Museum of the Home

The Museum of the Home, formerly known as the Geffrye Museum, is housed in 18th-century almshouse buildings that were built under Sir Robert Geffrye, the former Mayor of London. When the Museum was founded in 1914, its collection explored the local furniture trade. In the 1930s, as the furniture trade moved, the Museum's focus shifted to exhibiting collections parsing the history of domestic life. Today, the Museum's unique grounds explore the many ways in which humans define "home" and rethink the ways that communities can better live together. The Museum is currently in the midst of Unlocking the Geffrye, a two-year, massive transformation to renovate its facilities, expand programming and accessibility, and offer new spaces for public use. The new Museum of the Home, set to open in 2020, will feature the GRoW @ Annenberg Reading Lounge, a space for visitors to peruse a carefully curated library of books, relax for a few moments, and contemplate their own understanding of what home is and has the potential to be.