British Colonial Desk Accessories
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.
1950s Sri Lankan Vintage British Colonial Desk Accessories
Hardwood
Mid-19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Desk Accessories
Ebony
20th Century English British Colonial Desk Accessories
Zebra Hide
18th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Desk Accessories
Bone, Sandalwood
Early 1900s British Antique British Colonial Desk Accessories
Faux Leather
Late 18th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Desk Accessories
Mahogany, Rosewood
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Desk Accessories
Leather, Fabric
2010s Italian British Colonial Desk Accessories
Precious Stone
18th Century and Earlier French Antique British Colonial Desk Accessories
Late 20th Century French British Colonial Desk Accessories
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique British Colonial Desk Accessories
Malachite, Bronze
18th Century Chinese Antique British Colonial Desk Accessories
Elm
2010s Italian British Colonial Desk Accessories
Precious Stone
21st Century and Contemporary Indian British Colonial Desk Accessories
Stone, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary British Colonial Desk Accessories
Tin
Mid-20th Century Chinese British Colonial Desk Accessories
Rosewood
Early 20th Century Sri Lankan British Colonial Desk Accessories
Wood
1930s Indian Vintage British Colonial Desk Accessories
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century British Colonial Desk Accessories
Leather
Early 20th Century Sri Lankan British Colonial Desk Accessories
Hardwood
1880s English Antique British Colonial Desk Accessories
Brass
20th Century Italian British Colonial Desk Accessories
Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century British Colonial Desk Accessories
19th Century Antique British Colonial Desk Accessories
Brass, Copper
Early 20th Century English British Colonial Desk Accessories
Brass