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
Early 20th Century European British Colonial Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century British Colonial Tables
Brass
Late 19th Century Antique British Colonial Tables
Wood
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century British Colonial Tables
Leather, Hardwood
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Tables
Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish British Colonial Tables
Bamboo
Early 20th Century American British Colonial Tables
Oak
1950s Moroccan Vintage British Colonial Tables
Bone, Teak
Late 20th Century Unknown British Colonial Tables
Grasscloth, Bamboo, Wood
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Tables
Copper
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish British Colonial Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century English British Colonial Tables
Cane, Mahogany
20th Century American British Colonial Tables
Leather, Glass, Wood
Mid-20th Century Philippine British Colonial Tables
Grasscloth, Bamboo
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique British Colonial Tables
Oak
Late 20th Century Philippine British Colonial Tables
Grasscloth, Bamboo
Mid-19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Philippine British Colonial Tables
Grasscloth, Faux Bamboo
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Tables
Iron
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Tables
Maple
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Tables
Grasscloth, Bamboo
Late 20th Century British Colonial Tables
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian British Colonial Tables
Mirror, Oak, Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Burmese British Colonial Tables
Teak
Early 20th Century English British Colonial Tables
Mahogany
1970s Unknown Vintage British Colonial Tables
Bamboo, Cane
20th Century British British Colonial Tables
Brass
1910s Unknown Vintage British Colonial Tables
Brass
19th Century British Antique British Colonial Tables
Bamboo, Hardwood
2010s Unknown British Colonial Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century English British Colonial Tables
Brass
1980s Vintage British Colonial Tables
Bronze
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Tables
Leather, Grasscloth, Mahogany
20th Century British British Colonial Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Tables
Brass
19th Century British Antique British Colonial Tables
Wood, Mahogany
1890s English Antique British Colonial Tables
Fruitwood
20th Century British Colonial Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century English British Colonial Tables
Mahogany
Late 20th Century Philippine British Colonial Tables
Leather, Wood
20th Century American British Colonial Tables
Brass
1920s English Vintage British Colonial Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century English British Colonial Tables
Brass
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Tables
Brass
Early 18th Century European Antique British Colonial Tables
Iron
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Tables
Bamboo, Faux Bamboo, Rattan
20th Century American British Colonial Tables
Walnut
20th Century American British Colonial Tables
Rattan
19th Century Antique British Colonial Tables
Wood, Cherry
20th Century American British Colonial Tables
Mahogany
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Tables
Bamboo
20th Century American British Colonial Tables
Mahogany
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Tables
Rattan
Mid-20th Century British Colonial Tables
Glass
20th Century American British Colonial Tables
Bamboo