French Provincial Seating
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 American French Provincial Seating
Rush, Walnut, Paint
Mid-20th Century French Provincial Seating
Mahogany
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Seating
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Seating
Bamboo
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Seating
Bamboo
1960s Italian Vintage French Provincial Seating
Rattan
20th Century American French Provincial Seating
Wood
2010s Spanish French Provincial Seating
Iron
2010s Spanish French Provincial Seating
Wrought Iron
Late 20th Century French Provincial Seating
Upholstery
20th Century American French Provincial Seating
Fabric, Wood, Down
1920s Vintage French Provincial Seating
Elm
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Seating
Upholstery, Walnut
20th Century French Provincial Seating
Fabric, Hardwood
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Oak
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Oak
Late 20th Century French Provincial Seating
Leather, Mahogany
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Seating
Straw, Beech
20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Iron
20th Century British French Provincial Seating
Rush, Oak
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Chestnut
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese French Provincial Seating
Wood
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Pine
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Pine, Paint
1960s Italian Vintage French Provincial Seating
Bamboo, Rattan
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Rush, Oak
Mid-20th Century Unknown French Provincial Seating
Fabric, Wood
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Seating
Rattan
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Oak, Lambskin
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Seating
Rush, Oak
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Seating
Walnut
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Oak, Seagrass
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Seating
Linen, Cane, Wood
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Lambskin, Oak
1990s American French Provincial Seating
Leather, Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Seating
Textile, Oak
1950s American Vintage French Provincial Seating
Gold Leaf
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Pine
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Silk, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Seating
Wood
1980s Vintage French Provincial Seating
Cotton, Wood
Mid-18th Century French Antique French Provincial Seating
Fabric, Wood
1890s French Antique French Provincial Seating
Velvet, Oak
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Seating
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
20th Century French French Provincial Seating
Linen, Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Seating
Linen, Wood
1980s French Vintage French Provincial Seating
Linen, Upholstery, Wood
Mid-18th Century British Antique French Provincial Seating
Linen, Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Seating
Leather
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Seating
Straw, Wood, Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Seating
Wool, Upholstery, Oak, Walnut
1950s American Vintage French Provincial Seating
Fabric
2010s American French Provincial Seating
Metal
19th Century Antique French Provincial Seating
Chestnut
Late 20th Century French Provincial Seating
Wood, Paint
Early 2000s French French Provincial Seating
Velvet, Wood