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.
20th Century Moroccan British Colonial Furniture
Brass
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary American British Colonial Furniture
Walnut
Late 18th Century Antique British Colonial Furniture
Teak
19th Century French Antique British Colonial Furniture
Iron
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique British Colonial Furniture
Oak
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Grasscloth, Bamboo
20th Century Vietnamese British Colonial Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Rosewood
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Faux Bamboo
20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Wood
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Acrylic
Early 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Brass
1890s Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Teak
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Crystal
1990s North American British Colonial Furniture
Brass
1920s French Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Beech, Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican British Colonial Furniture
Wicker
Early 1900s British Indian Ocean Territory Antique British Colonial Furniture
Teak
Late 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Metal, Silver Plate
Early 1900s German Antique British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany
1920s Indian Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Teak
1940s English Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Maple
19th Century British Antique British Colonial Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Italian British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Leather
20th Century Indian British Colonial Furniture
Rosewood
19th Century Chinese Antique British Colonial Furniture
Wood
2010s American British Colonial Furniture
Wood
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany
1830s Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Silver
Early 20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Unknown British Colonial Furniture
Wood
20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Hardwood
20th Century African British Colonial Furniture
Iron
20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Wood
Late 18th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Pewter
Mid-19th Century Caribbean Antique British Colonial Furniture
Paint
Mid-20th Century Jamaican British Colonial Furniture
Paper
19th Century Sri Lankan Antique British Colonial Furniture
Ebony
Late 18th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Wool
20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Wood, Leather, Oak
1910s English Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Silver
1950s English Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Metal, Silver
18th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Sandalwood, Bone
2010s American British Colonial Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Early 20th Century Persian British Colonial Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century Austrian British Colonial Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century Sri Lankan Antique British Colonial Furniture
Rosewood, Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary American British Colonial Furniture
Metal
19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Rosewood
20th Century North American British Colonial Furniture
Faux Leather
Mid-20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Cane
20th Century Brazilian British Colonial Furniture
Precious Stone
Late 19th Century Asian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Rosewood
20th Century Sri Lankan British Colonial Furniture
Glass, Ebony
1890s English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Sterling Silver