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.
20th Century French Provincial Armchairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Provincial Armchairs
Silk, Walnut
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Armchairs
Rush, Oak
1980s Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Cotton
Early 20th Century Dutch French Provincial Armchairs
Oak
Early 20th Century French Provincial Armchairs
Rush, Walnut
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Armchairs
Leather, Oak
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Armchairs
Leather, Oak
17th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Bamboo, Rattan
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Rush, Wood
20th Century French Provincial Armchairs
Cane, Walnut
Early 2000s French Provincial Armchairs
Mohair
20th Century American French Provincial Armchairs
Upholstery, Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary European French Provincial Armchairs
Rattan
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Upholstery, Giltwood
19th Century Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Chestnut
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Armchairs
Beech
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Mohair, Walnut
1980s Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Wood, Cotton
1980s Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Damask, Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Silk, Walnut
20th Century French French Provincial Armchairs
Chenille, Velvet, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Armchairs
Beech
1970s Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Wood, Cotton, Down
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Fruitwood, Upholstery
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Upholstery, Fruitwood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Fruitwood, Rush
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Calico, Twill, Upholstery, Beech
Early 20th Century French Provincial Armchairs
Walnut
1840s Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Walnut
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Armchairs
Sycamore
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Beech
20th Century French French Provincial Armchairs
Linen, Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Rush, Wood
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Armchairs
Upholstery, Mahogany, Down
1820s French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Walnut
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Armchairs
Rattan, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Walnut
20th Century Unknown French Provincial Armchairs
Wood
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Armchairs
Straw, Oak
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Walnut
19th Century Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Silk
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Armchairs
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish French Provincial Armchairs
Leather, Jute, Wood, Linen
Late 20th Century Unknown French Provincial Armchairs
Walnut
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Rush
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Armchairs
Plastic, Hardwood, Mahogany
20th Century American French Provincial Armchairs
Upholstery, Hardwood
20th Century Unknown French Provincial Armchairs
Tapestry, Upholstery
Late 20th Century French Provincial Armchairs
Fabric, Walnut
Early 1800s French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Brass
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Fabric, Cane, Foam, Wood, Lacquer
20th Century French French Provincial Armchairs
Faux Leather, Wood
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Rattan
Early 17th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Metal, Brass
20th Century French French Provincial Armchairs
Brass
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Fabric, Oak