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.
1980s English Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Brass, Copper, Pewter
1980s Philippine Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Hide, Rattan
1980s Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Bronze
1980s American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Stone
1980s Thai Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Glass, Wood, Teak
18th Century Italian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Glass, Wood
1970s American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Bamboo, Rattan
1960s American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Aluminum
1960s American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Rattan
1950s Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Aluminum
20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Wood, Boxwood
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Bamboo, Rattan
2010s Mexican British Colonial Furniture
Marble
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Bamboo, Rattan
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Rattan, Leather, Bamboo
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique British Colonial Furniture
Brass
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Rattan, Wood
1980s Indonesian Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Wood
1980s American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Yew
1980s American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Bamboo, Rattan
1980s Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany
1980s Unknown Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Brass
1980s Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Brass
1980s American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Faux Bamboo, Wood
1980s North American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany
1980s Indonesian Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Cane, Teak
1980s American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo, Cane
1980s North American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Brass
1980s American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo, Cane