Do you want to make your interior as atmospheric as a French estate? Then you need to learn more about Provence-style furniture. Today we invite you to look at the chairs.
The most important detail of the French provincial style is the use of natural materials in their natural form. Roughly painted details, shabby chic effect, natural plaster walls, wood and forging in the design of chairs, elegant carved wooden parts, and armchairs, wickerwork, natural stone on the walls and floors… Provence is so multifaceted!
At the same time, chairs in the Provence style (as well as sofas, armchairs, and stools) can be very different: forged iron, solid wood, forged plastic, and rattan. Their seat can be textile, artificial fabric, wicker, or even ceramic or mosaic!
Types of chairs in Provence style
So, Provence-style chairs can be divided into three large groups.
Forged chairs
They are more suitable for the garden. They are usually produced with openwork elements and are very practical: wear-resistant, not afraid of bad weather. They come in all colors, although the classic white or milky palette is the most popular.
Wooden chairs
They are most often used specifically for the kitchen or dining room, veranda, or terrace. Such chairs are most often made in a light or bleached palette of natural wood; they can be white, milky, pale brown, or pastel (pink, yellow, blue).
Wooden chairs are more atmospheric than forged ones, because they convey the mood of rustic comfort much better.
Armchairs and rocking chairs
The most popular models are white or a very light neutral shade. They look great in an interior in Provence, neoclassical, Scandinavian, or country style. The chairs can have different shapes, but in general, the overall rustic look is always noticeable.
Forged chairs in Provence style
For Provence, it is necessary that the furniture be aged, at least a little, sometimes with a shabby chic effect. It is simply impossible to place new pieces of furniture in such an interior; they will look too glossy and attract attention. The furniture should look as if it has served the family faithfully for 25, or even 50 years! Items like chairs with wood carvings and peeling paint always come in handy here!
Forged furniture can be placed not only in the garden but also in the dining room, kitchen, veranda (or terrace), and even in the living room. In the Provence style, there are even wrought iron chairs with soft backs and seats. In general, there are many options for images, ornaments, and solutions.
Forged chairs in the Provence style have two typical sizes. The first is chairs for a tea group with a very small seat, literally 35 by 35 cm. The height of such chairs is standard. The table is also very small, about 70 cm in diameter.
Forged chairs of the second format are large, wide (sometimes even too wide), like sofas, with dimensions of approximately 65 by 65 cm and with an increased back height (about 110 cm).
A Provence-style wrought iron chair can also be around 65 deep and 130 wide, making it almost a two-seater garden sofa. However, such specimens are extremely rare in the interior. Indoors, most often you can only find 35 by 35 cm options in the style of a tea group.
Wooden chairs in Provence style
Wooden chairs are usually made to match the set and table, while forged chairs can be black next to the warm shade of the set and white – with pastel and white tones. Wooden chairs are usually very light at the base, while textile upholstery, on the contrary, is bright, sometimes even flashy.
Please note that in the right interior, furniture of only one color of painted wood can be used. This creates the feeling that all the old furniture has been repainted in a rustic style. Looks very authentic!
Pros and cons of different types of chairs
In the table below you will see the main pros and cons of certain types of chairs we reviewed in this article. It’s important to understand that they are all real, so you should take their shortcomings seriously before purchasing.
| pros | Minuses | |
| Forged | atmospheric | uncomfortable |
| durable | heavy | |
| set the mood | you can’t change the style | |
| Wooden | very elegant | sometimes tough |
| add coziness | sliding on the parquet |
White, cream, or black chairs in Provence style?
White Provence style chairs are most popular in any room of the house, as well as in the garden. The white color is usually chosen as a snow-white or milky shade. Chairs and tables, and dining groups in the Provence style are also used in other styles of interior design, for example, Scandinavian.
Cream chairs are worth buying for interiors where neoclassical and classical influences are felt, and black ones are best suited for the garden if there are already black accents in the landscape design or exterior design, for example, in a wrought iron fence or railing, in the design of doors and windows, roofing or base
Nevertheless, white is the most common color for furniture in this style.
Bar table height vs. regular low chairs
Another interesting type of chair in the Provence style is the bar version with high legs, a traditional French country silhouette, and an upholstered seat or cushion on ropes. In this case, you need to choose them depending on the kitchen layout. Of course, bar stools look great on a kitchen island or bar counter, but this idea is only suitable for a room with an area of 14-18 m2.
Classic low chairs in the Provence style are more popular in ordinary kitchens and small apartments. Now many are trying to equip an apartment in a new building so that it looks like a country house, villa, or ranch, and therefore the popularity of this style is only growing every year.
Chairs for the kitchen and dining room in Provence style
A kitchen in the Provence style almost always includes a set and solid wooden chairs, a print with roses, small decorative details, and wood carvings. Of course, forged chairs, which we talked about above, are also popular, but wooden ones are more often used in interiors.
Tables and chairs in Provence style: how much can you buy
Provence-style chairs are a fashionable novelty on the market and are very interesting to many. Thanks to their elegance and French charm, many are replacing them with conventional options with a more standard appearance. In addition, Provence-style chairs are cheaper than classic and neoclassical ones, which is also a plus for many.
The most important thing about our X that it is for
those who are in a hurry
