Contents
The Museum of the Home is one of London’s lesser-known museums, situated somewhat off the tourist path, which is a blessing if you’re looking for a slightly quieter museum experience than London’s mainstream museums.
In a nutshell, the museum looks at the history, significance, and evolution of domestic life to help us understand how the concept of “home” has evolved and what it reveals about society, culture, class, identity, and personal experience.
Museum of the Home
The museum is housed in some almshouses in Hoxton, north London, which were commissioned by the Ironmongers’ Company using funds from Sir Robert Geffrye, a wealthy merchant and former Lord Mayor of London, who was connected to the transatlantic slave trade.
His statue can still be seen mounted on the facade of the almshouses, although there are discussions to move it.
The museum began as the Geffrye Museum, established under the London County Council in 1914. The council purchased the buildings, focusing on furniture and woodwork, which reflected the local East End furniture industry.
Today, the Museum of the Home is “the place to explore and debate what home means.”
At first glance, the museum is about living spaces, but it’s more than that.
It’s not just about the living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms of the people who have lived in Britain over the last few centuries.
It’s also about cultures and design.
Well-designed spaces and the use of personal narratives to provide insights into the lives of people who may have lived in each of the rooms help bring the exhibitions to life.
If you grew up in the UK, visiting the Museum of the Home will be a nostalgic visit for you.
For those who didn’t, it provides a great insight into how different cultures lived within the UK and how people, unlike you, curated their homes.
What Else Is There?
There is a small but well-curated shop, library, and garden.
Something in the shop caught your eye, but you don’t fancy dragging it around town?
They have an online shop:
You can also gain access to the almshouses by taking a tour of Almhouse 14, which happens twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Visitor Information
📍 136 Kingsland Rd, London, E2 8EA
💷 Free
🕙 Tue to Sun, 10 am–5 pm. Closed Mondays.
📞 02077 399893
Photos of the Museum
To keep up with our travels, please subscribe to our mailing list. We won’t spam you; we’ll only contact you with exciting news and new stuff! Enter your email in the box below and hit subscribe!
