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.
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Unknown French Provincial Furniture
Brass
2010s French French Provincial Furniture
Tapestry
1890s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Straw, Wood
1970s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Wool, Silk
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Brass
1990s Chinese French Provincial Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Furniture
Steel
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood, Paint
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Bronze
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Crystal
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wood
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Terracotta
Early 20th Century French Provincial Furniture
Oak
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Pine
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Oak
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Metal, Wire
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Fabric
2010s Spanish French Provincial Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Copper
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Fruitwood, Mahogany, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Oak
1940s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Brass
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Crystal, Metal
Late 20th Century Portuguese French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic
1970s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Stoneware
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Oak
1980s American Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Brass, Enamel
1780s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Blown Glass, Oak
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Pine
1960s Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Rosewood
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Wood, Bamboo
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Earthenware
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Pine
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Oak, Paint
1950s European Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Beech, Pine
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Earthenware
17th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Wool, Silk
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Walnut
1890s French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Ceramic, Earthenware
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Stoneware
20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Mirror, Beech
Late 20th Century Italian French Provincial Furniture
Maple
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Furniture
Mirror, Hardwood, Paint
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Furniture
Rush, Walnut
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Furniture
Brass, Enamel





