British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
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.
1920s English Vintage British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Metal
18th Century English Antique British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Hardwood
Early 20th Century British British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bamboo, Cane
1880s English Antique British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
1980s American Vintage British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Stone
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Grasscloth, Faux Bamboo
Early 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Early 20th Century Indian British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Rosewood
Mid-20th Century English British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mahogany
19th Century Antique British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
1920s Burmese Vintage British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Teak
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
19th Century Chinese Antique British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Early 1900s German Antique British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mahogany
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Grasscloth, Bamboo
Mid-19th Century English Antique British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Mid-19th Century British Indian Ocean Territory Antique British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Mid-20th Century British British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
1860s British Antique British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mahogany
20th Century British British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
20th Century English British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mahogany
1920s British Vintage British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
1980s Italian Vintage British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
1890s English Antique British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
1830s German Antique British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mahogany
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Pine
1880s British Antique British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mahogany
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Cane, Faux Bamboo
Early 1900s British Antique British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Early 20th Century British British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Pine
1980s American Vintage British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Yew
Early 20th Century British British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Pine
19th Century Antique British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Burl
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Grasscloth, Faux Bamboo
Late 20th Century Philippine British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Grasscloth, Faux Bamboo
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Grasscloth
19th Century British Antique British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Metal
20th Century British British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Pine
1970s Unknown Vintage British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bamboo, Cane