My love of art and interiors surely started from childhood. Growing up in rural Wales in an old farmhouse filled with furniture, textiles and objects from my parents years of living in Italy and travels to Japan. On the many rainy days, I would dig into my mothers bookshelves and hunt out my favourite pictures from her art books. Above all my favourite was a book called A way of Life:Kettle’s Yard, I poured over the pages, scanning the artwork and the collections of found objects from nature, intrigued by the home-gallery created by Jim Ede and its unique nature.

The book brings the spirit of Kettle’s Yard to us through its photographs. The magic of placing certain objects together in a room, each in turn becoming more present than the other as the light revolves around the room. What beauty in simplicity.

Jim Ede felt he was always forming Kettle’s Yard, though he didn’t move there until 1958.  Thanks to his years at the Tate Gallery and friendships with artists he was able to gather an incredible collection of art and objects which he placed within his home, amongst his furniture and textiles and plants, simply putting things where they belonged. This is the beauty of Kettle’s yard, its ease and simplicity that makes it such a home, and perfect environment to enjoy the beauty of the artwork with in it.

Finally when I left home to study fashion I made the trip to Kettle’s yard, which still inspires me to this day, the eclecticism of the scattered artwork, the many shelves of books, sofas and reading chairs, how the light falls within its rooms.  All of which made me want to boil the kettle, make a cup of tea and settle myself into a snug little corner for the afternoon, leafing through the art books and take in the surroundings I felt I knew so well.

Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street, Cambridge CB3 0AQ

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