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.
Late 20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century British Antique British Colonial Furniture
Oak, Pine
2010s Indian British Colonial Furniture
Fabric, Cotton, Down
Mid-20th Century Burmese British Colonial Furniture
Teak
Early 20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany
Late 20th Century British British Colonial Furniture
Iron
20th Century British British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Caribbean British Colonial Furniture
Cane, Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo, Cane
Late 20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Bronze
2010s Unknown British Colonial Furniture
Wood
19th Century Scottish Antique British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Oak
1940s Ghanaian Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Cotton
Mid-20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Plaster
Late 19th Century British Antique British Colonial Furniture
Brass
1910s Unknown Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Brass
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Zebra Hide
19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Indian British Colonial Furniture
Fabric, Down
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Wood
20th Century British British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Caribbean British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Wood
Early 20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Brass
1980s Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Caribbean British Colonial Furniture
Cane, Mahogany
Late 20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Marble, Brass
Late 20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Brass, Gold Leaf
Mid-20th Century Swedish British Colonial Furniture
Pine, Leather, Canvas
Early 20th Century Turkish British Colonial Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Italian British Colonial Furniture
Iron
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Brass
19th Century British Antique British Colonial Furniture
Oak
1880s English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Brass
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Wicker, Rattan
Late 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Persian British Colonial Furniture
Wool
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Brass
2010s French British Colonial Furniture
Linen
Late 20th Century Canadian British Colonial Furniture
Paper
Late 20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Wood
Early 1900s British Indian Ocean Territory Antique British Colonial Furniture
Teak
Early 20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Pewter
Mid-20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Coconut
Early 20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Ebony
1890s English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Sycamore
Late 20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Faux Bamboo, Bamboo, Wood, Rattan
1890s English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Fruitwood
1930s European Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Metal, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Italian British Colonial Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Lacquer
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Grasscloth, Mahogany
2010s Indian British Colonial Furniture
Fabric, Cotton, Down
21st Century and Contemporary American British Colonial Furniture
Wood