French Provincial Furniture

FRENCH PROVINCIAL STYLE

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.

Style: French Provincial

Creator: John Widdicomb

John Widdicomb French Provincial Louis XV Cherry Breakfront Bookcase Cabinet

French Provincial Furniture

1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial Louis XV Cherry Breakfront Bookcase Cabinet

1950s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial Louis XV Highboy Dresser, 1950s

1940s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial Louis XV Cherry Marble Top Chest of Drawers

1940s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial Louis XV Cherry Marble Top Chests of Drawers

1950s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial Louis XV Nightstands, 1950s

1950s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial Louis XV Triple Dresser or Credenza, 1950s

Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Furniture

Mid-Century French Provincial Chest By John Widdicomb In French Blue

1970s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial Style Tall Chest Dresser

1950s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial Louis XV Cherry Wood Vanity With Flip Up Mirror

1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial Louis XV Carved Walnut Triple Dresser, 1960s

1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial Louis XV Carved Walnut Triple Dresser, 1960s

1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial Cherry Wood Dining Table, Newly Refinished

1950s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial Louis XV Pink Lacquered Nightstands, Pair

1950s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial Louis XV Cherry Wood Upholstered King Headboard

1950s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial Louis XV Cherry Wood Marble Top Triple Dresser

Late 20th Century American French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial Louis XV Cherry Commode or Chest of Drawers

Late 20th Century American French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial Louis XV Walnut Dining Table, Newly Refinished

1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture

French Provincial Armchairs by John Widdicomb, a Pair

Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial Louis XV Cherry Wood Dresser, Newly Refinished

Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial White Lacquered Nightstands, Newly Refinished

Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial Louis XV White Lacquered Dresser, Refinished

Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial Louis XV Lacquered Highboy Dresser, Refinished

Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial Louis XV White Lacquered Dresser, Refinished

1970s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture

Stunning John Widdicomb Parquet Inlay Country French Provincial Dining Table

Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial Louis XV Cherry Wood Nightstands, Circa 1940s

1940s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial White Lacquered Dresser, Newly Refinished

Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial Louis XV Oak and Burl Wood Nightstands, Pair

Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial Louis XV Bedside Chests, Newly Refinished

Late 20th Century American French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb Italian Provincial Parquetry Top Two-Tier Coffee Table

20th Century North American French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb Provincial Style Pecan Lighted Two-Door Curio Cabinet

Late 20th Century American French Provincial Furniture

20th Century French Provincial Style Walnut Armoire by John Widdicomb

Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Furniture

20th Century Provincial Style Double Dresser and Pair of Mirrors by Widdicomb

1950s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture

John Widdicomb French Provincial Louis XV Carved Cherry Wood Swivel Vanity Stool

French Provincial furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

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