British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
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.
21st Century and Contemporary Solomon Islands British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Coral
Early 20th Century English British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Brass
Late 19th Century Antique British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Bronze
1830s Antique British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Cane, Oak
Early 20th Century Indian British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Mother-of-Pearl, Teak
Late 19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Teak
Early 19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Brass
Mid-20th Century Unknown British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Bamboo
18th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Teak
Mid-20th Century British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Plaster
18th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Fruitwood
Late 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Brass, Iron
Early 20th Century Asian British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Teak
1960s Italian Vintage British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Pottery
19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Iron
19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Iron
18th Century French Antique British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Wood
19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Granite
Mid-20th Century Indian British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Wood
Early 1900s British Indian Ocean Territory Antique British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Teak
20th Century Indian British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Brass
19th Century French Antique British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Iron
Early 20th Century Asian British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Teak
19th Century American Antique British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Paint
20th Century British British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Steel, Copper
1960s Swiss Vintage British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Concrete
1940s Mexican Vintage British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Wood
Mid-20th Century European British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Brass, Bronze
Early 20th Century Unknown British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Stained Glass, Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century American British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Stained Glass
Mid-20th Century Indian British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Wicker
Early 1900s American Antique British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Upholstery, Wicker, Reed, Wood
Late 19th Century Antique British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Stained Glass, Hardwood
1960s European Vintage British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Ceramic
Late 19th Century French Antique British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Rattan
Late 20th Century Italian British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Metal
1970s Philippine Vintage British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Bamboo
Late 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Brass
Mid-20th Century British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Teak
20th Century American British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Teak
21st Century and Contemporary European British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Stone, Limestone
Late 20th Century British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Iron
Late 20th Century British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Teak
Mid-20th Century Italian British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Terracotta
Mid-20th Century British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Cast Stone
Mid-20th Century British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Iron
Late 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Brass, Copper
20th Century Italian British Colonial Building and Garden Elements
Terracotta