By Kate Duggan

Spring is traditionally the time to clean, refresh and beautify your home. If you’re not sure where to start, take inspiration from one of this month’s books.

The Easy Life – Lynsey Crombie

Most of don’t have ‘cleaning the toilet’ or ‘sorting the cupboard of doom’ at the top of a list of favourite things to do on a Sunday. So why not leave the scrubbing for a bit and curl up with a book instead? The Easy Life will teach you tried and tested methods for a cleaner, more organised home. The focus is on time and energy-saving hacks. There are checklists, handy hints and plenty of down-to-earth advice.

Clean & Green – Nancy Birtwhistle

Whether you’re trying to be a bit greener this year or just fancy having fewer chemicals around your home, this book could prove invaluable. It’s packed with recipes for DIY cleaning products along with tips on everything from laundry, to super-easy oven cleaning. (Who knew chopped up ivy leaves could be used to clean clothes?)

Simplicity at Home – Yumiko Sekine with Jenny Wapner

If you yearn for a simpler life, this book might be a good place to start. It offers advice for creating a calmer, minimalistic home by following Japanese traditions. There are also meal recipes and guidance on everything from mending ceramics using ‘kintsugi’ to patchworking and selecting plants. A must for fans of Japanese culture.

The Declutter Challenge – Cassandra Aarssen 

As Cassandara says, ‘How do you create a home that makes you feel calm and happy instead of super-stressed and a little ragey?’ The answer? Declutter. Unlike other decluttering books, this one doesn’t just focus on the ‘how’, it also helps you to take a good look at the ‘why’, and deal with emotional baggage as well as physical clutter.

Wild at Home – Hilton Carter

If you struggle to keep a succulent alive; are bored to death with peace lilies or want to know how to arrange houseplants for maximum impact, this is the book for you. The photos alone are enough to send you running for the garden centre. As well as bags of inspiration, you’ll also find practical advice on everything from taking cuttings to dealing with common pests and problems.

Homebody – Joanna Gaines 

Whether you’re decorating your first home or just want to refresh a room, it’s always a good idea to seek a bit of inspiration. But ultimately, you don’t want a show house; you want a home that reflects your personality. In Homebody, Joanna Gaines explains how to do just that. She talks the reader through different design styles, gives solutions to common problems (e.g. small dark rooms) and goes through what to consider for every room in the house. And, of course, there are plenty of photos to lust over too.