked Questions About Upholstered Side Chairs

We’ve covered a lot of ground on styles, materials, and spacing for upholstered side chairs, but you probably still have a few questions floating around. As your local Longwood furniture experts since 1980, we’ve heard just about everything. Here are some clear, straightforward answers to the questions we hear most from our neighbors here in Central Florida.

Are Upholstered Chairs a Good Idea for a Home with Kids or Pets?

Absolutely! The secret isn’t avoiding upholstery altogether; it's about choosing the right material for your real life. Modern performance fabrics are absolute game-changers, engineered to be stain-resistant, a breeze to clean, and incredibly durable. They are the perfect match for busy households here in the Orlando area.

Brands we love to carry, like Smith Brothers and American Leather, offer countless resilient options. When you stop by our Longwood showroom, we can even show you how spills bead right up on the surface. You really don't have to give up on style just because of a little mess.

How Many Side Chairs Will Fit at My Dining Table?

This is such a great question, and getting it right makes all the difference in how your dining room feels. A good rule of thumb is to allow 24 to 30 inches of space for each person. This gives everyone enough elbow room to dine comfortably without feeling squeezed in.

Here's how that usually translates for common table sizes:

• For a standard 72-inch table: This size comfortably fits three upholstered side chairs on each long side.
• For a 48-inch round table: Four chairs is almost always the sweet spot to keep things from feeling cramped.

Of course, our in-house design team can also help you map out a precise space plan to make sure your dining room is both beautiful and perfectly functional.

Can I Mix Upholstered Side Chairs with Other Chair Styles?

Yes, and you absolutely should! Mixing and matching is a fantastic way to create a curated, designer look that gives your space so much more personality and depth. One of the most popular ways to do this is to use upholstered side chairs along the length of a rectangular table and then place more distinct armchairs at the head and foot.

The key to making it work is to have a single unifying element. This could be something as simple as a consistent leg finish, a complementary color palette, or a similar overall style. Our designers are masters at helping you find that perfect, effortless balance.

What Is the Real Benefit of Choosing Amish-Made Chairs?

When you see Amish-crafted furniture, like the incredible pieces we carry from Mavin and Simply Amish, you're looking at true heirloom quality. These chairs aren’t just assembled; they are painstakingly built from solid North American hardwoods using joinery techniques that have been perfected over generations. They’re designed to last a lifetime, and then some.

When you invest in an Amish-made piece, you are choosing furniture that provides incredible long-term value. It’s a commitment to craftsmanship and durability—a core principle we've proudly stood by at Slone Brothers Furniture since we first opened our doors.

Ready to find the perfect upholstered side chairs for your home? Visit the Slone Brothers Furniture showroom in Longwood, FL, and let our design experts help you get started!

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