French Provincial Armchairs
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.
1910s Swedish Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Wood, Fabric, Linen
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Bouclé, Oak
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Straw, Beech
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Rattan
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Textile, Oak
1890s French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Velvet, Oak
1980s Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Cotton, Wood
Mid-18th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Fabric, Wood
20th Century French French Provincial Armchairs
Linen, Wood
Mid-18th Century British Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Linen, Wood
1980s French Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Linen, Upholstery, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Wool, Upholstery, Oak, Walnut
1890s French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Rattan, Oak
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Armchairs
Fabric, Maple
19th Century Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Chestnut
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Rush, Oak
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Oak
20th Century French French Provincial Armchairs
Faux Leather, Wood
18th Century Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Cotton, Mahogany
1920s American Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Upholstery, Burl
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Armchairs
Hemp, Cord, Pine
21st Century and Contemporary American French Provincial Armchairs
Rush, Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Provincial Armchairs
Brass
1820s French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Walnut
1970s American Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Wood, Cotton
Early 20th Century French Provincial Armchairs
Rush, Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Linen, Fruitwood
1970s French Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Linen, Straw
19th Century Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Wood
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Upholstery, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Fabric, Walnut
Mid-20th Century European French Provincial Armchairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Armchairs
Bamboo
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Rush, Wood
Late 19th Century European Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Wrought Iron
1880s French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Oak
20th Century French French Provincial Armchairs
Chenille, Velvet, Mahogany
Late 20th Century French Provincial Armchairs
Fabric, Walnut
1990s American French Provincial Armchairs
Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Armchairs
Bamboo
Mid-20th Century French Provincial Armchairs
Wrought Iron
Early 2000s French Provincial Armchairs
Mohair
1920s Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Fabric
1970s American Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Upholstery, Fabric, Wood
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Armchairs
Leather, Oak
19th Century Italian Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Fabric, Walnut
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Upholstery, Fruitwood
Mid-18th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Upholstery, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Upholstery, Giltwood
1980s Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Other
20th Century French French Provincial Armchairs
Leather
1980s Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Cotton
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Upholstery, Walnut
Late 20th Century French Provincial Armchairs
Silk, Hardwood
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Rush, Walnut
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Armchairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Armchairs
Sycamore