Ely will lead the east London museum during its next phase of development following a major refurbishment in 2021
Alex Ely, founder of Mæ, has been appointed chair of the Museum of the Home by the secretary of state for culture, media and sport. His four-year term began in March 2025.
The museum is one of the UK’s 16 department for culture, media and sport-sponsored museums and specialises in exploring domestic life in Britain across four centuries through its collections and events programme.
Ely said: “I am delighted to have been appointed by the secretary of state. At the Museum of the Home we reveal stories of home life, past, present and future.”
“No other museum in the country specialises in this particular aspect of our national heritage,” Ely added. “I look forward to advancing our mission to reveal and rethink the ways we live, in order to live better together.”
The museum reopened in 2021 following an £18.8 million refurbishment. The project, designed by Wright & Wright Architects, sought to reconfigure its historic almshouse buildings and gardens to improve public access and interpret the collections in a more contemporary and inclusive way.
The Museum of the Home, located in Hoxton, is housed in a terrace of Grade I-listed 18th-century almshouses originally built in 1714 by the Ironmongers’ Company. It first opened to the public in 1914 as the Geffrye Museum, named after Sir Robert Geffrye, whose bequest funded the almshouses’ construction.
The museum originally focused on furniture and interiors, expanding over time to explore the broader social history of domestic life in Britain. The museum officially adopted the name Museum of the Home in 2019.
Describing his future priorities for the unpaid chair role, Ely said: “My challenge is to ensure that the museum continues to be a vibrant place, welcoming to all, helping it on its path to be carbon neutral and growing its commercial income in line with the museum’s values.”
Ely added: ”For anyone working in housing get in touch to find out how we work together to build knowledge and advance our understanding of what makes a good home.”
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