French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
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.
1780s French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Cherry
1820s French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Oak
Late 19th Century Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Mirror, Oak, Paint
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Chestnut, Walnut, Burl
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Chestnut
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Oak
1850s French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Glass, Oak
1940s French Vintage French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Wood
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Steel
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Brass
Late 18th Century Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Wire
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Pine
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Wood
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Oak, Paint
20th Century American French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Wood
18th Century English Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Hardwood, Oak
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Oak
19th Century Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Wood
1940s French Vintage French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Oak
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Walnut
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Elm, Burl, Wood
1780s French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Brass, Steel
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Oak
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Cherry
20th Century French French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Oak
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Oak
Early 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Walnut
1750s French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Chestnut, Fruitwood
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Brass
1880s Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Oak
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Brass
1880s French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Walnut
2010s French French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Iron
1940s French Vintage French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Oak
1870s French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Oak
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Brass
1840s French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Oak
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Iron
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Metal
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Oak
18th Century Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Marble
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Brass
1970s Italian Vintage French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Rattan
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Wood
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Brass
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Walnut
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Wood
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Walnut
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Glass, Cherry, Pine
1820s French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Oak
1850s French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Walnut
19th Century Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Wood
Early 1800s French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Pine
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Brass, Metal