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.
Antique British Colonial Sailors Valentine with Seashells
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Transporting 19th century English sailors valentine hand crafted in exotic organic seashells ambitiously arranged around a clipper ship image under a convex lens.
Shell, Organic Material
Antique British Colonial Heart Form Sailors Valentine
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Charming 19th Century English heart form sailors valentine ambitiously handcrafted with exotic seashells around a sailboat image as seen through a glass lens.
Shell
English Country Wooden Ship Wheel
Located in Queens, NY
English Country style wooden ship wheel with spokes. (19th Cent)
$490 / item
English Country Wood & Iron Nautical Mallet
Located in Queens, NY
2 English Country style wood and iron nautical deck mallet. PRICED EACH (19/20th Cent)
Iron
Painted Wrought Iron Anchor
Located in Queens, NY
Painted wrought iron anchor
Iron
$2,800 / set
H 12.5 in W 12.5 in D 5.5 in
Mid-Century Pair of Rope Ship Wheel Sconce Adrien Audoux & Frida Minet
By Adrien Audoux and Frida Minnet
Located in Austin, TX
Original pair of rope ship wheel sconces Audoux Minet, circa 1960. Nautical.
Rope
Sailor's Keepsake: Edwardian Shellwork Valentine Diorama of Ship
Located in Downingtown, PA
Sailor's Keepsake: Edwardian Shellwork Valentine Diorama 🐚 ________________________________________ This is a charming and historically evocative Edwardian Shellwork Diorama, a clas...
Shell
$6,250
H 22 in W 29.5 in D 1.5 in
British Sailor's Large Woolwork of a Royal Navy Ship Under Full Sail
Located in Downingtown, PA
Seafaring Artistry: A British Sailor's Woolwork of a Royal Navy Ship, Circa 1865–75 This remarkable British sailor's woolwork, or "wool...
Wool
Nautical Folk Art Hand Carved Wooden Whimsy
Located in Brooklyn, NY
American whimsy with traditional 'ball in cage' decoration, all carved and whittled from one continuous piece of wood, circa early 20th century. The bottom tip suggests that this pie...
Wood
19th Century English Folk Art Encased Ship Diorama
Located in London, GB
19th Century Folk Art Encased Ship Diorama A delightful and highly decorated example of a late 19th century English folk art ships model diorama...
Glass, Wood
British Sailor's Woolwork of the Screw Frigate H.M.S. Fox
Located in Downingtown, PA
"Homecoming": British Sailor's Woolwork of the Screw Frigate H.M.S. Fox, Circa 1875 A charming and detailed British sailor's woolwork (or "woolie"), depicting a portside view of the...
Wool
British Sailor's Woolwork of a Royal Navy Second Rate Battleship
Located in Downingtown, PA
British Sailor's Woolwork of a Royal Navy Second Rate Battleship, Circa 1875 The charming simple sailor's woolie depicts a starboard side view of a Royal Navy second rate battleship...
Wool
$3,250
H 19 in W 18.13 in D 2 in
British Sailor's Woolwork with Port Side view of Ram-bowed Royal Navy Ship
Located in Downingtown, PA
Iron and Thread: A Sailor's Vision of the Ram-Bow Era This striking 19th-century sailor’s woolwork, or "woolie," captures the essence of a rapidly modernizing Royal Navy, depicting a warship whose very design speaks to an era of dramatic technological change. Crafted with painstaking detail from colored yarns, this textile artwork is a superb example of the folk art traditionally made by British sailors during their long hours at sea , between journeys or in retirement. Dimensions: 19 inches high x 18 1/8 inches wide x 2 inches deep. Historical Context: The Dawn of the Ironclads The vessel illustrated is a powerful, sail-assisted steam warship, but what makes her distinctive is the pronounced, jutting ram-bow visible at her waterline. This feature was a direct consequence of the rise of ironclad warships in the mid-19th century, following the tactical use of ramming during the American Civil War and the Austro-Italian War. The ram-bow was incorporated into new British warship designs from the 1860s onward, turning the bow itself into a formidable weapon. Dating to circa 1880, this woolie belongs to a period when the Royal Navy was building large, powerful capital ships—the very ships that carried the ram. The ship is accurately shown flying the White Ensign, the distinguishing flag of a commissioned Royal Navy warship, and a long white masthead pennant, confirming her status as a vessel in active commission. The simple, bold execution of the ship, set against a classic background of sea and segmented land, creates a work of remarkable visual strength. A Unique Square Presentation The woolwork is notable for its unusual and attractive near-square format, offering a distinct aesthetic among nautical woolies...
Wool
Silk Embroidered Hand Painted Seascape by Thomas Willis, circa 1890
Located in Nantucket, MA
19th century silk embroidered and hand painted oil on canvas seascape by Thomas Willis (1850 - 1925), depicting a schooner-rigged racing yacht closely ha...
Canvas, Silk
$4,800
H 13.63 in W 13.5 in D 1.5 in
19th Century Large Sailor's Valentine in Mahogany Case, circa 1880
Located in Nantucket, MA
Antique Large Sailor's Valentine in Mahogany Case, circa 1880, a hand-crafted shell collage with heart and rosebuds pattern within an eight-pointed star, set in a large mahogany octa...
Shell, Wood
British Sailor's Woolwork of Named HMS Atalanta Coming into Port
Located in Downingtown, PA
Large and Historically Significant Sailor's Woolwork of HMS Atalanta, British, Circa 1880. This large and impressive sailor's woolwork, or "woolie," is a richly colored and wonderf...
Wool
Antique Sailor’s Valentine Shellwork in Octagonal Wooden Case
Located in Sarasota, FL
Traditionally associated with Barbados in the West Indies, this late 19th-century Sailor’s Valentine is a finely preserved example of shellwork folk art. Composed of hundreds of natu...
Shell, Velvet, Glass, Wood
Two Antique Star Form Sailors Valentines
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Enchanting pair of 19th Century British Colonial sailors valentines handcrafted in exotic seashells ambitiously arranged around a convex lens displaying maritime images of a row boat...
Shell
Royal Navy “Grog Tub”, Oak and Brass Sailor’s Rum Barrel
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Royal Navy “Grog Tub”, Oak and brass sailor’s rum barrel A super piece of British history, the barrel known as a “Grog Tub” was used to carry the Navy Rum ...
Oak
Sold
H 16.63 in W 36 in D 18 in
1800s British Sailors Sea Chest Trunk Painted Whaling Scene Flags Rope Beckets
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Antique British monogrammed sailors sea chest / trunk with original very detailed braided rope beckets. Red Ensign post 1801 Flag on right. Trunk tapers fr...
Wood
Copper Sailing Ship Sculpture
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Midcentury stylized sailing ship sculpture crafted in copper with a lush colorful patina and signed C. Jere 1972. Freestanding or wall mountable...
Copper
Sold
H 65 in W 40 in D 3.5 in
English Brass Mounted Telescope on Walnut Tripod Stand with Case, Circa 1870
Located in Charleston, SC
English British colonial telescopic brass-mounted telescope on walnut tripod stand with the original carrying case. Telescope is in working condition, Late 19th century.
Brass
Pair of Mahogany Half Hull Models
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Handsome pair of half hull models crafted in mahogany each with its own sleek graceful lines and lush finish.
Mahogany
Pair of Hall Stands with a Rowing Theme, 19th Century Sculling Oars
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
These are a very impressive and interesting pair of hall stands, the have been made from three long sculling oars. One stand is made from the blade ends ...
Wood