French Provincial Furniture
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.
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Iron
1890s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Rattan
20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Brass
1980s Spanish Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Wrought Iron
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Marble
1970s Italian Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Bamboo, Rattan
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Elm
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Mahogany
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Walnut, Lacquer, Mirror
1890s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Pottery
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Beech
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Elm
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Iron
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Earthenware
Late 19th Century Belgian Antique French Provincial Furniture
Paper
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Marble, Wrought Iron
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Wood
1970s European Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Marble
1870s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
1870s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Mirror, Wood
1910s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Fruitwood
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Crystal, Metal
1870s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Oak, Lambskin
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Marble, Metal, Iron
20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Composition
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Oak
1880s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Rush, Oak
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Earthenware
Late 19th Century Italian Antique French Provincial Furniture
Paper
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Terracotta
1960s European Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Oak
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Oak, Seagrass
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Brass, Iron, Steel
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century European French Provincial Furniture
Wood, Paint, Giltwood
Early 20th Century Unknown French Provincial Furniture
Stone
20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Pine
1890s Antique French Provincial Furniture
Paper
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Crystal, Metal
1990s American French Provincial Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Brass
Early 1800s Italian Antique French Provincial Furniture
Walnut