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.
1980s Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Cotton, Wood
1980s French Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Linen, Upholstery, Wood
1980s Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Cotton, Mahogany, Feathers
1970s American Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Wood, Cotton
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Armchairs
Rush, Nutwood
Late 20th Century French Provincial Armchairs
Fabric, Walnut
1990s American French Provincial Armchairs
Hardwood
1970s American Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Upholstery, Fabric, Wood
1980s Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Other
1980s Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Cotton
Late 20th Century French Provincial Armchairs
Silk, Hardwood
1980s Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Wood
1990s American French Provincial Armchairs
Upholstery, Wood
1970s French Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Linen, Straw
1980s Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Cotton, Wood
Late 20th Century French Provincial Armchairs
Upholstery, Hardwood
1970s Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Wood, Cotton, Down
1980s Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Damask, Mahogany
1970s Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Wood, Cotton
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Armchairs
Brass
1970s Unknown Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Wood
1970s Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Wood, Cotton
1990s French Provincial Armchairs
Leather, Walnut
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Armchairs
Rush, Walnut, Paint
1980s American Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Fabric, Wood
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Rush, Maple
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Armchairs
Rush, Hardwood
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Armchairs
Walnut
Late 20th Century North American French Provincial Armchairs
Cane, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Brazilian French Provincial Armchairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Armchairs
Hardwood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Armchairs
Fruitwood, Rush
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Armchairs
Fabric, Maple
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Rush, Wood
Mid-20th Century European French Provincial Armchairs
Wood
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Armchairs
Upholstery, Rope, Wood
1980s Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Cotton, Velvet, Rush, Wood
Late 20th Century French Provincial Armchairs
Upholstery, Oak
1980s American Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Cotton, Mahogany
1970s Vintage French Provincial Armchairs
Fabric, Oak
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Armchairs
Fabric, Bouclé, Wood
Late 20th Century French Provincial Armchairs
Upholstery, Wood
Late 20th Century French Provincial Armchairs
Cotton, Satin, Wood
Late 20th Century French Provincial Armchairs
Silk, Hardwood
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Armchairs
Mahogany, Fabric
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Armchairs
Leather, Cane, Walnut
Late 20th Century North American French Provincial Armchairs
Fabric, Wood