Historic interiors are more than just rooms filled with old furniture – they are rich, layered narratives of human life, culture, and identity. This webinar will explore how we can ‘read’ interiors as ‘material histories’, using them to interpret the lives, values, and experiences of those who inhabited them. Drawing on examples from a range of properties, we’ll examine how interiors were curated by their owners, how they evolve over time, and how they reflect broader social and historical contexts. We’ll also explore the different types of evidence that can help us reconstruct these stories, and how lenses for interpretation can deepen our understanding. By the end, you’ll see how walls really can talk – if you know how to listen.

About the speaker

Dr Leah Warriner-Wood is Senior Lecturer in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage and Programme Leader at the University of Lincoln. Her research explores the layered histories of interior spaces, combining conservation practice with the principles of material culture studies to uncover the stories embedded in historic environments and objects. She has worked with a range of sites, including Doddington Hall and Belton House, and regularly collaborates with Lincoln Conservation. Alongside her teaching, Leah is committed to public engagement, helping wider audiences connect with the past through the material traces of everyday life.