Open today, Saturday 25 October

Rooms Through Time

How home life has evolved over four centuries.

Date

Permanent

Where

Museum of the Home

Price

Free

A richly furnished Victorian townhouse room (c.1878) with mint green patterned wallpaper and red carpet, featuring a red upholstered armchair draped with embroidery beside a fireplace topped by twin ceramic vases, framed artwork, a carved wooden piano, a tea table, and in the left bottom corner is an ayah's trunk of Indian textiles.
Collections

Dive into four centuries of home life and the evolution of real London dwellings from 1630 to 2049, encountering the stories that constitute our shared history. Discover homes, personal stories and objects reflecting the lived experiences of our London communities: past, present and future.

Our Rooms Through Time explore how furniture, textiles and decor have affected our ways of living at home through the ages, from the wooden interiors of the 1630s and Victorian floral motifs to mid-twentieth-century geometric designs and speculative visions of a future home. 

They present a variety of spaces and families in the home. The early rooms show the main living area of prosperous and middle-class families. Our newer rooms expand the view of home to include other ways of living, and illustrate how homes have changed from 1878 through to 2049. 

These rooms are redressed throughout the year, with the most significant changes taking place during the colder months for our annual Winter Festival. The rooms themselves will also change as we collect new stories and objects.

Explore the rooms

A wood-paneled room with ornate tapestry, wooden table and stools, fireplace, and woven rug.

A Hall in 1630

All of the household, including servants, sit down to eat together.

A Hall in 1630
Room with carved wooden chairs, round table, tall grandfather clock, green curtains, and cream paneled walls.

A Parlour in 1695

A family is proud to host their guests in their smart new room.

A Parlour in 1695
A parlour with wooden chairs with red cushions around a small round table. Rich red curtains are against a pale green wall. A fireplace with marble surround is visible on the right, other details include a wall-mounted clock and mirrors.

A Parlour in 1745

The mistress is expecting guests round for tea and she wants the parlour to be sparkling clean.

A Parlour in 1745
Room with green-topped card table, chairs, marble fireplace, patterned wallpaper, white curtains, and gilt-framed portrait above mantel.

A Parlour in 1790

Everyone is full from dinner, and they have settled down to play cards.

A Parlour in 1790
Room with blue decorative wallpaper, multiple paintings and a round mirror in gilt frames, a dark marble fireplace behind a round table atop sit books, a bell and a letter in the process of being written. There are dark wood chairs with blue cushioning, and decorative fire screens depicting pheasants.

A Drawing Room in 1830

A mother and her daughters are gathered to relax, read and paint.

A Drawing Room in 1830
A richly furnished room with mint green patterned wallpaper and red carpet, featuring a red upholstered armchair draped with embroidery beside a marble fireplace topped by twin ceramic vases, framed artwork, a carved wooden piano, a table covered in a red, detailed cloth, and in the left bottom corner is an ayah's trunk of Indian textiles.

A Townhouse in 1878

Bunoo is packing up her things in this terraced house on Oakfield Street in Chelsea.

A Townhouse in 1878
A room with a mantlepiece behind a wooden dining table laid with a white tablecloth and two wooden chairs. To the right a colourful curtain reveals a brass bed frame is visible, and to the left wooden storage with various dishware and china.

A Tenement Flat in 1913

On Friday night, the Delinsky family prepares to welcome in Shabbos, the Jewish day of rest.

A Tenement Flat in 1913
A bedroom featuring dark wood furniture including a bed, wardrobe, and desk. The room has floral curtains, a wooden chair, patterned rugs, and religious artwork on the walls

A Room Upstairs in 1956

Newlyweds Kathleen and Jack are getting ready for a big night out at the Galtymore dancehall in Cricklewood.

A Room Upstairs in 1956
A cluttered 1970s-style living space with yellow wallpaper, red patterned carpet, and furniture and decorations.

A Terraced House in 1978

A family has gathered around the television for the premiere of Empire Road.

A Terraced House in 1978
An installation view of the “High-rise Flat in 2005” bedroom: on the left, a vibrant orange wall with white shelves holding a stereo, CRT TV, and DVDs; in front, a white iron-framed bed strewn with clothes. A beige carpet lies beneath. On the right, a pale blue wall displays a map and CDs on narrow shelving above a drying rack of casual wear. Below, a compact wooden desk with keyboard and a CRT monitor showing The Sims, and a bright yellow stool completes the scene.

A High-rise Flat in 2005

Nadia, Ashley and Alex have grabbed paintbrushes and are personalising their shared home.

A High-rise Flat in 2005
A space showing living room with floral throw over a sofa and connecting kitchen, featuring wood paneling, sewing machine, and wall-mounted TV.

A Terraced House in 2024

It is Sunday afternoon and the Nguyễn family is spending quality time together, having lunch and singing karaoke.

A Terraced House in 2024
A room with a wall of brown and white panels, two windows showing a futuristic cityscape, and brightly red seating. A brown sculptural chair and a white sideboard with decorative items are also visible.

A Converted Flat in 2049: The Innovo Room of the Future

It is mid-afternoon, and Ali sets his farm-free food machine to start producing protein patties for dinner.

A Converted Flat in 2049: The Innovo Room of the Future
A display titled 'Squatting Stories' featuring multiple framed photographs in yellow frames arranged on a white wall with informational placards, a central map, and various historical images related to squatting and housing activism.

Squatting stories

Making home a right and not a commodity, by occupying empty properties.

Squatting stories
A hand holding up a smartphone displaying information and an image of a terraced house from 1978, with the actual display blurred in the background.

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