13 September 2017
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1745: A typical 18th-century parlour from a Covent Garden townhouse
Enjoy this virtual tour of the interior of London homes, from the 1600s through to the twentieth century, from the Geffrye Museum.
Enjoy this virtual tour of the interior of London homes, from the 1600s through to the twentieth century, from the Geffrye Museum.
The Geffrye Museum in East London has opened its doors with a brand new, interactive tour through four centuries of London's urban homes and interiors, from before the Great Fire of London in 1666 up to today.
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Each room reflects the ways in which the middle classes, who had steadily grown more affluent in the years following the Industrial Revolution, lived at home.
Some of the eras on show:
1745: A typical 18th-century parlour from a Covent Garden townhouse
This luxurious townhouse displays exotic goods from the East India Company's early imports. The look includes walnut chairs with upholstered red seats made with woollen cloth. These chairs were known as 'India back' chairs because they were inspired by East India Company imports.
1830: A 19th-century drawing room in Clapham
This was the era when the middle classes could afford to have a separate drawing room, just like the upper classes. The interior design focused on large windows and elaborate drapery, and the fireplace became less important. Other highlights of the room are the Regency-imitated carpet and classical furniture and flourishes.
1965: A modernist townhouse living room from a small Highgate estate
Open plan to maximise space, this townhouse living room displays the domestic informality of the era. No longer is the fireplace the centre of the room as the TV has taken over with furniture pointing towards this new piece of technology. Storage units were practical and simple, and the coffee table lies low so as not to get in the way of the TV.
Take the virtual tour on the Geffrye Museum website.
Geffrye Museum, 136 Kingsland Road, London E2 8EA; tel: 0207 739 9893; website.
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