French Provincial Settees
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.
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Settees
Wood, Rush
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Settees
Wool, Linen, Wood
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Settees
Brass
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Settees
Upholstery, Rush, Maple
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Settees
Fabric, Wood
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Settees
Upholstery, Velvet, Mahogany
Late 20th Century French Provincial Settees
Upholstery
20th Century Unknown French Provincial Settees
Upholstery, Cane, Wood
20th Century American French Provincial Settees
Fabric, Wood, Down
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Settees
Velvet, Wood, Walnut
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Settees
Walnut, Velvet
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Settees
Silk, Fruitwood
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Settees
Upholstery, Cane, Hardwood
Early 20th Century French Provincial Settees
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
1980s Vintage French Provincial Settees
Cotton, Wood
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Settees
Upholstery, Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Settees
Upholstery, Mahogany
1750s English Antique French Provincial Settees
Mahogany
Late 20th Century French Provincial Settees
Upholstery
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Settees
Velvet, Cane, Wood
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Settees
Velvet, Beech
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Settees
Walnut
1960s Vintage French Provincial Settees
Rattan
1950s English Vintage French Provincial Settees
Velvet, Giltwood
20th Century French French Provincial Settees
Fabric
1930s English Vintage French Provincial Settees
Fabric
Early 1900s British Antique French Provincial Settees
Fabric, Wood
Early 20th Century English French Provincial Settees
Fabric
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Settees
Walnut
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Settees
Linen, Upholstery, Wood, Paint
1970s Vintage French Provincial Settees
Upholstery, Oak
1970s American Vintage French Provincial Settees
Fabric
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Settees
Bouclé, Wood
Early 20th Century French Provincial Settees
Walnut
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Settees
Bouclé, Oak
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Settees
Upholstery, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Settees
Oak
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique French Provincial Settees
Iron
Early 20th Century French Provincial Settees
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Settees
Fabric, Upholstery, Oak
1990s French Provincial Settees
Wood, Cotton