Antique British Colonial Caned and Carved Planters Chair
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Impressive British Colonial plantation chair crafted in mahogany in a graceful form with dramatic
Cane, Mahogany
$30,000
H 82 in W 60 in D 80 in
Caribbean Mahogany Reeded and Barley Twist Four Poster Bed, Circa 1820
Located in Charleston, SC
Caribbean mahogany four-poster bed with a carved decorative scrolled spindle head board and foot
Mahogany, Pine
Antique British Colonial Settee or Couch
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Impressive 19th century West Indies British colonial settee handcrafted with mahogany in classic
Mahogany
British Colonial West Indies Carved and Caned Sofa
Located in Palm Beach, FL
19th century William IV Caribbean or West Indian settee hand crafted in mahogany with an ocean
Mahogany
Anglo Caribbean Carved Chest in Mahogany
Located in INTERLAKEN, NY
48" wide x 25.5" deep x 40.5" high Anglo Caribbean Chest in Cuban Mahogany, with large oval
Mahogany
Antique British Colonial Caned and Carved Settee or Love Seat
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Impressive 19th century British Colonial settee handcrafted in mahogany with a caned back and seat
Cane, Mahogany
Sold
H 79.5 in W 52.25 in D 23 in
Caribbean Zebra Wood Fitted Interior Gentleman's Linen Press, Circa 1820
Located in Charleston, SC
Caribbean Zebra wood gentleman's linen press with a carved molded edge cornice, two upper beveled
Brass
Antique British Colonial West Indies Rosewood Queen Poster Bed
Located in Palm Beach, FL
rosewood having a carved headboard with an ocean wave motif and four turned, twisted and carved posts. Best
Rosewood
Sold
H 97 in W 89.25 in D 62.5 in
Antique British Colonial Four Poster Queen-Size Bed in Cuban Mahogany, c. 1820
Located in INTERLAKEN, NY
An exceptionally beautiful British-colonial bed from the West Indies in Cuban mahogany, circa 1820
Mahogany
British Colonial Caribbean Carved and Caned Sofa or Settee
Located in Palm Beach, FL
British colonial settee crafted in mahogany with an ebonized finish. Featuring an elaborately
Cane
19th Century West Indies Carved Mahogany 4 Post Bed “California King”
Located in Richmond, VA
Impressive 19th century West Indies carved mahogany 4 post bed professionally restored and
Mahogany
$4,900 / item
H 34 in W 86 in D 42 in
Custom Made Modern English Arm Sofa in Performance Linen Velvet - 86"
By Bloom Home Inc
Located in Old Town Orange, CA
This beautiful english arm sofa has a modern twist, with its single bench cushion, and beautiful curved apron sides. It’s upholstered in a Linen Velvet Performance fabric. Shown in...
Linen, Velvet
$15,439 / item
H 32.68 in W 110.24 in D 40.56 in
Art Deco Sofa by Munna Design Studio with Velvet Upholstery
By Munna Design Studio
Located in NEW YORK, NY
This sofa features a wonderfully elegant fan-shaped motif, with its accentuated curvy lines with decadent and lavish finish. The feminine curves are ravishingly enhanced by the diffe...
Velvet
$578 / item
H 63 in W 11.03 in D 27.56 in
1970s Japanese Copper & Iron Cantilever Wall Light with Brass Fittings & Cage
By Industrial Design
Located in Leicester, Leicestershire
A reclaimed 1970s Iron explosion proof pendant with copper shade and was originally used in passageways on cargo ships and super tankers. The cantilever is formed from 22mm copper...
Brass, Copper, Iron
Louis XVI Style Sofa
By La Maison London
Located in London, Park Royal
Louis XVI style canape made by La Maison London. Hand carved in solid wood, painted in an ecru white with gold highlights. Upholstered in a fabric of your choice Please note: 11m of...
Giltwood
$100,511
H 101.19 in W 137.8 in D 19.3 in
19th Century Walnut Pair of Bookcases Boiserie de Bibliothèque
Located in Vosselaar, BE
A rare pair of heliocodal French Directoire library bookcases in solid walnut. This type of bookcases is also known as 'boiseries de Bibliothèque' as they often, together with pannel...
Walnut
French Louis XV Style Cane Back Settee
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Large French Louis XV style cane back settee, also called canapé or sofa. Sofa in a very good state, no damage to the cane, rare find. Double-caned sides. Horsehair cushions. Comfor...
Velvet, Cane, Wood
$115,619
H 240 in W 552 in D 120 in
Mid-Victorian Moorish wrought & cast iron pergola or decorative garden structure
Located in London, GB
A monumental Moorish mid-Victorian wrought iron Pergola or Decorative Garden Structure, a unique masterpiece in High Victorian Ironwork design. Our research confirms it is French, da...
Wrought Iron
Unavailable|$7,304 / item
H 28.75 in W 82.68 in D 43.31 in
21st Century Brooks Chaise Lounge Linen Walnut Wood Handmade in Portugal
Located in RIO TINTO, PT
Collin Brooks, a British journalist, writer and broadcaster, founded the Manchester Press Agency before joining the army. He later worked for several newspapers and eventually became...
Fabric, Walnut
$2,877Sale Price|55% Off
H 40.95 in W 90.56 in D 27.56 in
Decorative and Architectural Biedermeier Sofa in Birch
Located in Kastrup, DK
Decorative and architectural Biedermeier sofa in birch, Copenhagen Denmark , 1820-1830. Upholstered with black fabric.
Birch, Fabric
Victorian Chaise Longue Couch Day Bed Mahogany 1860
Located in Potters Bar, GB
This Pretty Victorian Mahogany Chaise Longue is Raised Upon Shaped and Carved Legs Which Retain Their Original Brass and Porcelain Castors. Circa 1860 The Chaise Longue Has Recently ...
Mahogany
19th Century French Louis XVI Style Settee
Located in Chicago, IL
A 19th century French Louis XVI style giltwood settee with a floral cartouche at the top of the back, and circled in a carved ribbon motif, with fluted and tapered legs. The back and...
Wool, Upholstery
19th Century Venetian Armoire
Located in New Orleans, LA
Beautiful Italian armoire made up of exceptional carved and painted panels.
Maison Jansen Stamped Sofa, Louis XV Style, France
By Maison Jansen
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Rare Maison Jansen stamped French Louis XV style sofa with original grey patina, and clean lined cream upholstery. Lovely classical Louis XV shape, good width, seats three comfortabl...
Wood
$2,368Sale Price|20% Off
H 78.75 in W 59.06 in D 74.81 in
20th Century French Walnut Louis XVI Style Four-Poster Bed
Located in LEGNY, FR
Beautiful and rare 20th century French walnut between Louis XV and Louis XVI style four poster bed. The bed is upholstered with pink silk fabric but we think it needs to be changed. ...
Silk, Walnut
$5,032Sale Price|20% Off
H 34 in W 94 in D 41 in
New Custom Stone Washed Irish Linen Slip Covered Sofa with Down Alt Cushions
Located in Old Town Orange, CA
Custom Made Linen Slip Covered Sofa Fabric: 100% Irish linen in Flax with a Stone Washed Finish Weight 20oz. linen Prewashed, Soft Finish Down Style Seats and Backs, removable slip c...
Linen
Unavailable|$28,500
H 30.5 in W 72 in D 32.5 in
Gajanan Upadhyay, Sofa, Rattan, Teak, Velvet, NID, India, c. 1964
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of rare and possibly unique sofa. Produced for the Ford Foundation, New Dehli, India. Design is attributed to Gajanan Upadhyay (1934-2021), known as "The father of Indian furn...
Velvet, Rattan, Teak
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.