Museum of the Home Ticket Portal

Join Ruth Guilding, author of The Bible of British Taste and creator of @bibleofbritishtaste, and Ben Pentreath, interior and architectural designer and author of An English Vision (@benpentreath) for a discussion that interrogates the contemporary meanings of 'home' and our ongoing preoccupation with domestic taste as self-preservation, creativity and decorating styles.

About the book:

Published on September 25th, Ruth Guilding's Bible of British Taste takes readers inside Britain's most fascinating homes - eclectic, charming, and unique. Rejecting the pristine and predictable in favour of the lived-in and characterful, Ruth Guilding celebrates interiors filled with art, antiques, and the layers of history laid down by successive generations of owners. As she describes it, ‘My mantra for the houses, gardens and people I’ve included in this book seems to be that old stuff is good - and perfection is boring. Joined by Ben Pentreath, a friend and contributor to this book, this evening will shed new light on the quirky charm of British style and British Interiors, house and garden, domestic icons, and autobiography.

This creative workshop is reserved for ESEA diaspora people.

This creative workshop explores growing as part of the Library of Ancestral Knowledge: how can gardening serve as an act of cultural preservation? Participants are invited to think or dream about recipes, herbal remedies, gardening tips, and stories. 

Join landscape architect and gardener Yoni Carnice for a hands-on workshop exploring how gardening can connect us to ancestral knowledge and cultural memory across Vietnamese and ESEA communities. Through paper collage, cooking, and practical gardening activities, we will collectively reflect on how nurturing the land helps preserve shared histories and traditions. 

Using archival imagery, heritage food crops, and recycled materials, participants will share personal memories of landscapes, gardens, and home. We will also learn practical techniques for growing Southeast Asian herbs and vegetables in our local London climate, exploring creative ways to adapt traditional growing practices to new environments. 
  
Whether you are an experienced gardener or just starting out, this workshop invites you to connect with family and diaspora memory through the simple act of gardening.  

**We use the term family broadly to include any form of family structure, including LGBTQIA+ families, chosen family, friends and allies.

Please join us for the launch of Reassembling the social interior: historical spaces from contemporary viewpoints, a new book from academic publishers, Manchester University Press, Studies in Design & Material Culture.

This event will include short talks from the book's editors and contributing writers, followed by a Q&A session. Light refreshments will be provided. 

About the book:

This edited volume features new and original research, revealing the richly layered work of artists, designers, craftspeople, landscape gardeners and architects, and their contributions to the construction of interiors, and interrelated exteriors, of the past. Surveying a range of historical periods, the book explores collective meanings embedded within the furnishings and fittings of houses and homes, public and private buildings.

Contributors to the book consider how these spaces have powerful significance for contemporary audiences, particularly in ways that are relatable to shared experiences of work, leisure, family, community, power and politics. In Reassembling the social interior: Historical spaces from contemporary viewpoints, the authors describe the communicative and interpretative qualities of works that connect with the present-day, by reflecting on, remaking and re-imagining, places, spaces and objects that once populated people’s lives.

Palatial to austere, Reassembling the social interior: Historical spaces from contemporary viewpoints foregrounds human relationships in the plan, design and creation of homes, interiors and sites of the past. 

 Join us at the Museum of the Home for a special evening exploring the evolution of British interior design over the past century. In conversation with the authors of British Interior Design Since 1925 and Sonia Solicari, Director of the Museum, this event presents a rare opportunity to delve into the forces, personalities, and ideas that have shaped how we live and live-in our homes. 

In this richly illustrated book, the authors trace how British interiors have responded to social change, technological advances, global influences, and shifting aesthetic ideals from the interwar years to the present day. They consider how design has engaged with tradition and modernity, class and identity, and the tension between public and private spaces. 

Books purchased with tickets will be available to collect on the day, additional copies of the book will be available to purchase during the event.

This creative workshop is reserved for ESEA diaspora people.

This creative workshop explores making: How can we preserve our cultural heritage through making with our hands? Join Clai Mai/Mai Anh Le in exploring diaspora and family memory through the act of basketweaving and making a memento mobile with clay and recycled material. Vietnamese weaving has a rich history, deeply rooted in agricultural traditions. As we move through an ever evolving digital and technological world, where does this craft fit? Whose hands will continue this skill? 
 
In this workshop, we will activate this craft through a contemporary lens, using clay to basketweave from recycled and repurposed containers. Join artist (Clay Mai or Mai Anh Le? Totally up to you!) in this practical workshop where you will learn an introduction to this ancient craft and pick up new skills while engaging in the communal act of weaving with clay. 
 
You will learn about the cultural background and history of weaving and its practice in modern day society. Together, you will create clay woven containers to home old and new memories within. Let the intricate craft of weaving and working with clay take you on a journey of meditative making, reflection and conversation. 
 
How can we preserve memories of our cultural heritage through making with our hands? As we move through life we hold onto small items that hold memory and purpose, gradually adding to or disposing of as we move through time, space, and location. Drawing on diaspora stories of DIY spirit and resourcefulness, you will preserve the textures of your mementos and imprint them into clay, together creating a communal hanging mobile.

In 1738 Jean Jacob, a first generation Huguenot goldsmith, originally from Metz, married as his second wife, Anne Courtauld, daughter of a fellow Huguenot goldsmith Augustin Courtauld, whose family came from Ike d'Oleron near La Rochelle.  

This talk will explore the life and times of this couple who were married on Christmas Day at the French Church of the Savoy. Established in the West End, the City and in Spitalfields, their family demonstrate how Huguenots were assimilated into London life. 

This festive season, discover independent makers and artisan pieces at Museum of the Home as it transforms into a festive market for one day only. Explore the Museum, browse one-of-a-kind gifts, and find delightful treats for your loved ones this winter. 

Bernard’s Trees will be hosting a pop-up Christmas tree lot in our Gardens Through Time, with trees available to collect or to browse on the day. For a 10% discount, please pre-order your tree. 

Please add when wrote.

Discover the complex historical and diverse origins of spiced biscuits, (or is it cake?) how they were made and shaped. In this workshop you can make your own Victorian inspired Christmas tree decoration and investigate some of the festive symbolism to be found in old culinary moulds. 

Food Historian and Archaeologist Emma Kay will guide you through the process of grinding and moulding using original artefacts from her collection. 

Waiver info/ Health & Safety 

Participants are encouraged to bring their own aprons if they want to protect their clothing, although mess will be at a minimum. Each participant will also be required to complete a permission slip on arrival (see attached). 

Please contact Emma with any allergy or intolerance concerns at kitchenmuseum@yahoo.com. We are unable to cater to severe or nut allergies. 

Come for this renowned Christmas wreath-making workshop with Museum of the Home’s Head Gardener of over 25 years, Heather Stevens.  

Discover some of her secret tips and the joys of using fresh greenery and common festive decorations to make your unique wreath. 

The mesmerising and mindful process of paper marbling has been practiced for centuries. Liquid paint dropped on a surface of thickened water produce marbled patterns, which are then picked up on paper. At its simplest, this creates a delightful arrangement of blobby shapes, but various tools can also be used to create more intricate patterns.  

In this workshop, you will work through a range of paper marbling techniques, from basic patterns like Italian Vein and Swirls, through to more elaborate ones like Nonpareil. You’ll learn how to prepare all the materials necessary, making it easy to replicate the whole process in your own home or studio. 

Who better to get you into the Christmas spirit than a direct descendant of Charles Dickens? Join Lucinda Dickens Hawksley, author of Dickens and Christmas and Victorian Christmas, to discover the origins behind our best-loved seasonal traditions - and to find out how A Christmas Carol so dramatically changed the ways in which the festive season is celebrated. 

Join artist and printmaker, Alex Booker, to welcome in the festive period by spending a day learning and creating prints through the use of traditional tools, inks and techniques. Make your own cards, decorations, wrapping paper and bespoke woodblock prints, as gifts for loved ones. All materials, refreshments, mince pies and festive cheer included in the woodcut printing workshop.