Jim Ede was a collector and critic. He believed that art wasn't solely for galleries or for the rich to display in grand houses. He lived in four workers' cottages on the outskirts of Cambridge. Knocking them together and opening them up with white walls, wooden floors and lots of natural light, he chose the perfect location in each room to best show off his paintings and sculptures, highlighting their composition and their colours with complementary furnishings and natural objects such as flowers, plants, feathers, pebbles and even an artfully placed lemon.

Then Jim and his wife Helen invited friends, acquaintances and students to come and visit them at home to enjoy their art with them. He even let students choose a piece of work which they might take back to their rooms and enjoy for as long as they wished!

Jim recognised great work before it became fashionable or sought after and he built relationships with the artists - such as Ben and Winifred Nicholson, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Alfred Wallis - which this book explores. But his approach and vision continues to influence the way we understand art and modern living.

This is a beautifully presented, and engagingly written book. It's easy and compelling to read. There are images throughout of scenes and artworks from Kettle's Yard with explanations of how they came to be there. It's a stunning book, dense with information and delights!