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.
Early 20th Century Vietnamese British Colonial Furniture
Britannia Standard Silver
Late 20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Upholstery, Bamboo, Cane, Raffia, Rattan
1990s Chinese British Colonial Furniture
Wood
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Copper
21st Century and Contemporary American British Colonial Furniture
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary British Colonial Furniture
Wicker, Rattan, Mahogany
Early 20th Century European British Colonial Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Teak
Late 19th Century Antique British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Wood
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Glass, Wood
Mid-20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Cane, Mahogany
19th Century British Antique British Colonial Furniture
Copper, Wrought Iron
Late 20th Century Japanese British Colonial Furniture
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish British Colonial Furniture
Wood
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Cane, Teak
Early 20th Century Indian British Colonial Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Teak
Mid-20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Grasscloth, Bamboo
Mid-20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Coconut
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary British Colonial Furniture
Animal Skin, Bamboo
19th Century Antique British Colonial Furniture
Wood
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo
Mid-20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Metal, Brass
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique British Colonial Furniture
Oak
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo, Cane
1970s Italian Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Travertine
Late 19th Century Indonesian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary British British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Upholstery, Oak
Late 20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Grasscloth, Bamboo
Late 20th Century North American British Colonial Furniture
Cane, Mahogany
19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany, Padouk
Mid-20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Steel, Brass
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Maple
20th Century Indian British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Southeast Asian British Colonial Furniture
Cane, Wood
Late 18th Century Antique British Colonial Furniture
Paper
1910s Italian Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Fabric, Bamboo, Wood
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Glass
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century Swedish British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Paper
18th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Fruitwood
1850s Antique British Colonial Furniture
Paper
Early 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Brass
1960s Swedish Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Cane, Mahogany
1970s Unknown Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo, Cane
Mid-20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Grasscloth, Faux Bamboo
Early 20th Century Sri Lankan British Colonial Furniture
Cane, Teak
21st Century and Contemporary British British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Upholstery, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo, Cane
19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Glass, Teak
21st Century and Contemporary American British Colonial Furniture
Ceramic, Stoneware, Pottery, Delft
1870s Antique British Colonial Furniture
Oak