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.
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Earthenware
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Pottery
20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Earthenware
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Crystal, Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Asian French Provincial Furniture
Rattan, Wood
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Copper, Iron
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Glass
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Bamboo
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Terracotta
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Furniture
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Terracotta
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic, Faience
Mid-20th Century Unknown French Provincial Furniture
Mohair, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Faience, Pottery
1960s Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Walnut, Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Asian French Provincial Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
Late 20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Furniture
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Pine
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Paper
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Pottery
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Cherry
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
1970s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Asian French Provincial Furniture
Glass, Wood
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Rattan, Wood
1950s Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish French Provincial Furniture
Fabric, Jute, Wood, Trimming
1770s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Brass
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese French Provincial Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Copper, Iron
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Rush, Wood
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Belgian Black Marble
Late 20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Glass, Cork
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Silk, Paint
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Iron
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Pine
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Leather, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic, Pottery, Stoneware, Terracotta
1770s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Steel
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Copper
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Terracotta
1970s Portuguese Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Enamel