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Colonial style furniture

British Colonial Style Furniture By the Victorian era of the mid to late 19th century brought the solid and sturdy furniture designs of England and adapted them to the tropics. They adapted Asian and African motifs into those traditional designs in teak and mahony as well as rattan, leather, and animal prints. Often furniture was carved by native craftsmen using British designs, and you'll frequently find little flourishes of Asian, Caribbean, or African art, intermixed with the original carving. If one looks carefully at that mahony four-postered bed, you'll notice, perhaps, a carved pineapple at top the posts.
The gracious plantation chair with its low seat, sloping back, and scrolled arms has come to symbolize the colonial West Indies style.
British in India developed their own colonial furniture style. Inlaid ivory and gilt mirrors adorn tables, chests, and dressers. Scrolled legs are more ornate here, reflecting the Hindu architecture and design found in India.

The need to be mobile led to a unique style of furniture, called "campaign", or "camp". Campaign items are most generally collapsible, with folding or removable legs, and often with ingenious hidden compartments.

Colonists in the 1700s in the United States were concerned with comfort and usefulness in their furniture returning to simpler, earlier influences. Windsor chairs, wingback and camelback sofas and chairs, and simple Shaker-style furniture all were common. Woods native to the Americas was used like ash , maple , elm , black walnut , red cedar , yellow pine and hickory , fruitwoods such as peach, apple and cherry . Chased-brass mounts were used instead of iron and wooden knobs. S-shaped cabriolet legs, pad, trifid or pointed feet and claw-and-ball feet dominated the American British colonial furniture style.

"Mission style: "

"Shaker style: "