A parlour in 1790 at Geffrye Museum London ”“ Photo: John Hammond courtesy of Geffrye Museum

If you’re into keeping up with the Joneses, you’ll want to keep up with the Geffrye: the Geffrye Museum that is. Located in Shoreditch, East London, the museum is a must for lovers of the home and interior design. Visitors can time travel across a sequence of eleven domestic environments that span from the 1600 to the late twentieth century to marvel at the meticulous decoration favoured by families of London’s middle classes in the past 400 years. From a Victorian drawing room to a Nineties loft apartment, every detail and curiosity has been considered, and is a triumph in the documentation of taste and a reflection of social and economic variables throughout the centuries.

The eighteenth century brick almshouse in which the museum is housed is also not to go unnoticed. The former charitable housing complex that dates from 1714 is a beautiful example of Georgian architecture in this now redeveloped area of the capital.

As well as a curated gift shop and restaurant that overlooks the landscaped period gardens, a highlight to the museum’s exhibition programme is its annual Christmas exhibition, when the domestic rooms are traditionally decorated as they would have been for the festive season.

http://www.geffrye-museum.org.uk/

Geffrye Museum
136 Kingsland Road, London E2 8EA
+44 020 7739 9893

A living room in 1935 at Geffrye Museum London – Photo: Chris Ridley courtesy of Geffrye Museum

The period gardens at Geffrye Museum London – Photo: Andy Sedg

Jonathan is our UK-based correspondent covering all eye-pleasing things for Melting Butter’s Arts & Culture pages. Being a contemporary visual artist working in public spaces around the world as well as a freelance culture writer for sites and publications like Ohh Deer and London Calling, Jonathan brings a rare combination of talent from the worlds of editorial, conceptual art, design and lifestyle. Be sure to check his blog and his art practice, which satisfy his hunger for both high and low culture. Follow his tweets too: @JMVELARDI Read about Jonathan’s favourite hotspots here.

(Feature Photo: the almshouse exterior of the Geffrye Museum London by Heather Cowper)

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