French Provincial Lighting
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.
Early 2000s European French Provincial Lighting
Wrought Iron
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Crystal, Metal
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Crystal, Metal
2010s American French Provincial Lighting
Brass, Gold Leaf, Iron, Steel
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Metal
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Crystal, Metal
20th Century French Provincial Lighting
Wood
2010s American French Provincial Lighting
Brass, Steel, Iron
1970s Italian Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary French Provincial Lighting
Metal
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Lighting
Terracotta
1920s Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Crystal
1940s French Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Bronze
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Lighting
Wood
Early 2000s European French Provincial Lighting
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Lighting
Bronze
Late 20th Century French Provincial Lighting
Composition
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Metal
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Bronze
Early 2000s European French Provincial Lighting
Wrought Iron
1920s Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Crystal
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Lighting
Metal
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Metal
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Lighting
Marble, Bronze
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Sandstone
20th Century French Provincial Lighting
Pewter
Early 2000s European French Provincial Lighting
Wrought Iron
1940s French Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Brass
1970s French Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Ceramic, Resin
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Lighting
Brass
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Silver Plate, Bronze
2010s American French Provincial Lighting
Iron
Mid-20th Century French Provincial Lighting
Oak
Late 20th Century Unknown French Provincial Lighting
Metal
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Bronze
Early 1900s Antique French Provincial Lighting
Brass
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Lighting
Copper
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Brass
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Lighting
Metal
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Metal
1910s Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Brass
1970s French Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Bamboo
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Silver Plate, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Lighting
Copper
2010s German French Provincial Lighting
Crystal, Brass
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Porcelain
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Bronze
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Rope, Glass
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Lighting
Stoneware
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Alabaster
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Lighting
Brass, Steel, Iron
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Steel, Iron
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Crystal, Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Lighting
Iron, Tin
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Ceramic
1930s Italian Vintage French Provincial Lighting
Mirror
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Lighting
Metal
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Lighting
Brass, Steel, Iron