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.
Early 20th Century Indian British Colonial Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Persian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Brass
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Glass, Oak, Paper
Late 19th Century Indonesian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Cane, Fruitwood
19th Century French Antique British Colonial Furniture
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary European British Colonial Furniture
Metal
1890s British Indian Ocean Territory Antique British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo, Rosewood
Early 20th Century British British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Early 1900s British Indian Ocean Territory Antique British Colonial Furniture
Teak
Early 20th Century Unknown British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Canvas
Early 20th Century Unknown British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo, Cane, Lacquer
Late 20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Marble, Brass
Mid-20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Faux Bamboo
Mid-20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Faux Bamboo
20th Century Persian British Colonial Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Brazilian British Colonial Furniture
Pewter
19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Wool
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo, Rattan
Late 20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Silver
Mid-20th Century Jamaican British Colonial Furniture
Paper
19th Century British Antique British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Austrian British Colonial Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Turkish British Colonial Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Hardwood
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Mid-19th Century American Antique British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany
1960s Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Canvas
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Canvas, Paint
Early 2000s American British Colonial Furniture
Brass
19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany, Padouk
19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Granite
Mid-20th Century Indian British Colonial Furniture
Wood
20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Copper
20th Century Italian British Colonial Furniture
Reed
20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Fabric, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Composition
Late 19th Century British Antique British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo, Wood
Early 19th Century Antique British Colonial Furniture
Organic Material, Paper
15th Century and Earlier Brazilian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Pewter
Early 20th Century Persian British Colonial Furniture
Wool
Late 19th Century Persian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Wool
19th Century American Antique British Colonial Furniture
Iron
1880s Brazilian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Pewter
Late 20th Century Turkish British Colonial Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Thai British Colonial Furniture
Silk
20th Century British British Colonial Furniture
Wood
20th Century Persian British Colonial Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Kenyan British Colonial Furniture
Felt, Animal Skin
1960s Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Tin
Mid-20th Century Turkish British Colonial Furniture
Wool
20th Century British British Colonial Furniture
Brass
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Wicker, Rattan, Paint
Early 20th Century Asian British Colonial Furniture
Teak