The Geffrye Museum in East London

Call me weird, but I like looking into windows peeping into people's living room. So when I heard about the Geffrye museum in East London, I just had to go.

The Geffrye Museum is a museum about homes and the way people lived in London throughout the last 400 years. It showcases different living rooms from different times, using real furniture, upholstery and knickknacks. There are eleven rooms on show at the Geffrye Museum. You start your visit looking into a hall from 1630 after which you walk through time along a narrow corridor where the living rooms, parlours and drawing rooms are alternated with rooms that hold artifacts and very clearly displayed tidbits on how people used to live in that particular time. The tour ends with a loft conversion from the 1990s.

It's really fascinating to see how taste and style evolved throughout the centuries. How the decor went from minimalist to opulent and back to minimalist. How fashion was always something to follow; Japanning was hot in the seventeenth century, neatness in style in the eighteenth century and needlework and crochet cushions were must-haves in the late nineteenth century.

It's interesting to see how mod-cons like lighting and heating changed over the years. You learn how sanitation worked back in the day; the loo was in the back yard and a guy came to pick up the poo. You see how rubbish was disposed off; You just chucked it out the window, really. And how water was supplied to the house; It was home delivered by a water man.

But really what struck me most was how the things we love to do at home with our family haven't changed all that much. We still have dinners together, we still play games together and we still listen to music together. Although I think when it comes to 21st century family life, I can add: We like to fiddle on our smart phones while we're spending time together.

You can find more information by clicking here:  http://www.geffrye-museum.org.uk/