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 19th Century British Antique British Colonial Furniture
Velvet, Walnut
18th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century Persian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Wool
1980s American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Leather
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Grasscloth, Bamboo
Mid-20th Century Italian British Colonial Furniture
Metal
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century German British Colonial Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century Caribbean British Colonial Furniture
Cane, Mahogany
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo
Mid-20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Grasscloth, Faux Bamboo
20th Century Italian British Colonial Furniture
Brass
20th Century British British Colonial Furniture
Brass
2010s Indian British Colonial Furniture
Fabric, Cotton, Down
Early 20th Century Indian British Colonial Furniture
Rosewood
Mid-19th Century Caribbean Antique British Colonial Furniture
Paint
Early 20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Brass
1970s American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Brass
19th Century Jamaican Antique British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany, Poplar
Mid-20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Bronze
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Wicker
19th Century British Antique British Colonial Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian British Colonial Furniture
Metal
1820s Caribbean Antique British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany, Pine
Late 19th Century Antique British Colonial Furniture
Brass
2010s Unknown British Colonial Furniture
Wood
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Bronze
1830s English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Fabric, Glass, Wood
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Paint
Early 20th Century Persian British Colonial Furniture
Wool
Late 19th Century British Antique British Colonial Furniture
Velvet, Walnut
Early 20th Century Southeast Asian British Colonial Furniture
Cane, Wood
Late 20th Century Canadian British Colonial Furniture
Paper
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo, Reed
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Rattan
Early 20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Shell, Felt
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Brass
1950s Indian Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Cane, Teak
Early 20th Century Sri Lankan British Colonial Furniture
Brass
1920s English Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Cane, Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo, Cane
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo, Cane, Rattan, Glass, Wood
1980s Philippine Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Faux Bamboo, Cane
Early 20th Century Southeast Asian British Colonial Furniture
Cane, Wood
20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Cane, Rattan, Wood
19th Century Bajan Antique British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Ebony
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo, Rattan, Glass
Early 20th Century Sri Lankan British Colonial Furniture
Satinwood
Early 20th Century Sri Lankan British Colonial Furniture
Cane, Satinwood
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Brass
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Fiberglass
20th Century North American British Colonial Furniture
Faux Bamboo
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Wood, Paper
Late 20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Hardwood, Paint
19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Teak
Late 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Shell
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Paint
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Unknown British Colonial Furniture
Leather
1960s American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Composition
1990s British Colonial Furniture
Brass, Chrome
Late 20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century British Antique British Colonial Furniture
Other
19th Century Antique British Colonial Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Jamaican Antique British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany
Late 20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Bronze
1970s American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Natural Fiber
Late 20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Brass