British Colonial Wall Decorations
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.
Late 19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Wall Decorations
Glass, Oak, Paper
Early 1800s Antique British Colonial Wall Decorations
Paper
Mid-20th Century British Colonial Wall Decorations
Teak
Late 18th Century Antique British Colonial Wall Decorations
Paper
1850s Antique British Colonial Wall Decorations
Paper
1760s Canadian Antique British Colonial Wall Decorations
Paper
19th Century Antique British Colonial Wall Decorations
Paper
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Wall Decorations
Wood, Paper
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Wall Decorations
Wood, Paper, Paint
Late 20th Century Canadian British Colonial Wall Decorations
Paper
Late 18th Century English Antique British Colonial Wall Decorations
Paper
Early 20th Century Swedish British Colonial Wall Decorations
Leather, Paper
Early 20th Century Swedish British Colonial Wall Decorations
Leather, Paper
Mid-20th Century Kenyan British Colonial Wall Decorations
Animal Skin, Felt
Early 19th Century French Antique British Colonial Wall Decorations
Paper
Early 20th Century Swedish British Colonial Wall Decorations
Leather, Paper
Early 1900s English Antique British Colonial Wall Decorations
Glass, Wood, Paper
Early 20th Century Swedish British Colonial Wall Decorations
Leather, Paper
Early 20th Century Swedish British Colonial Wall Decorations
Leather, Paper
1990s British Colonial Wall Decorations
Canvas
Mid-20th Century British Colonial Wall Decorations
Oak
Mid-20th Century Kenyan British Colonial Wall Decorations
Wool
Early 20th Century American British Colonial Wall Decorations
Faux Bamboo, Glass, Paint, Paper
Mid-18th Century German Antique British Colonial Wall Decorations
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Haitian British Colonial Wall Decorations
Paint
Mid-20th Century British Colonial Wall Decorations
Wood
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Wall Decorations
Paint
Early 20th Century British Colonial Wall Decorations
Paper
Mid-18th Century Antique British Colonial Wall Decorations
Paper
20th Century English British Colonial Wall Decorations
Hardwood
18th Century English Antique British Colonial Wall Decorations
Paper
20th Century American British Colonial Wall Decorations
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary American British Colonial Wall Decorations
Paper
Mid-20th Century Jamaican British Colonial Wall Decorations
Paper
Early 18th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Wall Decorations
Ebony
Mid-19th Century Caribbean Antique British Colonial Wall Decorations
Paint
Early 19th Century Antique British Colonial Wall Decorations
Organic Material, Paper
20th Century American British Colonial Wall Decorations
Paper
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Wall Decorations
Paint
Early 20th Century British Colonial Wall Decorations
20th Century Caribbean British Colonial Wall Decorations
Paint
1930s Vintage British Colonial Wall Decorations
19th Century American Antique British Colonial Wall Decorations
Paint
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Wall Decorations
Wool
20th Century English British Colonial Wall Decorations
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican British Colonial Wall Decorations
Reed
20th Century North American British Colonial Wall Decorations
Paint, Paper