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.
Mid-18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Faience
1740s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wool, Silk
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Brass
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Limestone
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Limestone
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Enamel
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Iron
18th Century European Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wool
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Straw, Bentwood
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Brass
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Metal, Iron
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Giltwood
18th Century Unknown Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wool, Cotton
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood, Walnut
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique French Provincial Furniture
Spruce
Mid-18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Paper
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Paper
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Limestone
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Marble, Iron
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Brass
18th Century Unknown Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wool, Cotton
18th Century Unknown Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wool, Cotton
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Glass, Paper
Mid-18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Fabric, Wood
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wool, Cotton
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Oak
17th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Other
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
Mid-18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Ormolu
1790s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Oak
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Metal
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Cherry
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
17th Century Scottish Antique French Provincial Furniture
Burl
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Fruitwood
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Breccia Marble, Bronze
18th Century North American Antique French Provincial Furniture
Linen
1790s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
1780s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Fruitwood
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Fruitwood
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Brass
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Iron
Mid-18th Century Antique French Provincial Furniture
Paint
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Cherry
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Tôle
Early 17th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wool
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wool, Cotton
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Pine, Paint
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Porcelain
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Fruitwood
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
1780s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Oak
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Brass
Mid-18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Oak