British Colonial Folk Art
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.
1940s Ghanaian Vintage British Colonial Folk Art
Cotton
20th Century Balinese British Colonial Folk Art
Hardwood, Paint
Late 18th Century English Antique British Colonial Folk Art
Paper
Early 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Folk Art
Wool, Glass, Wood
20th Century American British Colonial Folk Art
Wicker, Rattan, Paint
20th Century Indian British Colonial Folk Art
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian British Colonial Folk Art
Terracotta
1890s Antique British Colonial Folk Art
Iron
20th Century Italian British Colonial Folk Art
Brass
2010s Italian British Colonial Folk Art
Marble
Mid-20th Century Indian British Colonial Folk Art
Brass
19th Century Romanian Antique British Colonial Folk Art
Wood, Lacquer
Early 20th Century French British Colonial Folk Art
Metal
1990s North American British Colonial Folk Art
Wood
1960s Swedish Vintage British Colonial Folk Art
Wood
20th Century Ethiopian British Colonial Folk Art
Wood
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Folk Art
Lucite
Mid-19th Century English Antique British Colonial Folk Art
Wool
Mid-20th Century Ghanaian British Colonial Folk Art
Early 20th Century British British Colonial Folk Art
Metal, Tin
1980s American Vintage British Colonial Folk Art
Wood
Mid-20th Century British Colonial Folk Art
Ash
Mid-20th Century Italian British Colonial Folk Art
Metal
Mid-20th Century British Colonial Folk Art
Oak
Late 19th Century American Antique British Colonial Folk Art
Wood
20th Century Kenyan British Colonial Folk Art
Wood, Paint
1790s English Antique British Colonial Folk Art
Canvas, Giltwood
Mid-19th Century English Antique British Colonial Folk Art
Bronze
Mid-20th Century British Colonial Folk Art
Canvas
19th Century British Antique British Colonial Folk Art
Wood
20th Century American British Colonial Folk Art
Copper
1870s English Antique British Colonial Folk Art
Brass
Mid-20th Century Taiwanese British Colonial Folk Art
Grasscloth, Bamboo, Seagrass, Glass, Wood