British Colonial Secretaires
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.
Early 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Secretaires
Brass
Mid-19th Century English Antique British Colonial Secretaires
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Secretaires
Brass
Late 19th Century Indonesian Antique British Colonial Secretaires
Glass, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian British Colonial Secretaires
Wood
1960s Italian Vintage British Colonial Secretaires
Fir
1920s Swedish Vintage British Colonial Secretaires
Oak
Early 19th Century Danish Antique British Colonial Secretaires
Brass
Mid-19th Century European Antique British Colonial Secretaires
Mahogany, Baize
Early 20th Century Japanese British Colonial Secretaires
Rattan, Glass, Wood
1920s Belgian Vintage British Colonial Secretaires
Oak
1820s Swedish Antique British Colonial Secretaires
Birch
Mid-20th Century Chinese British Colonial Secretaires
Glass, Wood
Early 20th Century Danish British Colonial Secretaires
Mahogany
19th Century Indonesian Antique British Colonial Secretaires
Wood
1890s English Antique British Colonial Secretaires
Brass
Early 20th Century English British Colonial Secretaires
Brass
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Secretaires
Wicker, Rattan, Glass
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Secretaires
Rattan, Wicker
Early 20th Century Unknown British Colonial Secretaires
Mahogany
1910s British Indian Ocean Territory Vintage British Colonial Secretaires
Teak
Late 19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Secretaires
Glass, Wood
Mid-19th Century English Antique British Colonial Secretaires
Brass
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Secretaires
19th Century British Antique British Colonial Secretaires
Brass
19th Century Caribbean Antique British Colonial Secretaires
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Secretaires
Teak
19th Century Chinese Antique British Colonial Secretaires
Brass