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.
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Hardwood
Mid-19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Italian British Colonial Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century American Antique British Colonial Furniture
Paint
1880s English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Bentwood
20th Century North American British Colonial Furniture
Faux Leather
Late 18th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Paper
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Iron
1810s Antique British Colonial Furniture
Wood, Teak, Reclaimed Wood
Mid-20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Cane
Late 20th Century Brazilian British Colonial Furniture
Pewter
1960s Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Tin
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Brazilian British Colonial Furniture
Pewter
1880s English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Persian British Colonial Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Ceramic
Late 20th Century Brazilian British Colonial Furniture
Pewter
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique British Colonial Furniture
Canvas
Late 20th Century Brazilian British Colonial Furniture
Pewter
1980s Brazilian Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Pewter
1870s Antique British Colonial Furniture
Oak
1960s Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Spelter
1950s Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Teak
Late 18th Century British Antique British Colonial Furniture
Brass
1930s Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century Turkish British Colonial Furniture
Wool
1910s Italian Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Fabric, Bamboo, Wood
19th Century British Antique British Colonial Furniture
Glass
19th Century British Antique British Colonial Furniture
Glass
20th Century British British Colonial Furniture
Wood
20th Century British British Colonial Furniture
Wood
20th Century British British Colonial Furniture
Wood
19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Glass, Wood
Late 19th Century Indonesian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Cowhide, Leather, Teak
1990s North American British Colonial Furniture
Brass
1890s Antique British Colonial Furniture
Iron
1910s British Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Canvas, Wood, Paint
19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Teak
Early 20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Walnut
Early 18th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Ebony
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Ceramic
2010s British Colonial Furniture
Brass
19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Teak