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 Italian Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Iron
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Majolica, Ceramic
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Terracotta
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1980s Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Wood, Cotton
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Concrete
1980s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic, Mirror
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic, Mirror
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Enamel, Gold Leaf
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Enamel
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Rush, Walnut, Paint
Early 2000s French Provincial Furniture
Cedar
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Metal
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic, Mirror
1880s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Oak
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic, Mirror
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic, Mirror
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic, Mirror
1970s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Enamel, Gold Leaf
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Earthenware
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Rock Crystal
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Chestnut
Late 18th Century Antique French Provincial Furniture
Oak
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Pottery
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Oak
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Porcelain
1960s Italian Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Bamboo, Rattan
20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Terracotta
1890s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic, Pottery
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Oak, Seagrass
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Cherry
19th Century Italian Antique French Provincial Furniture
Pine
2010s Belgian French Provincial Furniture
Steel
2010s Belgian French Provincial Furniture
Steel
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Chestnut
2010s Belgian French Provincial Furniture
Steel
2010s Belgian French Provincial Furniture
Steel
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Earthenware
Early 20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Iron
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Oak
19th Century Indian Antique French Provincial Furniture
Stone
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Concrete
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Ormolu
Late 20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Walnut