The domestic lives of Irish, Jewish, Vietnamese, and LBGTQ Londoners will be explored in newly refurbished time capsule rooms at an East London Museum.
Housed in a row of Grade I listed former Almshouses, the Museum of the Home is one of the capital's hidden gems, with a mission to explore and rethink the way we live "in order to live better together."
A major draw is the 'Rooms Through Time' evoking domestic interiors through different eras.
Following a major refurbishment of the gallery, six years of research, and input from the community, the museum is unveiling seven new period rooms which will "diversify" their "narratives."
Dating between 1878 and 2049 and exploring themes of migration, homemaking, and belonging common to many Londoners, they include a Victorian Townhouse occupied by an Ayah who has looked after a family’s children during a journey between Calcutta and London.
A Tenement Flat in 1913 is home to a Jewish family welcoming in the Sabbath - akin to the 19th-century Rothschild Buildings in Spitalfields which housed families fleeing antisemitic pogroms.
A Room Upstairs reflects the abode of two newlywed Irish immigrants in 1956 who have moved to London to work for the newly formed NHS and construction firms in post-war Britain.
The Museum’s much-loved 1970s period room has been revamped into a 1978 terraced house where the McMillan family gather round the television for the premiere of Empire Road, the first predominantly black British soap opera.
In a High Rise Flat in 2005, LGBTQ couple Nadia and Ashley are looking for another flatmate to move into their spare room.
And in the present day, visitors can drop into a relaxed Sunday afternoon in
the Nguyễn household, complete with live karaoke and a well-loved kitchen belonging to a first generation British Vietnamese family.
Finally, a Converted Flat in 2049 looks at a room of the future in light of climate change and technological advances, featuring a farm-free food
machine and a memory intensification system, while energy kites and emissions drones soar above the fringe of Hackney Marsh.
Each room has been co-curated by the community using objects and fragments of personal stories.
Visitors can get hands on inside the bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens and gardens to explore the lives of those who have enriched and shaped London over the decades.
Interactive elements include the aroma of lokshen soup wafting from a stove, singing karaoke, changing the music on a record player, and curling up on a 1970s sofa.
The museum also has an interactive exhibit on squatting communities, a new projection space with views from windows through time, wandering past building facades and exploring the city through an immersive video installation, and a family-friendly digital journey with urban animals – an essential part of London life.
Museum Director Sonia Solicari says: “The Real Rooms project is a commitment to telling diverse, thought-provoking and personal stories to honour the lived experiences of the communities represented.
"We hope to foster learning and connection among visitors, inspiring conversations about the meaning of 'home' in today's world."
As part of the revamp, the museum has acquired several artefacts including "A Young Teacher" (1861) by Rebecca Solomon, silver kiddush cups, and a salt and pepper set.
There have also been community donations for example alongside the story of a dim sum chef from one of Chinatown's first Chinese restaurants, is a set of original dumpling weighing scales.
Objects within each room also reflect evolving tastes and styles over time, textures and patterns from each era - from Victorian floral motifs to mid-twentieth-century geometric designs.
Furniture, textiles, and decor adapt to changing trends, reflecting shifting preferences and innovations of each period. Through these design elements, visitors will gain insights into how homes have evolved aesthetically alongside societal shifts.
The new rooms are open to the public from Tuesday 23rd July with a programme of talks, workshops and Museum lates aimed at fostering a deeper understanding of the ways in which generations have made their homes.
Museum of the Home, is at 136 Kingsland Road, E2.
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