French Provincial Furniture
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.
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Wood
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Magnets
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Fabric
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Oak
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Steel
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
19th Century English Antique French Provincial Furniture
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Silver, Brass
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Cherry
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Oak
20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Wool
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Marble
20th Century European French Provincial Furniture
Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Paint
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1940s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Velvet, Wood
20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Fabric, Cane, Wood
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood, Paint
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Pine, Paint
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Steel
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Pine
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Tapestry, Walnut
20th Century Unknown French Provincial Furniture
Silver
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood, Walnut
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Silver Plate
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Marble, Iron
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Metal
1780s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Blown Glass, Oak
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Pine
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Brass
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Brass
20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Oak
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Upholstery, Cane, Walnut
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Canvas, Wood, Giltwood
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Tôle
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Fabric, Cane, Foam, Wood, Lacquer
20th Century Unknown French Provincial Furniture
Bronze
20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Metal, Bronze
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Tapestry
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Rush
20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Canvas, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wrought Iron
20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Wood
1940s Finnish Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic, Wood