Main image: Instagram @boden_clothing.

They don’t have to be anything fancy – in fact, a bunch of supermarket tulips is perfect. Double up with two bunches for volume and break out your favourite vase. 

The antidote to the January blues? Out and out maximalism, as demonstrated in this very busy – and very beautiful – reading room by design studio Côte de Folk. While we’re not suggesting to break out the wallpaper of a Monday, we do suggest embracing this feeling of abundance in your day. Wear head-to-toe prints, treat yourself to a coffee and a slice of cake, wear a slick of bright lipstick: whatever you need to do to feel a bit extra.

There’s nothing like losing yourself in a good book. And this time of the year, we often want something feel good and not too taxing. Cue: Oh William! the novel by Elizabeth Strout that was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2022. Barton, a writer living in New York City, is adjusting to life as a widow and is managing parenting two adult children, when a surprise encounter causes her to reconnect with her first husband. Funny, heartbreaking and relatable, Strout’s unfussy prose and uncanny ability to mine the depths of human emotions makes it the perfect January read. Get it for €11.60 at Gutter bookshop.

Carve out some time to make yourself some comfort food today – whether it’s an indulgent snack or a Monday night meal that feels a bit special (we love these roasted root vegetable tacos with miso and pomegranate molasses). Alternatively, the recipes in the recent Ballymaloe Desserts (Phaidon), €49.95, by JR Ryall are enough to get your mouth watering. Set the table, light a candle, use the good table linen: go wild!

It may seem like forever until we’ll be out pottering in the garden, or even until it’s time to plant some seeds, but that doesn’t mean you can’t plan your dream garden now. January is the perfect time to take stock of the kind of plants you’d love to have in the mix this year. Look back on photos of your garden in bloom last summer; see what works, what didn’t, what you might need more of. Do as gardener Arthur Parkinson does and create a moodboard detailing the dream annuals, perennials and biannuals you’d like to plant this year, in what colours and what locations. Even better, check out Parkinson’s gorgeous Cotswold cottage garden, below, for inspiration.

Image: Hulu.

Catch up on the addictive shows everyone is always talking about; take a trip to Sicily via The White Lotus, see what all the fuss is about (and observe the corporate style) in Succession, find out the fascinating story of Elizabeth Holmes, brought to life by Amanda Seyfried, in The Dropout, or there’s never been a better time to watch The Crown.