French Provincial Benches
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.
2010s American French Provincial Benches
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Asian French Provincial Benches
Wood
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Benches
Pine, Paint
Early 20th Century European French Provincial Benches
Pine
1950s American Vintage French Provincial Benches
Walnut, Upholstery
Early 20th Century Hungarian French Provincial Benches
Pine
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique French Provincial Benches
Wood, Pine
2010s Turkish French Provincial Benches
Wood, Lacquer
Mid-20th Century French Provincial Benches
Chrome
Late 19th Century Peruvian Antique French Provincial Benches
Mahogany
2010s American French Provincial Benches
Bouclé, Maple
Early 19th Century American Antique French Provincial Benches
Wood
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Benches
Fabric, Walnut
Early 20th Century Hungarian French Provincial Benches
Pine
