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.
Early 2000s French French Provincial Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Persian French Provincial Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Stone
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Crystal
17th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Iron
Late 18th Century Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wire
1970s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Enamel
1840s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Iron, Copper
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Faience
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Metal, Brass, Bronze, Iron
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Faience
1940s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Rush, Oak
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Mahogany
Early 1900s Unknown Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wool, Cotton
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Wool
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Iron
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Stoneware
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Pine
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Glass, Blown Glass
1870s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Pine
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Wood, Paint
2010s French French Provincial Furniture
Tapestry
2010s American French Provincial Furniture
Limestone
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Copper
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wool, Silk
1990s Chinese French Provincial Furniture
Wool
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Zinc
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Metal, Brass, Iron
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Tapestry, Oak
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian French Provincial Furniture
Paper
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Marble
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Gold, Brass
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Metal
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Brass, Metal
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Stoneware
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary American French Provincial Furniture
Mahogany, Oak, Walnut
1950s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
20th Century Italian French Provincial Furniture
Metal
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood, Hardwood, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Iron
1890s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Majolica, Ceramic, Faience
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Linen, Cane, Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Fruitwood
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary American French Provincial Furniture
Steel, Iron
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Glass, Opaline Glass
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Carrara Marble, Iron
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wool, Silk
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Marble, Iron
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Abalone
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wrought Iron
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Metal
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Fabric, Cane
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Pine