French Provincial Cabinets
Removed from the fashions of the court, French Provincial style developed in the provinces of the country, such as Provence, Normandy, the Loire Valley and Bordeaux. Dating to the 17th and 18th centuries, French Provincial furniture was not as ostentatious as the designs being produced for the royal palaces, but elegant S-shape cabriole legs and ornate carvings elevated the sturdy chairs, sofas, tables and bedroom furniture intended for everyday use.
Although it varies by region, antique French Provincial furniture is unified by solid construction and an artisanal attention to design. While this furniture often followed the metropolitan trends — including the Rococo or neoclassical aesthetics of Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI — since it was produced in the French countryside it was more subdued with nods to its rustic settings.
Local materials like fruitwoods, oak, beech and walnut were used to construct large French Provincial armoires for storage and comfortable armchairs with rush-woven seats. Wrought-iron elements and carvings like floral details and scallop patterns were common as ornamentation. Furniture was frequently painted white or other muted colors that coordinated with gilt and would acquire a patina of age over time. Other wood was just stained with vibrant fabric such as toile de Jouy, which sometimes depicted pastoral scenes, adding color as upholstery.
The style arrived in the United States after World War I, with soldiers returning home wanting furniture like what they had seen in the rural homes and castles of France. In Grand Rapids, Michigan, designer John Widdicomb split from his family business, the Widdicomb Furniture Company, and had been focusing on Louis XV– and French Provincial–style furnishings since the early 1900s. Other American manufacturers such as Baker, Drexel, Henredon and Thomasville also responded to demand. Today antique French Provincial pieces and reproductions continue to be popular.
Find a collection of antique French Provincial dining tables, seating, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Cabinets
Steel
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Cabinets
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Marble
19th Century Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Wrought Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Asian French Provincial Cabinets
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian French Provincial Cabinets
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian French Provincial Cabinets
Wood
2010s American French Provincial Cabinets
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Oak
Early 1900s Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Walnut
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Oak
19th Century Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Oak
Mid-18th Century French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Wood, Paint
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Asian French Provincial Cabinets
Glass, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian French Provincial Cabinets
Glass, Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Oak
1770s French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Marble, Brass
20th Century French Provincial Cabinets
Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Brass
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Cherry
1980s Vintage French Provincial Cabinets
Brass
1980s Vintage French Provincial Cabinets
Wood
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Cabinets
Brass
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Wood, Fruitwood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian French Provincial Cabinets
Wood
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Brass
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Wood, Paint
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Wood
1820s French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Wood
19th Century Dutch Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Wood
Late 18th Century German Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Wood
20th Century French French Provincial Cabinets
Brass
1890s French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Chestnut
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Cabinets
Glass, Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Provincial Cabinets
Gold Leaf
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Glass, Oak
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Metal
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Cabinets
Stone
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Walnut
1920s Vintage French Provincial Cabinets
Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Wood
20th Century French Provincial Cabinets
Glass, Oak
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Oak
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Cabinets
Glass, Oak
1940s French Vintage French Provincial Cabinets
Oak
Mid-18th Century French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Steel
1980s Vintage French Provincial Cabinets
Marble
20th Century French French Provincial Cabinets
Hardwood
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Glass, Pine
1930s Vintage French Provincial Cabinets
Glass
2010s French French Provincial Cabinets
Brass
Early 1900s Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Walnut
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Cabinets
Brass