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.
19th Century Antique French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
1880s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic, Faience
1880s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic, Faience
1990s Italian French Provincial Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Furniture
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Faience
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Cherry
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Earthenware
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Brass
1940s Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Linen
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Faience
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Brass
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Moldovan French Provincial Furniture
Ash
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Copper
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Fruitwood
1980s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Walnut, Paint
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Bronze
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Leather, Oak
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Brass, Bronze
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
1920s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Burl
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Metal
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
1970s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Marble
1970s Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Earthenware
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Concrete
20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Antique French Provincial Furniture
Brass
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Porcelain
1970s Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Concrete
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Crystal, Metal, Silver Plate
20th Century Italian French Provincial Furniture
Cherry
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Metal, Brass, Copper
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Fruitwood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Earthenware
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Pottery
Early 1900s Antique French Provincial Furniture
Velvet
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Pine
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1890s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Oak
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Faux Bamboo, Mirror, Wood
1880s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic, Faience
1870s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Tin
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Pine
1890s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Fruitwood
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Maple
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Fabric
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Walnut