With a vast inventory of beautiful furniture at 1stDibs, we’ve got just the piece of British colonial bamboo you’re looking for. An item from our selection of British colonial bamboo — often made from
bamboo,
fabric and
faux bamboo — can elevate any home. You’ve searched high and low for the perfect choice in our collection of British colonial bamboo — we have versions that date back to the 19th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 20th Century are available. An object in our assortment of British colonial bamboo, designed in the
Mid-Century Modern style, is generally a popular piece of furniture. You’ll likely find more than one option in this array of British colonial bamboo that is appealing in its simplicity, but
Bloomingdale's,
Ficks Reed and
Baker Furniture Company produced versions that are worth a look.
Prices for a piece of British colonial bamboo can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, they begin at $265 and can go as high as $13,900, while the average can fetch as much as $4,245.
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.