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.
1870s Antique British Colonial Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Hardwood
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
20th Century Caribbean British Colonial Furniture
Paint
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Composition
20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Wool, Cotton, Foam
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Cowhide
1960s Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Tin
20th Century South African British Colonial Furniture
Early 20th Century Turkish British Colonial Furniture
Wool
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Rattan
Mid-20th Century Italian British Colonial Furniture
Terracotta
1960s Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Spelter
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish British Colonial Furniture
Gold Plate, Copper
Early 1900s English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century Brazilian British Colonial Furniture
Pewter
1890s English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Walnut
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Hardwood
Late 19th Century Indonesian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Cowhide, Leather, Teak
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Canadian British Colonial Furniture
Aluminum, Brass
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century Brazilian British Colonial Furniture
Pewter
Late 20th Century Brazilian British Colonial Furniture
Pewter
Early 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Rosewood
15th Century and Earlier Brazilian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Pewter
1950s Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Teak
1980s Brazilian Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Pewter
1880s Brazilian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Pewter
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo, Cane
18th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Bronze
1930s Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Mid-20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Cane
19th Century British Antique British Colonial Furniture
Glass
19th Century British Antique British Colonial Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Padouk
20th Century British British Colonial Furniture
Wood
20th Century British British Colonial Furniture
Wood
1820s Antique British Colonial Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century Turkish British Colonial Furniture
Wool
20th Century British British Colonial Furniture
Leather
1890s Antique British Colonial Furniture
Iron
1910s British Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Canvas, Wood, Paint
1960s British Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Oak
Early 1900s English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
Mid-20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Wool
1930s Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Oak
20th Century British British Colonial Furniture
Steel, Copper
1870s Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Silver
2010s British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Thai British Colonial Furniture
Glass, Wood, Teak