French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
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 Unknown French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
1960s Vintage French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Hardwood
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Cane, Cherry
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Wood, Giltwood, Paint
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Brass
1950s American Vintage French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Upholstery, Cherry, Lacquer
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Walnut, Lacquer
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary North American French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
19th Century Antique French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Fabric, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
Late 20th Century French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Brass, Steel
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Wicker
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Cherry
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Hardwood, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Asian French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Rattan, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Rattan, Wood
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Asian French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Rattan, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Rattan, Wood
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Brass
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Oak
1990s American French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Silk, Upholstery, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Moldovan French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Ash
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
20th Century American French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Cane, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
1950s American Vintage French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Cane, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Iron
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
1970s Vintage French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
19th Century Caribbean Antique French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Cedar