British Colonial Dressers
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 American Vintage British Colonial Dressers
Bamboo, Wood
1970s Unknown Vintage British Colonial Dressers
Bamboo, Cane
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish British Colonial Dressers
Bamboo, Cane
1970s Unknown Vintage British Colonial Dressers
Bamboo, Cane
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish British Colonial Dressers
Bamboo, Cane
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Dressers
Grasscloth, Faux Bamboo
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Dressers
Brass
Early 20th Century Indian British Colonial Dressers
Rosewood
1990s American British Colonial Dressers
Faux Bamboo, Cane
1970s American Vintage British Colonial Dressers
Walnut
Mid-18th Century Danish Antique British Colonial Dressers
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Dressers
Brass
1980s American Vintage British Colonial Dressers
Brass
1960s Danish Vintage British Colonial Dressers
Teak
19th Century Antique British Colonial Dressers
Pine
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Dressers
Grasscloth, Faux Bamboo, Glass
1970s Unknown Vintage British Colonial Dressers
Bamboo, Cane
1970s American Vintage British Colonial Dressers
Metal
20th Century American British Colonial Dressers
Bamboo
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese British Colonial Dressers
Wood
20th Century North American British Colonial Dressers
Rattan
1990s American British Colonial Dressers
Faux Bamboo, Cane
Mid-20th Century Philippine British Colonial Dressers
Grasscloth, Bamboo, Rattan, Wood
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Dressers
Grasscloth, Bamboo, Wood
19th Century Antique British Colonial Dressers
Burl
Late 20th Century Philippine British Colonial Dressers
Grasscloth, Faux Bamboo
1990s Unknown British Colonial Dressers
Faux Bamboo, Cane, Rattan
1970s Unknown Vintage British Colonial Dressers
Bamboo, Cane
1980s Unknown Vintage British Colonial Dressers
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish British Colonial Dressers
Bamboo, Cane
19th Century British Antique British Colonial Dressers
Rosewood
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish British Colonial Dressers
Bamboo, Cane
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Dressers
Grasscloth, Bamboo