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.
1980s Silver Plated 5 Light GSA Godinger Silver Art Candelabra British Colonial
By Godinger
Located in Miami, FL
Beautiful Vintage British Colonial embossed silver-plated 5 Lights heavier candelabra. Features ornate and embossed Silver-Plated Core with Candle Cups. The arms are flexible, so th...
Metal, Silver Plate
Set di 4 Candelieri da altare. BRONZO E OTTONE.
By Mice di rugiano domenico e c. s.n.c.
Located in Cantù, IT
Set di 4 Candelieri da altare. BRONZO E OTTONE. set di 4 candelieri di altissima qualità artigianale con dettagli vintage e design unico. Created and designed by Mice di Domenico Ru...
Bronze
Blue Birds Set of 2 Candleholder
Located in Paris, FR
Candleholder Blue Birds Set of 2 with hand-painted porcelain, with bronze details, for 2 candles, candles not included.
Bronze
Large Pair Antique Edwardian Silver Plate Three-Light Candelabra
Located in Tarry Town, NY
Immerse yourself in the grandeur of the mid-19th century with our distinguished pair of Silver Plate Edwardian Period George III Style Three-Light Tableware Candelabra. This exceptio...
Silver Plate
Godinger Silver Plate Scalloped Lidded Trinket Box
By Godinger
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Lovely etched and scalloped silver plate trinket box - with a removable lid and lined in red velvet. The lid has an acorn finial. A compli...
Silver Plate
Pair of Modernist Murano Glass Candle Holders By Antonio Da Ros, 1960
Located in Westport, CT
A pair of unique Modernist candle holders blown in the sommerso technique with plum colored glass suspended over transparent clear glass by designer Antonio Da Ros for Cenedese Orig...
Murano Glass
$1,443
H 7.37 in Dm 3.47 in
Da Ros Cenedese Italian Yellow & Blue Sommerso Murano Glass Candlestick Holder
Located in Landau an der Isar, Bayern
Rare Antonio da Ros for Cenedese vintage Italian yellow uranium Murano glass candlestick stand, holder or Candelabra made circa 1960s with a blue central sphere and blue sommerso top...
Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Mid-Century Modern Silver-Plated Four-Light Candelabra, Denmark
By Wilhelm Wagenfeld, Carl Frederik Christiansen
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
Elegant mid-century modern silver-plated candelabra in the style of Carl F. Christiansen or Wilhelm Wagenfeld. This four-light candleholder features gracefully curved tubular arms th...
Silver Plate
Pair of Victorian Silver Plated Four Light Candelabra
Located in Montreal, QC
While unmarked, these seem to us to be in the style of Elkington. The prevailing motif is fruiting vine, the stem, arms and drip pans continue the theme, the three legged base is als...
Silver Plate
$204Sale Price|20% Off
H 7.88 in W 1.97 in D 3.75 in
A pair of Silver Plated Godinger Baroque Style Candle holders
Located in Bishop's Stortford, GB
A pair of Silver Plated Godinger Baroque Style Candle holders. Crafted with precision, these candlesticks not only serve as functional pieces for illuminating your space but also as ...
Silver Plate
$2,165
H 7.88 in Dm 2.76 in
Da Ros for Cenedese Italian Red Murrine Sommerso Murano Glass Candlestick Holder
Located in Landau an der Isar, Bayern
Very rare Antonio da Ros for Cenedese vintage Italian yellow uranium Murano glass candlestick stand, holder or Candelabra made circa 1960s with red sommerso top for holding the candl...
Blown Glass, Murano Glass
$3,556
H 14.97 in W 4.34 in D 2.96 in
Large Da Ros for Cenedese Italian Pink Sommerso Murano Glass Candlestick Holder
Located in Landau an der Isar, Bayern
Antonio da Ros for Cenedese large, heavy and tall vintage Italian pink Murano glass candlestick holder made circa 1980s -1990s. Utilizing no less than three top Murano glass techniqu...
Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Pair of Art Nouveau Morning Glory Silver Plated Candelabras
Located in New York, NY
This stunning and graphic pair of Art Nouveau candleholders were realized in the United Kingdom circa 1905. The larger features three trumpet ...
Silver Plate
Bamboo Set of 2 Candleholders
Located in Paris, FR
Candleholders bamboo set of 2 in metal in 24-karat gold-plated.
Metal, Gold Plate
Brass Candle Holders with Paw Feet, a Pair
Located in Elkhart, IN
Pair of heavy vintage brass candlesticks on square bases with paw feet. Made by Colonial Williamsburg. This is a 20th century reproduction of a 17th century ...
Brass
Brass and Copper Tree of Life Candle Stand
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Standout candelabra with a dynamic "Tree of Life" composition of brass animals from around the world in a brass tree with copper leaves on a classical base with a candle cup.
Brass, Copper
Vintage Six-Light Palm Tree Candleholder or Candelabra
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Unusual, Mid-Century six-light palm tree candelabra or center piece with a charming, old world, verdigris finish. The palm tree are complete with ...