French Provincial Ladder Back Chair
Antique Late 19th Century French French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Rush, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Cord, Rope, Wood
Antique Late 19th Century French French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Rush, Walnut
Antique Late 19th Century French French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Rush, Oak
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian French Provincial Dining Room C...
Wood
Antique 1780s French French Provincial Side Chairs
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian French Provincial Dining Room C...
Wood
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Rush, Maple
Antique 19th Century French French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Rush, Walnut
Early 20th Century American French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Hardwood, Giltwood, Paint
Antique Late 19th Century French French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Rush, Oak
Vintage 1960s French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Rush, Wood
Vintage 1930s French French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Rush, Wood
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Rush, Hardwood
Antique Late 19th Century French French Provincial Corner Chairs
Rush, Oak
Antique 19th Century French French Provincial Corner Chairs
Rush, Oak
20th Century French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Wood, Rush
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Side Chairs
Wood
20th Century American French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Rush, Wood
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Rush, Pine
Vintage 1950s French Brutalist Dining Room Chairs
Rush, Oak
Antique Late 19th Century French French Provincial Settees
Rush, Wood
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Armchairs
Rush, Birch
Late 20th Century French Louis XV Stools
Rush, Walnut, Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary American French Provincial Armchairs
Rush, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese French Provincial Dining Room C...
Wood
Antique Late 19th Century French Country Religious Items
Rush, Beech
Antique Late 19th Century French Country Religious Items
Rush, Beech
Antique Late 19th Century French Country Religious Items
Rush, Beech
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Armchairs
Beech
Vintage 1910s French French Provincial Armchairs
Rush, Oak
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Wood
20th Century French Country Dining Room Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Armchairs
Fabric, Maple
Vintage 1920s French Dining Room Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Chairs
Cherry
Vintage 1940s French French Provincial Chairs
Wood, Rush
Antique 19th Century Side Chairs
Walnut
Antique 19th Century Dining Room Chairs
Wood, Cane
Vintage 1920s French French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Cane, Oak
Antique Mid-19th Century French French Provincial Chairs
Elm
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Linen, Wood, Paint
Late 20th Century North American Country Dining Room Chairs
Wood
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Rush, Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Chairs
Rush, Oak
Vintage 1940s French French Provincial Chairs
Oak, Rush
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Rush, Oak
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Rush, Oak
Antique 1870s French Napoleon III Chairs
Walnut
Vintage 1920s French French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Oak
Vintage 1940s French French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Rush, Oak
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Rush, Oak
Vintage 1920s French French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Rush, Oak
Antique Early 1900s French French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Rush, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary French French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Walnut
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Wicker, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Provincial Chairs
Fabric, Cane, Wood
Vintage 1910s French French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Wood, Oak, Rush
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French Provincial Ladder Back Chair For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a French Provincial Ladder Back Chair?
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.
Finding the Right Seating for You
With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.
Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture — since what were, quite literally, the early perches of our ancestors — has evolved considerably.
Among the earliest standard seating furniture were stools. Egyptian stools, for example, designed for one person with no seat back, were x-shaped and typically folded to be tucked away. These rudimentary chairs informed the design of Greek and Roman stools, all of which were a long way from Sori Yanagi's Butterfly stool or Alvar Aalto's Stool 60. In the 18th century and earlier, seats with backs and armrests were largely reserved for high nobility.
The seating of today is more inclusive but the style and placement of chairs can still make a statement. Antique desk chairs and armchairs designed in the style of Louis XV, which eventually included painted furniture and were often made of rare woods, feature prominently curved legs as well as Chinese themes and varied ornaments. Much like the thrones of fairy tales and the regency, elegant lounges crafted in the Louis XV style convey wealth and prestige. In the kitchen, the dining chair placed at the head of the table is typically reserved for the head of the household or a revered guest.
Of course, with luxurious vintage or antique furnishings, every chair can seem like the best seat in the house. Whether your preference is stretching out on a plush sofa, such as the Serpentine, designed by Vladimir Kagan, or cozying up in a vintage wingback chair, there is likely to be a comfy classic or contemporary gem for you on 1stDibs.
With respect to the latest obsessions in design, cane seating has been cropping up everywhere, from sleek armchairs to lounge chairs, while bouclé fabric, a staple of modern furniture design, can be seen in mid-century modern, Scandinavian modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles.
Admirers of the sophisticated craftsmanship and dark woods frequently associated with mid-century modern seating can find timeless furnishings in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other items — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring official reproductions of iconic designs from the likes of Hans Wegner or from Charles and Ray Eames. Shop our inventory of Egg chairs, designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen, the Florence Knoll lounge chair and more.
No matter your style, the collection of unique chairs, sofas and other seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.