British Colonial Furniture
Typically made of mahogany, teak or bamboo and featuring a range of fabrics and prints with botanical patterns, antique British Colonial furniture and decor varies as it involved local materials and techniques and spanned centuries of design styles.
As the British Empire expanded from the 16th to the 20th century, its conquest and control of colonies around the world bolstered its wealth through the extraction of resources. Including colonies in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australasia, this spread of often violent subjugation imposed British culture, language and faith on Indigenous peoples. The design of homes was included in this expression of imperial power, with government officials, merchants and military officers creating homes mimicking the luxuries they were used to in England.
Local artisans were commissioned to replicate British designs, resulting in versions of Regency, Chippendale, Sheraton and other styles of furniture being crafted from mahogany, rosewood, ebony and teakwood as opposed to beech and oak, which were more common in Europe. Whereas the colonial furniture for the Portuguese and Dutch regularly had motifs of indigenous flora and fauna, the British tended to want more exact reproductions of their home country’s designs.
To escape the summer heat in places such as India and the Caribbean, British colonizers relocated to airy houses in the hills or plantations, leading to foldable chairs and collapsible desks in the style of military campaign furniture. Rather than upholstery as they might have in Europe, chairs and sofas in the British Colonial style had rattan and cane seating for these higher temperature climates. The contrast between the light textiles and the dark colors of the sturdy furniture became a defining aesthetic of British Colonial interiors.
Find a collection of antique British Colonial outdoor furniture, seating, bedroom furniture, decorative objects and other items on 1stDibs.
Late 18th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany, Rosewood
19th Century Scottish Antique British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Oak
Early 1900s Thai Antique British Colonial Furniture
Glass, Wood, Teak
20th Century Vietnamese British Colonial Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Rosewood
1920s Burmese Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Teak
18th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Sandalwood, Bone
Early 18th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Ebony
Early 19th Century Sri Lankan Antique British Colonial Furniture
Ebony
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique British Colonial Furniture
Stone
Late 19th Century Indonesian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Glass, Wood
2010s American British Colonial Furniture
Plywood
19th Century Chinese Antique British Colonial Furniture
Mid-20th Century Moroccan British Colonial Furniture
Wood, Mother-of-Pearl
19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Chinese British Colonial Furniture
Glass, Wood
20th Century Burmese British Colonial Furniture
Glass, Teak
Late 18th Century Chinese Antique British Colonial Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Japanese British Colonial Furniture
Rattan, Glass, Wood
2010s American British Colonial Furniture
Plywood
Early 20th Century Japanese British Colonial Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique British Colonial Furniture
Faux Bamboo
Early 1900s Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Teak
Mid-20th Century Central Asian British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo, Cane
Mid-20th Century Indian British Colonial Furniture
Cane, Mahogany
Late 19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Bone, Rosewood, Teak
21st Century and Contemporary British Colonial Furniture
Teak
Mid-20th Century Indian British Colonial Furniture
Bone, Teak
20th Century Thai British Colonial Furniture
Glass, Teak
20th Century Thai British Colonial Furniture
Glass, Teak
20th Century Thai British Colonial Furniture
Glass, Teak
20th Century Thai British Colonial Furniture
Glass, Teak
20th Century Indian British Colonial Furniture
Marble
1970s Hong Kong Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Rosewood