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.
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Cane, Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Persian British Colonial Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Brass, Steel
19th Century British Antique British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany
Late 19th Century Persian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Wool
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Crystal
20th Century British British Colonial Furniture
Iron
19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century Persian British Colonial Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Persian British Colonial Furniture
Wool
Early 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century Persian British Colonial Furniture
Wool
Early 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Rosewood
Early 20th Century Persian British Colonial Furniture
Wool
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Wood
Late 18th Century Antique British Colonial Furniture
Teak
Mid-20th Century Southeast Asian British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo, Mahogany
Early 20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Silver
Late 20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Reed
Mid-20th Century Jamaican British Colonial Furniture
Paper
Mid-20th Century Burmese British Colonial Furniture
Teak
Late 19th Century British Antique British Colonial Furniture
Crystal
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Bronze
Early 1900s German Antique British Colonial Furniture
Walnut
1960s Italian Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Pottery
Mid-20th Century Kenyan British Colonial Furniture
Wool
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Glass, Wood
Late 19th Century Sri Lankan Antique British Colonial Furniture
Ebony, Wood
20th Century British British Colonial Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century British Colonial Furniture
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Glass
Early 20th Century Chinese British Colonial Furniture
Hardwood
Early 20th Century Asian British Colonial Furniture
Teak
20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Wood
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Rattan
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Canvas, Paint
20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Canvas, Mahogany
1910s Indian Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Silver
19th Century Caribbean Antique British Colonial Furniture
Coconut, Mahogany, Rosewood, Satinwood
Mid-20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Bronze, Copper
1880s Brazilian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Pewter
2010s Indian British Colonial Furniture
Fabric, Cotton, Down
20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Animal Skin
20th Century British British Colonial Furniture
Leather
1970s American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Rattan
Early 1900s British Indian Ocean Territory Antique British Colonial Furniture
Teak
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Composition
Early 20th Century Austrian British Colonial Furniture
Wood
20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Ostrich Eggshell
21st Century and Contemporary American British Colonial Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century British British Colonial Furniture
Upholstery
Early 17th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Copper, Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Indian British Colonial Furniture
Fabric, Down
2010s Indian British Colonial Furniture
Fabric, Cotton, Down
19th Century American Antique British Colonial Furniture
Iron
20th Century North American British Colonial Furniture
Paint, Paper
19th Century American Antique British Colonial Furniture
Iron