Sometimes a minimal approach can bring maximum benefits

In a world where you are measured by your possessions, something strange is happening. Minimalism is becoming mainstream. The Japanese guru Marie Kondo has made millions of dollars telling people how to clear out their cluttered homes. Now, a growing number of Chinese are following her.

I managed to achieve the aesthetic long before it became fashionable. Not that it won me many fans. Around 2006, I invited a friend to my apartment in Edin-burgh, Scotland. He was shocked by its bareness and described it as a serial killer's lair. The naked light-bulb hanging from the ceiling didn't help.

In spite of this, clutter invaded my home by stealth. When I had to move to Aberdeen in 2013, the amount of things I had to throw out shocked me.