Ah, the classic spring-clean. The one that begins with good intentions and ends with every cupboard, wardrobe and drawer emptied onto the floor. Bin bags pile up. Lonely Tupperware makes its way out from the kitchen corners. Suddenly, spring feels less like a fresh start and more like a punishment.
But this year I’m taking inspiration from outside. Because you don’t “clean” a garden, you tend it. You prune what’s dead, feed what’s thriving and make space for beauty to emerge. Why not apply this logic indoors? It’s far gentler and more sustainable. Not everything needs to be stripped back to feel renewed. We can instead edit slowly, adding organic elements and allowing imperfection to live alongside freshness.
So I’m thinking less about what I throw out and more about what I grow. I’m rejecting the “Let’s get rid of it” energy in favour of something more life-giving: a reset rooted in air, light and scent.
Spring is the season when your home comes into flower. Heavy textures are swapped for lighter ones, colour slowly creeps back in and fresh blooms punctuate the house: a vase on a bedside table, cut branches on the kitchen counter, herbs spilling out of mismatched pots on the windowsill.
Opening the windows lets a fresh breeze and natural aromas rush through neglected corners after a long-sealed-up winter. Borrowing rituals from the garden – watering, refreshing, rotating – changes the rhythm of the home. It becomes a living thing, responsive and imperfect, rather than a static, spotless box.
This is what spring-cleaning can be: not an act of getting rid of things, but one of curation. A reset that invites the outdoors in and lets the inside breathe again.
All In Good Taste, the regular column from Laura Jackson, first appeared in the third issue of Broadsheet London's magazine. Here's where to find a copy.
