West Indies Server
Antique Early 19th Century Caribbean British Colonial Desks and Writing ...
Mahogany
Antique 19th Century Caribbean Serving Tables
Mahogany
Antique 19th Century Antiguan British Colonial Sideboards
Mahogany
20th Century American British Colonial Serving Tables
Mahogany
Antique Early 19th Century Jamaican Regency Serving Tables
Mahogany
People Also Browsed
18th Century Realist Portrait Paintings
Oil
Late 20th Century North American British Colonial Armchairs
Cane, Mahogany
Antique 1890s French Chinoiserie Beds and Bed Frames
Maple, Pine
Late 20th Century British Colonial Console Tables
Brass
Antique 1880s Victorian Dining Room Tables
Mahogany
20th Century English American Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish British Colonial Commodes and Ches...
Bamboo, Cane
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Cupboards
Hardwood
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Tray Tables
Bamboo
Early 20th Century Caribbean British Colonial Chairs
Mahogany, Cane
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Nesting Tables and Stacking Tables
Bamboo
Antique 19th Century Indian British Colonial Chairs
Wood, Cane
Early 20th Century European Anglo-Indian Side Tables
Wood
Antique Mid-19th Century Caribbean British Colonial Paintings
Paint
20th Century English Anglo-Indian Armchairs
Cane, Teak
Mid-20th Century Indian Anglo Raj Barware
Marble
Recent Sales
Antique 19th Century Caribbean British Colonial Serving Tables
Antique Mid-19th Century Caribbean British Colonial Sideboards
Antique 19th Century Jamaican British Colonial Serving Tables
Mahogany
20th Century American British Colonial Sideboards
Mahogany
Antique 19th Century Jamaican British Colonial Cupboards
Mahogany
A Close Look at 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.
Finding the Right Tables for You
The right vintage, new or antique tables can help make any space in your home stand out.
Over the years, the variety of tables available to us, as well as our specific needs for said tables, has broadened. Today, with all manner of these must-have furnishings differing in shape, material and style, any dining room table can shine just as brightly as the guests who gather around it.
Remember, when shopping for a dining table, it must fit your dining area, and you need to account for space around the table too — think outside the box, as an oval dining table may work for tighter spaces. Alternatively, if you’ve got the room, a Regency-style dining table can elevate any formal occasion at mealtime.
Innovative furniture makers and designers have also redefined what a table can be. Whether it’s an unconventional Ping-Pong table, a brass side table to display your treasured collectibles or a Louis Vuitton steamer trunk to add an air of nostalgia to your loft, your table can say a lot about you.
The visionary work of French designer Xavier Lavergne, for example, includes tables that draw on the forms of celestial bodies as often as they do aquatic creatures or fossils. Elsewhere, Italian architect Gae Aulenti, who looked to Roman architecture in crafting her stately Jumbo coffee table, created clever glass-topped mobile coffee tables that move on bicycle tires or sculpted wood wheels for Fontana Arte.
Coffee and cocktail tables can serve as a room’s centerpiece with attention-grabbing details and colors. Glass varieties will keep your hardwood flooring and dazzling area rugs on display, while a marble or stone coffee table in a modern interior can showcase your prized art books and decorative objects. A unique vintage desk or writing table can bring sophistication and even a bit of spice to your work life.
No matter your desired form or function, a quality table for your living space is a sound investment. On 1stDibs, browse a collection of vintage, new and antique bedside tables, mid-century end tables and more .