British Colonial More Dining and Entertaining
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.
20th Century Indian British Colonial More Dining and Entertaining
Brass
1890s Indian Antique British Colonial More Dining and Entertaining
Wood, Bone
2010s Italian British Colonial More Dining and Entertaining
Marble
1990s English British Colonial More Dining and Entertaining
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Russian Antique British Colonial More Dining and Entertaining
Brass, Copper
Mid-20th Century Danish British Colonial More Dining and Entertaining
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century North American British Colonial More Dining and Entertaining
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Scandinavian Antique British Colonial More Dining and Entertaining
Copper
1980s American Vintage British Colonial More Dining and Entertaining
Mother-of-Pearl
Late 20th Century Chinese British Colonial More Dining and Entertaining
Nickel
Late 20th Century American British Colonial More Dining and Entertaining
Lucite
21st Century and Contemporary French British Colonial More Dining and Entertaining
Cotton, Linen, Thread
Mid-20th Century Indian British Colonial More Dining and Entertaining
Brass
1880s German Antique British Colonial More Dining and Entertaining
Silver
Late 20th Century British Colonial More Dining and Entertaining
Porcelain
20th Century American British Colonial More Dining and Entertaining
Ceramic
20th Century Philippine British Colonial More Dining and Entertaining
Rattan