If I Had a Time Machine and an Interior Designer…

Absolutely ages ago in the Summer, I visited the Geffrye Museum in London. It’s a fantastic resource  for anyone interested in the history of the home or interior design. The museum is housed in a row of beautiful 18th century almshouses surrounded by beautiful gardens.

The museum travels through the last 400 years showing what a middle class home would have looked like in various eras of history. from an oak panelled hall of 1630 to a loft apartment in 1998 the museum really shows the evolution of the home. If you find yourself in the Hoxton area, this one is an absolute must-see.

When it comes to authentic vintage interiors the lines are a lot more fuzzy than those of fashion. If anything the shabby chic, floral look which Cath Kidston popularised is more the look of the last decade than any before it! I loved seeing how our modern tastes have been influenced by interiors of the past in much the same way as our clothing has.

Two of my favourite rooms in the house were the 1935 and 1965 living rooms. My house was built in the mid thirties so I liked seeing how it may have looked when the first owners lived there. The 1965 room has the most fantastic retro details and lots of inspiration from the atomic age. I love the TV and the rug!

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Here’s a collection of photos I took at the museum, have a watch and see if you can spot the era that your house was built in…

Links:

Geffrye Museum Website

Have you visited the museum? What did you think? What was your favourite era for interiors? Please comment below.