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.
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Upholstery, Wood
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Tapestry, Walnut
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Beech
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Armchairs
Composition
2010s Danish French Provincial Armchairs
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century French Provincial Armchairs
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Wood
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Fabric, Walnut
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Walnut
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Armchairs
Wood
1960s European Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Walnut
19th Century Spanish Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Bentwood
20th Century Belgian French Provincial Armchairs
Wood
1860s French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Walnut
16th Century Scottish Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Ash, Fruitwood
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Rush, Hardwood
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Upholstery, Wood
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Bouclé, Wood
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Fabric, Hardwood
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Fabric, Hardwood
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Beech
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Hardwood
Early 1900s Belgian Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Oak
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Oak
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Oak
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Oak
Early 1900s Belgian Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Oak