British Colonial Wingback Chairs
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 British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Upholstery
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Leather, Fabric, Bamboo, Faux Bamboo, Cane
Early 20th Century English British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Walnut
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker, Reed
20th Century American British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Velvet, Wood
1950s English Vintage British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Leather
2010s British British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Leather, Hardwood, Mahogany
1950s Italian Vintage British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Early 20th Century Scottish British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Straw, Wood
19th Century French Antique British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
20th Century British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Fabric
Early 2000s American British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Velvet, Mahogany
1930s Swedish Vintage British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Sheepskin, Elm
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Chenille, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Hardwood
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Cotton, Bamboo, Cane, Polyester
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker, Reed
Mid-20th Century Philippine British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Cane, Hardwood
20th Century American British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Brass
1650s English Antique British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Leather, Walnut
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Wicker
20th Century American British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Leather
20th Century American British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker
1980s American Vintage British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Mahogany
1980s American Vintage British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Wood
20th Century English British Colonial Wingback Chairs
Chenille, Wood