Monday, June 27, 2011

What is French Provincial Furniture

Typical Aged Patina finish of painted French Provincial Furniture.
The Ladder Back Chair is typical of the French Provincial Style.

Marlina French Provincial Dining Table and chairs and Hutch.

Furniture made in provincial centers such as Blois and Orléans in the Loire valley, and at Lyon or Liège (never part of France politically but within its cultural orbit), followed at some distance the design innovations that were initiated in the luxury trades of Paris, often with a time lag that could amount to decades. [1] Wikepedia.

Features typically associated with French Provincial furniture include cabriole legs, and simple scalloped carving. Dining chairs often have a wheat pattern carving reflecting the country surroundings of the maker. The ladder back chair with a woven rush seat is the typical French Provincial dining chair.

Finishes vary though common to all colours is the accumulation of polish or grime in the carving over time resulting in an aged patina and emphasis on the carving regardless of whether the furniture painted or stained.