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.
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Oak
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Paint
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Iron, Tin
19th Century Antique French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Tôle
1920s Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian French Provincial Furniture
Wire
Mid-20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Wood, Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Cherry
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Stoneware
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood, Rush
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Brass
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Rush, Walnut
1980s Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary French Provincial Furniture
Cotton
Mid-18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Iron
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Brass, Zinc
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Pottery
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Wood, Paint
Early 2000s American French Provincial Furniture
Metal
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Onyx, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary French French Provincial Furniture
Cherry
1860s Antique French Provincial Furniture
Oak
Late 20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Brass
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Oak, Pine
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Terracotta
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Mahogany
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic, Earthenware
19th Century European Antique French Provincial Furniture
Terracotta
Late 19th Century Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Fabric, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Cherry
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wool, Linen, Wood
1930s Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Marble, Metal
1930s Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Elm
1920s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Burl
20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Rock Crystal, Metal
Late 19th Century European Antique French Provincial Furniture
Copper
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
Late 20th Century Italian French Provincial Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Fabric, Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
1970s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Sandstone
1940s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Travertine, Wrought Iron
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
Late 20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
Early 19th Century British Antique French Provincial Furniture
Linen, Wood
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Cherry, Chestnut
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Maple
1970s Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Marble, Stone, Brass, Iron
20th Century Unknown French Provincial Furniture
Iron