French Provincial Dry Bars
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.
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Dry Bars
Brass
1930s Vintage French Provincial Dry Bars
Marble, Metal
1930s Vintage French Provincial Dry Bars
Elm
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Dry Bars
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Dry Bars
Wood
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Dry Bars
Glass, Wood
20th Century French French Provincial Dry Bars
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Dry Bars
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Dry Bars
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Dry Bars
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
20th Century American French Provincial Dry Bars
Pine
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Dry Bars
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Dry Bars
Walnut
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Dry Bars
Wood
2010s Italian French Provincial Dry Bars
Metal, Wire
Late 20th Century Italian French Provincial Dry Bars
Brass
1960s Italian Vintage French Provincial Dry Bars
Rattan
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Dry Bars
Faux Bamboo
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Dry Bars
Crystal
Early 20th Century English French Provincial Dry Bars
Oak
1970s Vintage French Provincial Dry Bars
Brass
20th Century French French Provincial Dry Bars
Metal, Chrome
1970s Italian Vintage French Provincial Dry Bars
Lucite
1960s Italian Vintage French Provincial Dry Bars
Wood, Bamboo, Rattan, Wicker
1970s Italian Vintage French Provincial Dry Bars
Brass
1960s European Vintage French Provincial Dry Bars
Bamboo, Wood, Formica
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Dry Bars
Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Dry Bars
Glass, Wood
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Dry Bars
Wood
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Dry Bars
Wood
1880s French Antique French Provincial Dry Bars
Wood
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Dry Bars
Wood
Mid-19th Century Spanish Antique French Provincial Dry Bars
Marble, Carrara Marble
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Dry Bars
Glass, Wood
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Dry Bars
Zinc
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Dry Bars
Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Dry Bars
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Dry Bars
Brass