Kenlea Crafts
Vintage 1980s American French Provincial Night Stands
Oak, Paint
Recent Sales
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Floor Mirrors and Full-Leng...
Mirror, Oak, Paint
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2010s Mexican Table Lamps
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Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
Teak
20th Century English Country Dining Room Tables
Oak, Pine
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
Brass
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Side Chairs
Wood
Antique Late 18th Century French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Wire
20th Century French Cabinets
Wood
20th Century French Louis XV Night Stands
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian French Provincial Console Tables
Wood
Antique Early 1900s American Side Tables
Bamboo, Wood
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern End Tables
Chrome
Vintage 1980s Italian Brutalist Dining Room Tables
Beech
Antique 19th Century French Louis XV Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Vitrines
Wood, Paint
20th Century Belgian Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
Vintage 1950s American Credenzas
Wood
A Close Look at 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.