French Provincial Doors and Gates
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 1900s French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Teak
21st Century and Contemporary American French Provincial Doors and Gates
Silver, Pewter
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Walnut
1840s French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Oak
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Iron
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Oak
1820s French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Iron
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Doors and Gates
Wood
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Stained Glass, Pine
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Sandstone
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Pine, Paint
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Steel
Early 20th Century European French Provincial Doors and Gates
Wood
Mid-19th Century Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Iron
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Doors and Gates
Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Moroccan French Provincial Doors and Gates
Brass
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Doors and Gates
Wrought Iron
1950s Vintage French Provincial Doors and Gates
Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Pine, Paint
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Moroccan French Provincial Doors and Gates
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Wood, Pine, Paint
Late 19th Century English Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Iron, Wrought Iron, Metal
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Doors and Gates
Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Iron
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Doors and Gates
Wrought Iron, Tôle
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Wood
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Doors and Gates
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century English French Provincial Doors and Gates
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Wood
1790s Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Organic Material, Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century European French Provincial Doors and Gates
Wrought Iron
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Glass, Wood
1790s Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Organic Material, Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century American French Provincial Doors and Gates
Brass
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Glass, Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Doors and Gates
Iron