Rooms Through Time
Travel through time as you discover homes, personal stories and objects reflecting the lived experiences of our East London community—past, present and future.
Our Rooms Through Time explore how ways of living, furniture, textiles and decor have adapted 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.
What to expect
The galleries are housed along our Grade I-listed Almshouses and the curved Branson Coates Wing.
They present a variety of spaces and families in the home, initially focusing on the main living area for owners who would have had enough money to decorate and live comfortably. From the Townhouse in 1878 onwards, these evolve into bedrooms, bathrooms, gardens and kitchens, co-curated with our community partners and centring lived experiences.
In response to audience feedback, visitors will now have the opportunity to step inside the spaces and immerse themselves in each.
Why do the galleries look different?
The last major development to our Rooms Through Time was in 1998, with the creation of original period rooms from 1830 to 1998, housed in a new building extension known as the Branson Coates Wing.
These latter rooms closed in January 2024 for refurbishment as part of the Real Rooms Project. Opening July 2024, the newest rooms now span from 1878 through to 2049 - illustrating how homes have changed and will continue to alongside societal and technological advancements.
Domestic Game Changers
In an introduction to the Rooms Through Time, examine this display of everyday objects that might not look very special but have had a huge impact on our home lives.
Developing these galleries
Read about how the newest Rooms Through Time were brought to life.
Explore the Rooms
Dive into four centuries of home life and the evolution of real London dwellings from 1630 to 2049, encountering fragments of the stories that constitute our shared history.
These rooms are restyled throughout the year by our curators, with the most significant changes taking place during the colder months for our annual Winter Festival.
A Parlour in 1745
The mistress is expecting guests round for tea and she wants the parlour to be sparkling clean.
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A Parlour in 1790
Everyone is full from dinner, and they have settled down to play cards.
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A Drawing Room in 1830
It is mid-afternoon and a mother and her daughters are gathered in the drawing room.
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A Townhouse in 1878
An Ayah, Bunoo, is packing up her things in this terraced house on Oakfield Street in Chelsea.
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A Tenement Flat in 1913
On Friday nights the Delinsky family welcome in Shabbos marking the Jewish day of rest, which begins at sundown in a few hours’ time.
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A Room Upstairs in 1956
Newlyweds Kathleen and Jack are getting ready for a big night out at the Galtymore dancehall in Cricklewood.
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A Terraced House in 1978
The family have all gathered around the television for the premiere of Empire Road.
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A High-rise Flat in 2005
Nadia, Ashley and Alex have grabbed a paintbrush and are personalising their shared home.
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A Terraced House in 2024
It is Sunday afternoon and the Nguyễn family are spending quality time together, having lunch and singing karaoke.
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A Converted Flat in 2049
The Innovo Room of the Future explores home amid technological and societal changes.
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Online only
These rooms have been refurbished and are now available to learn about exclusively online. Co-curated to be more representative of our local communities in Hackney, the Rooms Through Time explore the innumerable ways in which we make our lives in our homes. Our beloved Parlour in 1870 and Front Room in 1976 remain, expanded in size and scope.
A Loft-style apartment 1998
The couple who own this apartment have friends over for drinks after work.
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A Front Room in 1976
There's 'Saturday Soup' for dinner as everyone has been doing their chores to clean up the front room.
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A Flat in 1937
A maid is coming to collect the resident's half-eaten meal and dust the room.
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A Drawing Room in 1915
Mother and daughter are knitting socks to send to soldiers at the Front to keep them warm.
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A Parlour in 1870
Anne and Daniel have invited a professional medium to hold a séance for their close friends.
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