British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail 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.
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Copper
20th Century British British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Iron
20th Century British British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
20th Century American British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Faux Bamboo
Late 20th Century British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Bronze
20th Century British British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
19th Century British Antique British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood, Mahogany
19th Century Sri Lankan Antique British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Ebony
20th Century American British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
20th Century American British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Bamboo, Cane
20th Century American British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Rattan
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Glass, Wood
2010s Mexican British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood, Ash
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Bamboo
20th Century British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
1980s Vintage British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mahogany
Early 20th Century European British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Burlap, Oak
20th Century American British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
2010s Belgian British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Poplar
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mahogany
1920s Unknown Vintage British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Bamboo, Wood
19th Century French Antique British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Elm
Early 1900s Indian Antique British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century Indian British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
19th Century British Antique British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mahogany
Late 20th Century Balinese British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Glass, Mahogany
20th Century British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
1970s Italian Vintage British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Travertine
20th Century Indonesian British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Grasscloth, Rattan
20th Century American British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Bamboo
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Leather, Coconut
20th Century American British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mahogany
Late 20th Century British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Rattan, Teak
19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood