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.
1960s British Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Rush, Oak
1960s Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Tin
1960s Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Teak
1960s Swedish Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Brass
1960s Italian Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Pottery
1950s Swedish Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Teak
Mid-20th Century French British Colonial Furniture
Chrome
1940s Israeli Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Late 18th Century American Antique British Colonial Furniture
Wicker, Pine, Linen
1950s Dutch Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Rush, Oak
Early 1900s English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Rush, Oak
Mid-20th Century Italian British Colonial Furniture
Limestone, Marble
1960s Swedish Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Japanese British Colonial Furniture
Bronze, Enamel
1940s Swedish Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Birch
21st Century and Contemporary European British Colonial Furniture
Rattan, Wood
Mid-20th Century Czech British Colonial Furniture
Iron
1960s American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Leather
1960s Philippine Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Upholstery, Rattan
1960s American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Metal
1960s Philippine Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Grasscloth, Faux Bamboo
1960s Asian Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo, Mirror, Wood, Lacquer
1960s Indonesian Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Rattan, Textile
1960s American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Brass
1960s English Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Brass
1960s British Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
1960s American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
1960s American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
1960s American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Wood