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.
1960s European Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Silver Plate
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic, Hardwood
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Metal
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Oak
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Wood
1960s Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Iron
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Opaline Glass
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic, Earthenware
1960s Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Lacquer
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Sandstone
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Tôle
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
1960s Spanish Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Seagrass, Wood
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Alabaster, Bronze
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Cherry
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Oak
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Terracotta
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Metal, Iron
1960s European Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1960s European Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Cherry
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Terracotta
1960s Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Giltwood
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Crystal, Metal
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Wood
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Porcelain
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Hardwood
1960s Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Walnut, Leather
1960s Unknown Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Marble
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Sandstone
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass