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.
$1,500Sale Price|47% Off
French Antique Fish Shop Sign, Wood with Glass Eye, Circa 1850-1900
Located in Buisson, FR
Beautiful and rare shopsign made out of wood and with aglass eye, France, circa 1850-1900. Weathered, small losses and old repair. Measurement includes the base. H:37cm W:85cm D:12cm
Wood
Antique Vintage French Post Office Enamel Double Sided Hanging Wall Sign
Located in Stockbridge, GB
Antique French Enamel Post Office Metal Sign An original double sided original French local Post Office sign. The bold white lettering on a blue background reads “POSTES” (Post) an...
Cut Steel, Enamel
$2,409
H 27 in W 44 in D 9.5 in
Large Vintage Painted Folk Art Trout Trade Sign, Fish Monger’s Metal Shop Sign
Located in Lisse, NL
Step into a time when storefronts told their story with charm and character. This striking, hand-painted metal trout sign is a rare and wonderfully quirky example of the early 20th-c...
Zinc
Antique Hand-Painted Wood Advertising Sign, Pocket Watch, Circa 1870
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Antique hand-painted advertising sign in the shape of a large pocket watch showing the name BB Thorp.
Wood
$385
H 14.97 in W 48.04 in D 0.4 in
Antique Monochrome 'Hardy' Enamel Shop/Advertising Sign, Early 20Th Century
Located in Bristol, GB
ANTIQUE ENAMEL SIGN A simple and decorative sign, ‘Hardy’ is spelt out in black typeface on a white background. Would suit someone named Hardy or someone who is Hardy by nature, w...
Metal, Enamel
Vintage Double-Sided Bar Directional Advertising Sign
Located in Dekalb, IL
Double-sided hand-painted plywood advertising sign directing patrons to a downstairs bar. The stepped Art Deco-inspired profile features the phrases "DOWNSTAIRS BAR IS OPEN," "TO LAD...
Wood, Paint
$1,009
H 17.33 in W 30.32 in D 0.08 in
Antique Reverse Painted Double-Sided French Cafe Restaurant Trade Sign. c.1920
Located in London, GB
A vintage French Café double sided trade sign. c.1930 Constructed from reverse painted glass, with crinkle foil lettering reading Café - Casse‑Croûte - Restaurant. Framed in its ori...
Metal
Antique Double-Sided ROG "Ladies" Lighted Directional Restroom Sign
Located in Dekalb, IL
Double-sided illuminated "LADIES" directional restroom sign featuring translucent reverse-painted panels with white lettering and opposing directional arrows mounted within a gilt-fi...
Metal, Brass
Double sided porcelain subway/ bus sign "LADIES REST ROOM"
Located in Buffalo, NY
Double sided porcelain subway/ bus sign "LADIES REST ROOM".. Great old sign..Nice original condition, minor staining to one side,(see photo)
Porcelain
$2,059
H 16.15 in W 39.38 in D 0.6 in
Antique Vintage French Double Sided Glass Pharmacy Chemist Apothecary Sign
Located in Sale, GB
- A beautiful and rare double sided glass 'Pharmacie' sign mounted in its original frame, France circa 1930. - The sign is of exceptional quality and has glass to both sides, light w...
Glass
$2,250
H 26 in W 20 in D 1 in
Vintage Double-Sided Painted Metal Stewart-Warner Dealership Advertising Sign
Located in Dekalb, IL
c. 1930s-1940s; Stewart-Warner Corp. - Chicago, IL Double-sided painted metal dealership advertising sign promoting Stewart-Warner's South Wind automobile heater line. Each side fea...
Tin
Vintage Hand Painted British Motorcycle Shop Sign
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Vintage graphic Motorcycles sales and service sign. Great hand-painted lettering. Wood with original paint surface. Found in the northeastern United States. Fun Americana with a Brit...
Wood
Mid Century Barber Shop Sign
Located in Nantucket, MA
Early Vintage Barber Shop Sign, circa late 1950s to early 1960s, a hand-painted sheet metal sign with old prices for old hair cuts. The sign remains in very good condition with only ...
Sheet Metal
Vintage Bait Shop Fish Trade Sign
Located in Coeur d'Alene, ID
Vintage bait shop fish trade sign. Carved fish with nice details and worn paint, metal eyes, and lichen from outdoor display. Used and displayed in the Adirondacks. Great for continu...
Wood
Antique Vintage French Country House Private Property Wall Sign
Located in Stockbridge, GB
Antique French Private Property Sign A fantastic original sign with “Private Property Do Not Enter” written in French. It has a great aged patina with some wear to the original blu...
Cut Steel
Sold
H 35.5 in W 24 in D 0.25 in
Rare Antique Two Sided Painted Metal French Cafe Sign with Horse & Rider
Located in Hopewell, NJ
A rare & charming antique French cafe sign with horse and rider, flag and oval plaque, finished on both sides so could be wonderful displayed and hun...
Metal
French Painted Restaurant Trade Sign
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
Original French 20th century hand-painted restaurant trade sign. This double-sided sign has a great unusual shape with wonderful remains of red an...
Metal
Turn of the Century French Wooden Black Board
Located in High Point, NC
A wooden black board from France, circa 1900, crowned with gilded carvings. Festoons of carved leaves drape elegantly over the upper corners of the blackbo...
Wood, Giltwood
Mini French Chalk Board
Located in Sheffield, MA
Wonderful and charming small vintage French chalkboard. Solid wood frame with double sided blackboard chalkboard. This little board will make the perfect message board...
Wood
Large French Toleware Glove Maker’s Shop Trade Sign
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Large French toleware glove maker’s shop trade sign This is a very rare piece it is in good condition and has a new blacksmith made wall bracket, the bracket is copy of the orig...
19th Century French Bicorn Toleware Hat Shop Trade Sign
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
19th century French bicorn toleware hat shop trade sign This is a very rare piece it is in good condition and has a wooden and metal stand, it seems that t...
Sold
H 25 in W 23 in D 16 in
19th Century French Vineyard Grape Hod from Chateau Grand Puy Ducasse Pauillac
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
19th century French vineyard grape hod from Chateau Grand Puy Ducasse Pauillac A French grape hod from the Medoc Region I the South of France, this galvanized hod would have been ...
19thc French Advertising Grocery Sign
Located in Surrey, BC
Exceptional and rare two sided advertising sign featuring parisienne grocery products noting Felix Potin. Potin started a produce/products distribution co...