French Provincial Tables
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 20th Century Italian French Provincial Tables
Maple
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Tables
Oak
19th Century Italian Antique French Provincial Tables
Wood, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Tables
Cherry, Burl
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Tables
Marble
Late 20th Century Italian French Provincial Tables
Burl, Mahogany
Late 20th Century Philippine French Provincial Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Tables
Marble, Stainless Steel
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Tables
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Tables
Granite, Bronze
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Tables
Iron
1950s Vintage French Provincial Tables
Siena Marble, Bronze
2010s French Provincial Tables
Bone, Epoxy Resin
Mid-20th Century French Provincial Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Tables
Wood
1940s Unknown Vintage French Provincial Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Tables
Chestnut
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Tables
Stone
21st Century and Contemporary Asian French Provincial Tables
Wood
1850s French Antique French Provincial Tables
Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Tables
Marble
20th Century French French Provincial Tables
Rope, Wood
20th Century Italian French Provincial Tables
Iron
20th Century Brazilian French Provincial Tables
Rosewood
Early 20th Century English French Provincial Tables
Walnut, Burl
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Tables
Cherry
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Tables
Pine
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Tables
Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Unknown French Provincial Tables
Laminate, Hardwood, Paint
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Tables
Wood
19th Century Antique French Provincial Tables
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Unknown Antique French Provincial Tables
Walnut
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Tables
Leather, Pine
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Tables
Wood, Pearwood
20th Century French Provincial Tables
Hardwood
19th Century English Antique French Provincial Tables
Stone, Soapstone
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Tables
Marble
1960s North American Vintage French Provincial Tables
Agate
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Tables
Walnut
Early 1900s Italian Antique French Provincial Tables
Walnut
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique French Provincial Tables
Walnut
2010s Spanish French Provincial Tables
Iron
2010s Spanish French Provincial Tables
Iron
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Tables
Brass
2010s French French Provincial Tables
Wood, Lacquer, Oak, Cherry
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Tables
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Tables
Cherry
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian French Provincial Tables
Wood
20th Century Brazilian French Provincial Tables
Rosewood
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Tables
Cherry
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Tables
Porcelain, Cherry
1990s Italian French Provincial Tables
Maple
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century French Provincial Tables
Marble, Iron
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Tables
Ash
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Tables
Walnut, Burl