If nosying around other people’s gaffs is anywhere near as high up on your list of favourite activities as it is on mine, you might want to listen up. Over in Shoreditch, you’ll find a museum that’s filled to the brim with home comforts; allowing visitors to step back in time, and explore the evolution of what it truly means to call a house a home. And look, I know that the phrase ‘hidden gem’ gets chucked around rather liberally over on this corner of the internet, but I can assure you that this sparkling spot lives up to the title in spades.
Museum of the Home
The museum originally set up shop in 1914 as the Geffrye Museum, offering local furniture tradesmen a historical perspective on their craft, before becoming more of an educational resource for a younger audience. The museum closed for a hefty (and rather pricey) refurbishment in 2018, and reopened its doors as the Museum of the Home in 2021.
Visiting the Museum of the Home
Located inside a Grade I listed former almshouse, the Museum of the Home does what it says on the tin, really. Spanning across 400 years, the museum depicts the transformation of London homes between 1630 and 2049 (yes, that’s right – ones that haven’t even been built yet), and examines the psychological relationship we have with the idea of home.
The rooms have been carefully recreated using historical archives and the stories and experiences of real people. And the plethora of parlours, living rooms and drawing rooms are filled with original furniture, paintings, textiles, and decor; telling the unique stories of the Londoners that have come before us, and those that are yet to come.
Alongside the permanent ‘Rooms Through Time’ exhibition, the Hoxton hotspot hosts temporary exhibitions, art installations, various eclectic events, and daily guided tours. There’s also a garden that boasts a ‘Gardens Through Time’ exhibition, displaying a collection of picture-perfect gardens through the ages. There’s also a gift shop that sells all sorts of bespoke items, from fashion and furnishing to toys and textiles.
With an aim to reveal and rethink the way in which we live in order to live better together; there really is no place like home the Museum of the Home.
The Museum of the Home is open on Tuesdays-Sundays from 10am-5pm. Find out more and plan your visit here.
📍136 Kingsland Road, E2 8EA.
