British Colonial Console 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.
20th Century British Colonial Console Tables
Wood, Pine
Late 20th Century British Colonial Console Tables
Brass
Mid-19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Console Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century Philippine British Colonial Console Tables
Grasscloth, Bamboo
Early 20th Century English British Colonial Console Tables
Mahogany
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Console Tables
Bamboo, Rattan
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Console Tables
Mahogany
20th Century English British Colonial Console Tables
Wood
1810s Antique British Colonial Console Tables
Wood, Teak, Reclaimed Wood
Early 19th Century British Antique British Colonial Console Tables
Rosewood
Late 20th Century Unknown British Colonial Console Tables
Travertine, Metal, Brass
20th Century Unknown British Colonial Console Tables
Stone
20th Century British Colonial Console Tables
Brass
1970s Unknown Vintage British Colonial Console Tables
Wicker, Rattan, Paint
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique British Colonial Console Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century British British Colonial Console Tables
Pine
20th Century British Colonial Console Tables
Bamboo, Rattan
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Console Tables
Mahogany
1980s Vintage British Colonial Console Tables
Brass
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Console Tables
Glass, Pine
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Console Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century British Colonial Console Tables
Wicker
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican British Colonial Console Tables
Reed
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Console Tables
Cane, Glass, Wood
20th Century British Colonial Console Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Console Tables
Brass
1970s Asian Vintage British Colonial Console Tables
Bamboo
20th Century British Colonial Console Tables
Limestone
20th Century British Colonial Console Tables
Limestone
1880s Antique British Colonial Console Tables
Walnut
19th Century Antique British Colonial Console Tables
Hardwood
20th Century American British Colonial Console Tables
Brass
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Console Tables
Bamboo
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Console Tables
Bamboo