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
Oak, Pine
1890s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Cherry
Late 19th Century Antique French Provincial Furniture
Copper
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Rush, Maple
1980s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Beech
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Terracotta
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood, Paint
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Brass, Metal
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood, Oak
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
1880s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Brass
1940s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Terracotta, Paint
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wrought Iron
1980s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Clay, Faience
21st Century and Contemporary American French Provincial Furniture
Upholstery, Ultrasuede, Fruitwood
Early 19th Century English Antique French Provincial Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Wood, Paint
Mid-17th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wool, Silk
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Terracotta
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Earthenware
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Earthenware
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Fruitwood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Copper
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Copper, Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Brass
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Fabric, Cane
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century Unknown French Provincial Furniture
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Antique French Provincial Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Earthenware
2010s French French Provincial Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Cane
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Paper
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Metal
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Leather, Oak
1850s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Rush, Cherry
21st Century and Contemporary French French Provincial Furniture
Iron
1860s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Rush, Walnut