Discover What French Provincial Furniture Actually Is

You may have often heard the term “French provincial furniture”, but may be a little confused as to what it actually is. This is furniture, typically from the 1600s and 1700s, which most commonly originated from Normandy, Bordeaux and Brittany, as well as a number of other French provinces. However, French provincial furniture is not a specific type of furniture, rather it has more to do with the influences and styles from certain eras and periods in time. The vast majority of items will be related to a particular craftsmen or what was preferred around this time. This post will delve a little deeper into what French provincial furniture is.

Design Innovations of Paris

Paris had already become a creative icon of the world by the 17th century and many other provinces in France, and indeed countries around the world, were closely following the items of furniture that were being produced here. However, the provincial craftsmen who produced furniture followed some of the designs made in Paris a lot later in time, and had far less money to play with. They also cared much less about fashion and their tastes were typically more conservative and simpler in nature. Therefore, you will find that French provincial furniture has far less decorative features than the wooden furniture that was made in Paris at the time, as well as less use of ornate mirrors.

The Style of French Provincial Furniture

The actual style of French provincial furniture has numerous influences and can therefore differ to the extreme. The type of wood they used was usually available within the provinces at very reasonable prices, and some of these woods included, oak, beech, apple, pear, peach and cherry. The vast majority of furniture would feature carvings of scenes from mythology or the bible, as well as scenes you would be used to seeing on a daily basis. Another extremely popular type of carving would encompass beautiful and scenic landscapes.

You would also often find that works of art produced by popular artists of the time were reproduced and found their way onto the furniture, upholstery and fabrics. The metals parts of the furniture were most commonly made from iron, once again due to the overall expense. However, it took a long time for French provincial furniture to gain in popularity, unlike many of the items of furniture that were being produced at the time in France. However, it eventually became far more appealing to many people due its simplistic nature.

Buying French Provincial Furniture

You can buy many items of French provincial furniture, whether actual antiques or remakes which have been produced in the modern era. There are many specialist stores which can be found in the high street or online. As you may expect, the antique furniture will be far more expensive than any recent remakes, and they are often purchased for investment purposes rather than as an actual item of furniture that will be used in the home. The remakes that have been made are still extremely attractive and obviously far less expensive than antique items. Many of these remakes will look fantastic in just about any room of your home, and will often be a subject of conversation, whenever friends or family visit.