British Colonial Chairs
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 Philippine British Colonial Chairs
Bamboo
21st Century and Contemporary British British Colonial Chairs
Leather, Upholstery, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary British British Colonial Chairs
Leather, Upholstery, Oak
1910s Italian Vintage British Colonial Chairs
Fabric, Bamboo, Wood
Early 20th Century British British Colonial Chairs
Velvet, Oak
Early 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Chairs
Leather, Wood
Late 19th Century British Antique British Colonial Chairs
Brass
Mid-20th Century Swedish British Colonial Chairs
Pine, Leather, Canvas
Early 20th Century Caribbean British Colonial Chairs
Mahogany, Cane
19th Century British Antique British Colonial Chairs
Oak
Early 20th Century British Colonial Chairs
Teak
Early 20th Century British Colonial Chairs
Teak
Early 20th Century British Colonial Chairs
Cane, Teak
Early 2000s British British Colonial Chairs
Steel
20th Century English British Colonial Chairs
Canvas, Mahogany
1920s Indian Vintage British Colonial Chairs
Teak
Early 19th Century Jamaican Antique British Colonial Chairs
Mahogany
19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Chairs
Wood, Cane
21st Century and Contemporary British Colonial Chairs
Shell, Wood, Teak, Reclaimed Wood
20th Century European British Colonial Chairs
Leather, Wood
1950s American Vintage British Colonial Chairs
Hickory, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker
21st Century and Contemporary Danish British Colonial Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
1960s Italian Vintage British Colonial Chairs
Ash, Straw
1950s American Vintage British Colonial Chairs
Mahogany
1930s Italian Vintage British Colonial Chairs
Velvet, Wood
20th Century French British Colonial Chairs
Gold Leaf, Iron
1960s Italian Vintage British Colonial Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan, Glass
19th Century Antique British Colonial Chairs
Elm
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian British Colonial Chairs
Brass
1960s Italian Vintage British Colonial Chairs
Cane, Wood
1910s Austrian Vintage British Colonial Chairs
Bentwood
Early 20th Century Caribbean British Colonial Chairs
Cane, Mahogany
Early 20th Century European British Colonial Chairs
Wood
1930s English Vintage British Colonial Chairs
Rattan, Hardwood
1990s British Colonial Chairs
Maple
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Chairs
Rattan
Late 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Chairs
Cane, Wood, Walnut, Giltwood, Lacquer, Paint
1980s American Vintage British Colonial Chairs
Wicker
1960s Philippine Vintage British Colonial Chairs
Upholstery, Rattan
1910s British Indian Ocean Territory Vintage British Colonial Chairs
Rosewood, Teak
20th Century American British Colonial Chairs
Mahogany
Late 19th Century Antique British Colonial Chairs
Walnut, Cane
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Chairs
Brass