French Provincial Seating
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 20th Century American French Provincial Seating
Upholstery, Fruitwood
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Velvet, Cane, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese French Provincial Seating
Wood
1970s European Vintage French Provincial Seating
Velvet
Early 20th Century French Provincial Seating
Mahogany
1970s European Vintage French Provincial Seating
Fiberglass
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Seating
Fabric, Cane, Cherry
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Seating
Hardwood, Rush, Birch
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Metal
Late 20th Century French Provincial Seating
Upholstery
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Seating
Fabric, Cane, Cherry
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Seating
Rush, Nutwood
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Seating
Rush, Wood
1940s French Vintage French Provincial Seating
Cowhide, Leather, Walnut
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Hemp, Cord, Pine
1970s American Vintage French Provincial Seating
Upholstery, Cane, Walnut
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Seating
Rush, Nutwood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Seating
Oak
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Leather, Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Oak
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Wood, Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Seating
Upholstery, Oak
Late 20th Century French Provincial Seating
Wrought Iron
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Seating
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American French Provincial Seating
Bamboo, Rattan
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Seating
Cotton, Oak
20th Century Belgian French Provincial Seating
Upholstery, Wood
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Seating
Metal
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Leather, Oak
19th Century German Antique French Provincial Seating
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Asian French Provincial Seating
Wood
20th Century Unknown French Provincial Seating
Upholstery, Cane, Wood
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Seating
Metal
20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Velvet, Walnut
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Textile, Wood
Late 20th Century French Provincial Seating
Upholstery, Hardwood
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Seating
Rush, Oak
1920s American Vintage French Provincial Seating
Upholstery, Walnut
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Seating
Oak
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Linen, Walnut
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Seagrass, Oak
1920s Vintage French Provincial Seating
Giltwood
19th Century American Antique French Provincial Seating
Walnut, Silk
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Elm
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Straw, Wood
Early 20th Century French Provincial Seating
Hardwood
1940s Vintage French Provincial Seating
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Seating
Fabric, Walnut
19th Century German Antique French Provincial Seating
Softwood
Mid-20th Century French Provincial Seating
Cane, Fruitwood
Early 20th Century French Provincial Seating
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Wood
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Rush, Wood
Late 19th Century European Antique French Provincial Seating
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Wood
1940s Vintage French Provincial Seating
Cotton, Walnut
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Seating
Wood
20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Iron