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 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Enamel
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Copper
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Cane, Oak
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese French Provincial Furniture
Wood
1960s Italian Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Rattan
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
Early 1800s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
2010s American French Provincial Furniture
Steel, Iron
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Wood
1990s French French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Glass
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Enamel
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1890s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wrought Iron, Tôle
20th Century Unknown French Provincial Furniture
Fabric, Mahogany
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
1970s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Fruitwood
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1970s European Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Paint
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1940s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Mirror
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Bronze
2010s Spanish French Provincial Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Oak
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Oak
2010s Spanish French Provincial Furniture
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Jute, Cotton
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1850s Antique French Provincial Furniture
Giltwood
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Brass, Copper
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Tapestry, Wool
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Brass, Copper
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Terracotta
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-20th Century European French Provincial Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wire
21st Century and Contemporary Asian French Provincial Furniture
Wood
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Faience
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica
21st Century and Contemporary French French Provincial Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Oak
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Faience
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Terracotta