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.
1820s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
1970s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese French Provincial Furniture
Wood
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Faience
21st Century and Contemporary Asian French Provincial Furniture
Marble, Iron
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Asian French Provincial Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Mirror, Oak
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Terracotta
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Canvas, Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
1890s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Chestnut
Late 20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Upholstery, Hardwood
19th Century British Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Glass, Wood
19th Century German Antique French Provincial Furniture
Oak
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Textile, Wood
Early 2000s European French Provincial Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Terracotta
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Iron
1880s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Earthenware
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Oak
19th Century Antique French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Terracotta
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Brass
1970s Italian Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Porcelain
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Bronze
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Oak
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic, Wood
19th Century Dutch Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Terracotta
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Beech
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Metal
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Birch
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Terracotta
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Earthenware
Late 19th Century Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wicker
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Iron
1960s Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Walnut, Leather
Late 18th Century German Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Seagrass, Oak
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood, Oak
20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Marble, Bronze