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.
Pair of Architectural French Style Painted Wall Shelves Brackets
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Gorgeous pair of wall shelves hand-painted in a French or Swedish Gustavian shade of gray. This set could certainly stand alone as a pair on a wall or functional to hold treasures on...
Wood, Paint
$780Sale Price|61% Off
Crown Header Semi Circular Flowers & Leaves / Sheer Linen Tie-top Drapery Panels
Located in Malibu, CA
Romantic handmade iron crown of flowers & leaves with curtain rod. Mount over a bed or settee.
Metal, Iron
A French Palm Fiber Wall Pocket, 1960s
Located in SOTTEVILLE-LÈS-ROUEN, FR
A charming handcrafted wall pocket made from braided palm fiber, typical of southern French craftsmanship from the 1960s. Round in shape, it features a semi-circular pocket ideal for...
Natural Fiber
Faux Bamboo Coat Hooks Set of 3, Hand-Woven, Mid-20th Century
Located in Round Top, TX
Set of Three Unique Faux Bamboo Coat Racks First Item Description: Eye-catching burnt bamboo wall-mounted coat/purse/scarf rack, 1960s. Wonderfully undulating shape with six serpentine hooks. It has all the taste of the Italian Riviera style and appears to have been designed after Olaf von Bohr pieces. A functional and wonderfully referential piece that works well with Midcentury Modern furniture and home design, to Coastal interiors, to American Classical, in a beach house addition, entry hall, or mud room. So charming, stylish, and casually luxurious, we love this piece draped with friend's handbags, a scarf collection, dog leashes, and so much more. Hand-wrapped and woven steam-bent real bamboo, curved into sensual hooks and topped with small wood spheres that punctuate each hook end. The reed wrapping creates little criss-cross patterns throughout the piece, creating visual interest and miniature geometries. 16ʺW × 4.75ʺD × 17.75ʺH Second Item Description: Burnt bamboo towel rack...
Faux Bamboo, Reed
Vintage Italian Giltwood Wall Sconce Shelf
Located in Elkhart, IN
A gorgeous Neoclassical or Rococo style Italian provincial gilt wood wall sconce or bracket Italy, Circa Mid-20th Century Measures: 6.75"W x 3.5"D x 5.5"H. Very good vintage condi...
Giltwood
$480Sale Price|33% Off
18th Century Faience Wall Bracket
Located in Doylestown, PA
A late 18th century faience shelf or wall bracket in the form of a demon's face, losses to glaze in areas, with wear and chips overall.
Faience
$1,089
Wall Bracket
Located in Dallas, TX
Wall bracket with ornately carved details Finish is antique white and glazed.
Paint
$350Sale Price / set|60% Off
H 8.5 in W 11.5 in D 6.5 in
Pair Shell Wall Brackets, Hand Painted Cast Stone, 1980s, Antique
Located in Douglas Manor, NY
3-445 pair hand painted wall brackets /shelves made from cast stone.
Cast Stone
Italian Small Architectural Gilded Wall Fragment Shelf
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
This wooden gilded wall corbel or shelf is beautifully constructed and ornamented with columns down the center with a floral final at the tip. This wood gilt piece would be a wonderf...
Wood
Pair Of Italian Carved And Giltwood Wall Brackets
Located in Bradenton, FL
Pair of Italian carved and giltwood wall brackets. Beautifully carved with acanthus leaves and scrollwork. Nice wide shelf atop a base that cumulates into a pineapple-like shape at b...
Giltwood
$880Sale Price / set|60% Off
H 16.25 in W 15 in D 5.75 in
Antique French Baroque Style Wall Bracket, a Pair
Located in Plainview, NY
A pair of French Baroque style hand carved gesso and wood floral scroll design wall brackets featuring a scalloped gild painted shelving. This elegant...
Wood, Paint, Gesso
$475Sale Price / set|51% Off
H 11 in W 9.75 in D 4.75 in
1970s Italian Painted Wood Wall Brackets with Crackle & Gilt Finish
Located in Douglas Manor, NY
1550 Italian pair painted wood wall brackets with crackel and gilt finish
Hardwood
Mid 20th Century Boho Italian Bookend Floral Bracket
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Bring an old-world, romantic charm to your space with this ornate vintage Italian-style still life bracket. Cast in resin and finished in a warm antique gold leaf, this richly detail...
Gold Leaf
$1,195 / set
H 16 in W 14.5 in D 15 in
Antique Salvaged Carved Wooden Architectural Wall Brackets, Corbels or Shelves
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This matched pair of antique hand-carved walnut wall brackets were salvaged from an early Victorian house in Montreal, Canada. The brackets are unsigned, but presumed to have originated from Canada in approximately 1850 in the period Victorian style. The brackets are solid walnut in their composition and have ornate decorative carvings. These wall corbels...
Walnut
$1,313 / set
H 4.41 in W 13.43 in D 14.02 in
Pair of Circular Glass and Brass Display Shelves, 20th Century, European
Located in London, GB
A pair of circular glass and brass shelves, for display or storage, second half of the 20th century, unsigned. The shelves were found in Europe, and were perhaps used for shop displ...
Brass
18th Century Italian Rococo Pine Wall Brackets
Located in San Marino, CA
Pair of 18th century Italian Venetian Rococo painted and gilt pine wall brackets.
Pine
Pair Of 18th Century Italian Figural Angel Wall Brackets
Located in Bradenton, FL
Pair of 18th Century Italian figural carved Angel wall brackets. Brackets feature charming angel faces under small flat shelf. Giltwood and painted, brackets have a wonderful old pat...
Wood
19th Century Anglo-Indian / Burmese Wall Bracket / Shelf
Located in Hoddesdon, GB
Anglo-Indian wall bracket or shelf. Circa 1880s An extremely rare intricately carved 19th-century Anglo-Indian wall bracket or shelf. This exquisite piece is beautifully made . ...
Teak
$1,690 / set
H 3.94 in W 3.15 in D 1.97 in
Set of 5 Mid-Century Modern Brass Wall Hooks, Austria, Polished
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of five #4086 wall hooks by Carl Auböck. (Other quantity also available.)
Brass
Lovely Antique Giltwood Swag Adorned Wall Shelf Bracket
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Lovely rustic antique wall shelf having weathered giltwood carved swag adorning the bottom.
Giltwood
Galvanized Metal French Painted Grape Wall Hod Bin Carrier
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
A large impressive French style metal grape harvesting basket. Original hods were used to help the workers carry them on their back allowing for ease of picking grapes. This galvanized bin...
Metal
2 Large Vintage French Gold Gilt Wall Brackets Corbels Sconce Shelves 16"
Located in Dayton, OH
Pair of vintage 20th century gilt corbels / wall brackets / shelves with a French inspired design of scallops, foliates, and scrollwork. Rectangular top. Composite foam with inset pi...
Composition
Vintage Italian Giltwood Wall Sconce Shelf
Located in Elkhart, IN
A gorgeous Neoclassical or Rococo style Italian provincial gilt wood wall sconce or bracket Italy, Circa Mid-20th Century Measures: 6.75"W x 3.5"D x 5.5"H. Very good vintage condi...
Giltwood
19th Century French Corbel Wall Shelves, a Pair
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of wooden wall decorations created in 19th century France. Beautifully painted and poised with elegant details abounding, these identical wall furnishings...
Wood
Antique French Brass Curtain Tie Backs, Set of 2
Located in Ross, CA
Antique brass curtain tie backs, each makes an umbrella of banana leaves.
Brass
Vintage French Brass Wall Double Hook
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Vintage French brass wall double hook. French cast brass double hook Vintage. French brass coat double hook dating from the early 1950s. The hook ...
Brass
French Oak Coat and Hat Rack with Shelf and Mirror
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
French oak coat and hat rack with shelf and mirror. The rack is made in solid oak, it has a hat shelf at the top and a mirror below and beneath these are 2 large S shaped blacksmith made double wrought iron coat hooks...
Oak
Sold
H 1.25 in W 4.25 in D 14 in
Vintage French Aluminum Spring Loaded Hanging Kitchen Dishcloth Holder
Located in Philadelphia, PA
From the 1950s, a French kitchen dishcloth rack with spring loaded hooks for holding four towels, each marked for its own purpose. Made of a shiny pre...
Aluminum
Sold
H 8 in W 4 in D 8 in
Vintage Wall Double Metal Brass Hook with Porcelain Dutch Delft Style Finals
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Vintage metal brass coat double hook with porcelain finals in blue and white Dutch Delft style floral design. This has a horizontal shaped bar which slopes downwards and is for han...
Metal
Vintage French Brass Wall Double Hook Set of 2
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Set of two antique French cast brass double hook Vintage French brass coat double hook dating from the early 1950s. The hook are cast brass. The hook is fastened to a shaped carto...
Brass
Vintage French Brass Wall Double Hook, Set of Three
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Antique French cast brass double hook, set of 3. These are vintage French brass coat double hook dating from the early 1950s. The hooks are cast brass. The upper part of the curved...
Brass