Clinical white walls and sparkling surfaces? So last year. In 2017 it’s all about letting go of your inner Kondo...

I used to have a recurring dream in which I walked through a previously unnoticed door at home, only to find myself in a secret extension, painted sparkling white and devoid of furniture.

I would wake with a sensation of wistful regret. For a brief period, you see, this dream had seemed to be a possibility, after I discovered Marie Kondo’s seminal work, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying.

Kondo’s philosophy appeared simple, yet irresistible: you should own nothing that does not spark joy. Falling on her book with the zeal of a convert, I promised myself that I would obey her instructions and completely purge my house in six months.