spacetm: Who lives in a house like this?

As Christmas approaches it's time to think about what statement your Christmas decorations are going to make (or not) – something the English have been doing in their homes for the past 400 years, as SpaceTM's Joe discovers.

These days the festive season feels like it increasingly owes more to Americana than our individual nations' traditions. I remember when, as a child, my family moved to Canada for a year between 1979-80 and Christmas was suddenly flooded with cinnamon-infused food and hooked candy canes. I'd never experienced anything like it before, but now it's a common sight down the UK's high streets.

But what is an "authentic" Christmas style? It is something that has been continually in flux over the last 400 years, as an exhibition at London's Geffrye museum explores. Each of the museum's 11 period rooms have been decorated in keeping with their era.

If you're looking for something slightly different in your home this Christmas, perhaps these might give you some inspiration:

17th Century Supper

From Christmas rooms

There's something about the mix of austere baroque detail and an almost minimalist approach to colour in this setting that really appeals to me.

Victorian Room

From Christmas rooms

It's easy to forget how radical the Victorians were with colour. There are echoes – in the mix of patterns and bold tones – found in the today's fashionable boutique hotel style (see, for example, Kit Kemp's award-winning work at the Firmdale Hotel Group which includes the Knightsbridge Hotel in London)

Edwardian Room

From Christmas rooms

Like the 90s grungers were happy to dispense with the ubiquitous 80s hairspray bottle, those Edwardians were gagging to get rid of Victoriana weren't they?

1930s Room