British Colonial Furniture
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.
Late 18th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany, Rosewood
Early 20th Century Vietnamese British Colonial Furniture
Britannia Standard Silver
Mid-19th Century Antique British Colonial Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Iron
Late 20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Plastic
20th Century African British Colonial Furniture
Iron
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Rattan
Mid-20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Glass
Early 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Straw
Early 20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Leather
Early 20th Century Chinese British Colonial Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century British British Colonial Furniture
Upholstery
Late 20th Century Canadian British Colonial Furniture
Aluminum, Brass
20th Century Italian British Colonial Furniture
Iron
1910s Indian Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Silver
1890s Antique British Colonial Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian British Colonial Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century Caribbean British Colonial Furniture
Paint
19th Century Antique British Colonial Furniture
Iron
Mid-19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Wool
1930s Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Oak
Early 19th Century Jamaican Antique British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Rosewood
19th Century Caribbean Antique British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Composition
1890s Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Wood, Bone
19th Century Jamaican Antique British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany
2010s American British Colonial Furniture
Plywood
Early 20th Century Burmese British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo, Lacquer
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique British Colonial Furniture
Bone, Wood
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Iron
1930s Indonesian Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Teak
Early 20th Century Burmese British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo, Lacquer
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany
2010s American British Colonial Furniture
Plywood
2010s American British Colonial Furniture
Feathers
Late 19th Century British Antique British Colonial Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique British Colonial Furniture
Faux Bamboo
Late 19th Century German Antique British Colonial Furniture
Bone, Wood
Mid-20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Pottery
20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Zebra Hide
Late 20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century British British Colonial Furniture
Metal
1890s English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Mirror
1980s American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Wicker
1960s Philippine Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Upholstery, Rattan
1990s British Colonial Furniture
Faux Bamboo, Cane
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Paint, Ceramic
Late 20th Century Unknown British Colonial Furniture
Lacquer, Hardwood
Mid-20th Century South African British Colonial Furniture
Animal Skin
1970s Unknown Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo