British Colonial Tables
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.
1970s Italian Vintage British Colonial Tables
Travertine
Late 20th Century British Colonial Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century British Colonial Tables
Leather, Hardwood
Late 20th Century Unknown British Colonial Tables
Grasscloth, Bamboo, Wood
Late 20th Century Philippine British Colonial Tables
Grasscloth, Bamboo
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Tables
Maple
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Tables
Iron
1970s Unknown Vintage British Colonial Tables
Bamboo, Cane
1980s Vintage British Colonial Tables
Bronze
Late 20th Century British Colonial Tables
Bronze
Late 20th Century Philippine British Colonial Tables
Leather, Wood
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Tables
Bamboo, Rattan
Late 20th Century Philippine British Colonial Tables
Grasscloth, Faux Bamboo, Reed
Late 20th Century British Colonial Tables
Leather, Hardwood
1970s American Vintage British Colonial Tables
Travertine, Brass
1970s Vintage British Colonial Tables
Travertine
1970s Belgian Vintage British Colonial Tables
Travertine
20th Century Unknown British Colonial Tables
Stone
Late 20th Century Unknown British Colonial Tables
Travertine, Metal, Brass
1950s American Vintage British Colonial Tables
Faux Bamboo, Burl
20th Century Italian British Colonial Tables
Travertine
1970s Belgian Vintage British Colonial Tables
Travertine
20th Century British Colonial Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Tables
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Tables
Brass
20th Century Italian British Colonial Tables
Leather, Cherry
Late 20th Century British Colonial Tables
Leather, Hardwood
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Tables
Cane, Glass, Wood
Late 20th Century Philippine British Colonial Tables
Grasscloth, Bamboo
1990s British Colonial Tables
Faux Bamboo, Cane
1980s American Vintage British Colonial Tables
Leather, Bamboo, Rattan
Late 20th Century Philippine British Colonial Tables
Steel, Gold Leaf
Late 20th Century British Colonial Tables
Brass
1980s Vintage British Colonial Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century Singaporean British Colonial Tables
Cane, Wood
1980s North American Vintage British Colonial Tables
Mahogany
1970s Asian Vintage British Colonial Tables
Bamboo
Late 20th Century Balinese British Colonial Tables
Glass, Mahogany